BANGKOK - THE ex-wife of Thailand's ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra was due to return to the kingdom on Friday night, immigration police said, after fleeing to Britain in August to avoid a three-year jail sentence for tax evasion.

Immigration Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Chatchawal Suksomjit confirmed that Pojaman Shinawatra will return to Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong at about 10.30pm (11.30pm Singapore time).

'It's true, she will arrive at 10.30pm,' Gen Chatchawal told AFP, adding that she would not be coming out of the main public exit of the terminal.

'She will be whisked away through special channels,' he added. -- AFP