Former Thai PM arrives in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, wanted in his country to serve a jail term, arrived Tuesday in Cambodia where he will be an economic adviser.

The appointment, which has further soured Cambodia's relations with its neighbor Thailand, was announced last week by the Cambodian government of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Thaksin, a billionaire who was ousted as prime minister in 2006 in a military coup in Thailand and who has been living in self-imposed exile since being sentenced in absentia last year to two years in prison by a Thai court, arrived in Phnom Penh in his private jet, the Bangkok Nation reported. He was later escorted under tight security.

The newspaper said Thaksin was sentenced to the jail term after being convicted for abuse of power and corruption.

It was not clear if Thaksin would take up residence in Cambodia but the Finance Ministry said he was scheduled to speak Thursday in the capital, the report said.

Since his appointment in Cambodia, the two countries have recalled their ambassadors. The Nation reported Thailand also revoked a memorandum of understanding on Thai-Cambodia overlapping zones signed by the Thaksin government.

Cambodia has said it will not extradite Thaksin to Thailand.

Prior to Thaksin's appointment, relations between the two countries were tense because of a dispute over a temple located in a small area along their border.