Thai PM heads for landslide win

Telecoms tycoon-turned-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was romping to another four-year term yesterday in what an exit poll predicted would be a historic second successive general election landslide.

The poll, conducted jointly by six television channels and a Bangkok university, said Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party would win 399 of 500 seats in parliament.

If borne out by the official tally, it would be the first time in Thailand's coup-prone history that an elected leader has won a second term.

"It's not really a big surprise," Mr Thaksin, the first elected Thai leader to complete one term, told reporters at his party headquarters after a lacklustre campaign some analysts said was largely a referendum on his CEO-style of leadership.

"We don't know until the final results come in, but we thank the Thai people for giving their trust and confidence in us and we'll try our best."

Among those voting were survivors of December's devastating tsunami, which killed more than 5,000 Thais.

The main opposition Democrat Party conceded defeat to Mr Thaksin, one of Thailand's richest men who swept to power in 2001 on a platform of free health care and rural handouts.

"I would like to congratulate Thai Rak Thai for achieving its goal of being a single-party government," said Democrat leader Banyat Bantadtan, who had appealed to Thais not to vote in what he called a one-party dictatorship.

The Democrats looked set to win 80 seats, far fewer than the 201 seats they appealed for, leaving Mr Thaksin's party set to establish a sole grip on power in a country accustomed to coalition government.