Thaksin's rocky road to power

The anti-corruption body says Mr Thaksin hid wealth

A few years ago, a man such as billionaire businessman Thaksin Shinawatra might have swept to power in Thailand with hardly a hiccup.

They want me to be premier. They tell me that even if it's for a short time they want me to take the post

Thaksin Shinawatra

Mr Thaksin - one of the country's richest men - has held a clear lead in the opinion polls ahead of January's general elections and is backed by hefty resources.

He went on to win one of the biggest mandates in the country.

But a concerted effort by the anti-corruption body's campaign to weed out corruption - in which Mr Thaksin was one of the casualties - could block him from attaining the post of prime minister.

Thaksin has been indicted for unusual share transfers

Indicted on corruption charges, he could face a five-year ban from politics. But the process to ban him could take months, and in the meantime he has vowed to lead the country.

"They want me to be premier... even if it's for a short time," he told the Bangkok Post.

"My vision is not blurred. I can still aim my gun and pull the trigger," he said.

"Before I die I want to kill our enemies first, and these are poverty, drugs and corruption."

Flamboyant style

Chuan Leekpai is considered dull by some

With his flamboyant style and bold promises, his performance stands in sharp contrast to former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, who has a quiet - and what some would say dull - persona.

Mr Thaksin's promise that he will bring Thailand out of its lingering economic malaise has also endeared him to a nation desperate to recover from the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Businessmen and the media called on Thaksin to quit after the indictment

And to many ordinary Thais, his commercial success is qualification enough for the task of running the country.

A former police officer and a scholar in US universities, he built up a huge telecommunications empire in the last decade, mainly through cornering state monopolies.

He founded his Thak Rak Thai (Thai Loves Thai party) in 1998.

Secret wealth

The controversy surrounding Mr Thaksin stems from failing to declare share transactions and stakes in 17 companies during the mid-1990s when he was a cabinet minister.

In December, the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) found him guilty of concealing his wealth - a constitutional crime.

Thaksin stills stands tall among candidates despite the controversy

Mr Thaksin admitted he transferred millions of dollars worth of shares into the names of several family servants, including a maid and his driver, but said he simply "forgot" about them.

The Bangkok Post noted that the transfers turned two of his maids "like Cinderella into princesses overnight" as they became some of the country's richest women.

But the findings of the panel returned them to "pumpkin" status recently.

While the voters may be prepared to forget Mr Thaksin's shortcomings, the law may not.

He could be forced to step down within weeks of the election if the Constitutional Court upholds the indictment by the NCCC.