Wed Feb 27, 11:12 PM ET

Chronology of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's rule, exile and return to Thailand :

Feb. 2001 — Thaksin elected prime minister.

Jan. 2004 — Thaksin imposes martial law as Islamic insurgency flares in south.

Feb. 2005 — Thaksin re-elected in landslide victory.

Nov. 2005 — Weekly anti-Thaksin rallies begin, drawing thousands of people accusing government of corruption.

Feb. 2006 — Thaksin dissolves Parliament and calls early elections.

April 2006 — Thaksin's party wins 57 percent of votes in elections boycotted by opposition. Thaksin announces he will step down to end protests.

May 2006 — After seven-week break, Thaksin returns as caretaker prime minister.

Sept. 2006 — Military stages bloodless coup while Thaksin is at U.N. General Assembly in New York .

May 2007 — Thaksin's party is disbanded; he and 110 party executives are barred from politics for five years for election law violations. Thaksin stays abroad in exile.

Dec. 2007 — People's Power Party, a proxy for Thaksin's disbanded party, wins the most votes in general elections.

Jan. 8, 2008 — Thaksin's wife Pojaman returns to Thailand to face corruption charges.

Feb. 6, 2008 — Coalition led by People's Power Party forms new government, with party chief Samak Sundaravej as prime minister.

Feb. 28, 2008 — Thaksin returns to Thailand .