Special report: Coup d'etat in Thailand

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra leaves an appartment block in central London. (AFP, File Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

     BANGKOK, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ousted Thai former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had expressed hope to return home in Bangkok next Sunday, but the Council for National Security (CNS) put a stop to his plan.

    According to local newspaper The Nation on Tuesday, a source said household maids had been preparing the Chan Song Lah residence ready for Thaksin's return. There were also reports that Thaksin, who has taken refuge in London, flew to Singapore over the weekend and met with senior members of the Thai Rak Thai.

    Meanwhile, classmates of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Monday affirmed he has expressed a wish to return to Thailand on the eve of the Tuesday cabinet meeting that will begin discussing the possibility of lifting martial law.

    According to an army source quoted by Bangkok Post, Thaksin has kept in touch with members of Class 10 at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School by telephone since he was ousted by the coup on Sept. 19.

    In the conversations, Thaksin made clear that he wanted to come back when the situation in the country was calm, the source told Bangkok Post.

    "He expressed regret for what has happened. He asked for at least a month to evaluate his past performance, to see what mistakes he made to lead people to demand his resignation," the Class 10 source was quoted as saying.

    Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont also admitted that Thaksin had requested that he be allowed to come home, but was told that the time was not right yet.