This is the picture sent by a Twitterer, entitled simply: "Thaksin today." No description.  No explanation. No added comment.

Thaksin Shinawatr has insisted in almost every phone-in message in the past weeks that he remains healthy and that rumours about his "postrate cancer treatment" were totally unfounded.

He reported in his latest internet radio programme that he had gone back to eating "red meat" after laying off it during the Buddhist Lent. He did express his concern about the "deteriorating health" of former Premier Samak Sundaravej, though.

Samak's relatives have denied widespread rumours earlier this week that he was expiring. Samak had spent time in Bamrungras Hospital's ICU but he was wheeled out of that ward and is back to his normal treatment for his liver cancer.