Two weeks ago, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister, said his family's decision to sell Shin Corp - the telecommunications empire he founded - would allow him to focus on running the country undistracted by criticism that he was using his influence to benefit family business interests.
Instead, the Shinawatra family's Bt73bn ($1.8bn, €1.5bn, £1.1bn) sale of its49 per cent stake in Shin Corp has sparked a sudden storm, marked by calls for Mr Thaksin's resignation, heightened tensions in the ruling party, and the biggest anti-government rally in Bangkok for more than a decade.
