Thailand's former Prime Minister Mr Thaksin Shinawatra was in Tonga earlier this week and met with HM King George Tupou V and Princess Pilolevu Tuita.

The millionaire and his group arrived by private jet at the Fua'amotu International Airport.

The Royal Tonga International Hotel at Fua'amotu confirmed opon July 9 that the Thailand telecommunications billionaire checked into the hotel on Tuesday, July 7 with an entourage over 10 people, including his personal assistants, secretaries and bodyguards.

Thaksin and his group only stayed overnight at the hotel before checking out in the morning, Wednesday July 8.

The former Thai PM's trip to Tonga was a private affair to meet with the king and Princess Pilolevu.

Regional news sources reported that Thaksin had also visited Vanuatu and Fiji and that the exile was on the hunt for a safe place to live to avoid possible extradition.

Ousted

Thaksin Shinawatra was the first prime minister in Thailand's history to lead an elected government through a full term in office. But after more than five years in power, he was ousted in a military coup in September 2006, accused of corruption and abuse of power.

Thaksin went to the UK and bought Manchester City football club.

When his allies won the first post-coup elections in late 2007, he returned to Thailand. There he and his family faced a raft of corruption charges - allegations which the former Thai leader probably expected to come to nothing.

But in July 2008 his wife Pojaman was sentenced to three years in jail for tax fraud, and now the Supreme Court has found Thaksin himself guilty of a corruption charge, sentencing him to two years' imprisonment.

The couple were in self-imposed exile in the UK and Dubai.