Dressed in formal whites and showing his full royal decorations, Mr Samak received the king's order in a brief ceremony at his home, broadcast live on Thai television.

He prostrated himself in front of a portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and gave a five-minute speech in which he defended Mr Thaksin's loyalty to the monarch.

'The outcome of the elections ... proves that even though there are court cases against him, the people sympathise (with Thaksin) and do not believe the allegations that he was disloyal to the monarchy,' Mr Samak said.

The royalist generals who ousted Mr Thaksin in Sept 2006 had accused him of disrespecting the king - a serious offence in Thailand - and of engaging in widespread corruption during his five years in office.

The military barred Mr Thaksin from politics, disbanded his political party, and froze US$2 billion (S$2.8 billion) worth of his assets. He has also been charged in two corruption cases, but trials have yet to begin.

Mr Thaksin tapped Mr Samak, whose family has deep ties with the palace, to rally his supporters under the new People Power Party (PPP). He led the party to victory in elections last month, and now leads a six-party coalition that controls two thirds of the seats in parliament. -- AFP