However, tech-nologists expect Thaksin is proba-bly doing his video link via Internet Protocol Television or IPTV connected through a satellite broadcast.

And with ShinSat playing a big part in that, it's possible Thaksin would not have to pay a high cost.

Thaksin can speak live to a video camera. In that case, the arrangement Jatuporn was talk-ing about would be the IP for the signal to be sent to.

If the link to the IP is blocked, ShinSat could arrange a new IP for signal reception. And the IP could be changed each time.

Other IT experts said quality "streaming" through broadband Internet was also possible nowa-days. The quality could be as good as television if the Internet speed reaches 2 MB per second or more.

Through the Internet, his video-link could be very cheap, and blocking the signal could be difficult.

Lieutenant Sunisa Lertpakawat or Lt Jeab, who wrote the controversial book "Thaksin Are You OK?", said the former PM carries at least five mobile handsets with about 30 SIM cards able to be used in many countries. He has to carry the box of SIM cards with him and change them according to the country he is in.

His mobiles included a Nokia Music Express and a BlackBerry. He chats to his children many times a day.

When he sees something interesting, he reportedly just calls his children and talks right away. Thaksin has also learned to chat via MSN Messenger to his children.

"He chats like a teenager," Lt Jeab said.

She thought Thaksin's chats via MSN with his children were as "amazing" as his Bt1.5 billion personal jet, which is equipped with pilots and flight attendants. --THE NATION, THAILAND