Born in Chiang Mai in 1949, Thaksin is the great grandson of Chinese migrants. - Thaksin ran several failed businesses with his wife before getting his break in the 1980s leasing computers to the police. - His family's business empire thrived on government concessions while he was premier from 2001-2006, stoking public anger, including the tax-free $1.9 billion sale of its 49% stake in Shin Corp to a Singapore state firm.