Thanks to Mr Thaksin’s policies, Ms Khamsi says, her family’s prospects were transformed. A student-loan scheme allowed both her son and daughter to go to university, a family first. Now their relatively well-paid jobs help to pay for her health care. And for this, Ms Khamsi repays Mr Thaksin and his sister with her undying loyalty. She was a founder of the “red shirts”, Mr Thaksin’s grassroots political movement.