Bangkok - Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Saturday addressed a crowd of more than 60,000 supporters in a phoned-in call in which he said only a "royal pardon" or "people's power" could bring him back to Thailand.

On October 21 the Supreme Court for Political Office Holders sentenced Thaksin to two years in jail for abusing his power as prime minister in 2003 by allowing his wife to purchase a plot of land at a government auction.

"The statute of limitations on the sentence is ten years so I will stay away for a while," said Thaksin, addressing via a live phone link a crowd of more than 60,000 supporters who had gathered at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok to attend the much-anticipated "Truth Today" demonstration.

"No one can bring me back to my homeland except the royal kindness of his majesty or the people's power," Thaksin added, in a first reference to Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

In a pre-recorded message Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, talked of the global economic crisis and how he would offer his services to other countries to help them deal with it.

"I can help other countries with their crises but some people don't want me to help Thailand," he said, highlighting his track record as a strong economic leader who was "crazy about working" when prime minister between 2001 to 2006.

Thaksin, a former billionaire, also claimed to have no money because Thai authorities had seized his assets, forcing him to sell Manchester City football club to raise cash. The family is known to have considerable assets abroad.

Thaksin's was toppled by a coup on September 19, 2006 on charges of corruption, dividing the nation and undermining democracy and the monarchy.

Last month the Supreme Court sentenced Thaksin to two years in jail, in the first of many charges to stick against him.

He now lives in self-exile in London with his wife Pojaman, who faces a three-year jail sentence in Thailand on tax evasion charges.

The pro-government "Truth Today" program together with the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) organized the Saturday rally to provide Thaksin a chance to defend himself and to demonstrate the ongoing public support he still enjoys among many Thais.

"I'm here because I love Thaksin and pity him as a victim of politics," said Chai Wichit, 62, a farmer from Udorn Thani in North- east Thailand. Chai said he and 3,000 other Thaksin fans had travelled by buses from Udorn Thani to attend the rally.

The event comes at a time when Thailand's government is extremely fragile.

Thailand's Army Commander-in-Chief General Anupong Paojinda has warned of a possible coup if there is any violence in Bangkok in coming weeks, in effect prohibiting a government crackdown on the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which seized Government House on August 26 and has occupied it since.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, has been the target of nearly daily protests led by the PAD, calling for his resignation and the dissolution of parliament.

Somchai has been sharply criticized by the military and a broad swathe of Thai society for allowing police to attack PAD-followers with teargas canisters on October 7 after the anti-government movement had surrounded Parliament in an effort to prevent the official launch of the new administration.

Two PAD followers died in the melee and 400 others were injured.

Thaksin's recent conviction on abuse-of-power charges was deemed a major victory for the PAD, which accuses the former telecommunications tycoon-turned-politician of monopolizing Thai politics through populist polices during his premiership for his own personal benefit and those of his cronies.

But many in Thailand, especially the rural and urban poor who benefited most from Thaksin's efforts to spread benefits to the grass roots, continue to view the controversial politician as a saviour and the PAD as a conservative, undemocratic movement bent of returning Thailand to a system of appointee governments typified by past military-led governments. (dpa)