Cambodia appoints Thaksin as govt adviser

PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodia has appointed former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as economic adviser to premier Hun Sen and his administration, a Cambodian government statement said on Wednesday.

The statement, read out on state television, said Thaksin would serve "as personal adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the adviser to the Cambodian government in charge of economy".

The appointment, by royal decree, came almost two weeks after Hun Sen riled Thailand by offering safe haven to Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and is living abroad to avoid corruption charges.