At the root of the conflict between the People’s Alliance for Democracy and the government lies Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecommunications billionaire and Thailand’s controversial former prime minister.

A political outsider, he shattered the status quo, courting the rural poor in the north-east of the country and sweeping to election victory in 2001. He consolidated his power by offering his core constituency cheap healthcare and subsidised village funds, creating an all but unbeatable electoral machine while alienating the urban elites.