Thailand: Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose British visa was revoked last week, has threatened to spell out the names of all his political foes, saying: "They've pushed me into a corner".

Thaksin said he would continue to fight back against his enemies.

"I will phone in and talk to the people who love and have faith in me. I will make a longer speech and start naming names, because they have pushed me into a corner," he said.

Thaksin appeared in Beijing yesterday and denied a local news report he would head for Manila. But he would not say where his next destination would be, as he can no longer return to London.

"I'll keep travelling. I'm leaving Beijing at this moment," he said.

At the same time, INN said television station ZNS Bahamas reported Prime Minister Hubert Ingram was preparing to consult with his Foreign Ministry, public prosecutors and other senior officials over the possibility of assisting Thaksin.

Ingram was quoted as saying he did not know Thaksin's whereabouts and was not happy with the UK's decision to revoke Thaksin's visa.

Earlier local press reports also speculated Thaksin might seek exile in China's capital, because he was reportedly building a Bt300-million mansion at a golf resort. But Thaksin denied he was planning to reside in Beijing.

The UK Home Office's decision to deny Thaksin a re-entry visa has dealt a severe blow to the ex-PM, who now does not have a credible home base from which to stage a political comeback. The Home Office so far has not given any reason for revoking the visas of Thaksin and his wife.

But the UK's move has put the Somchai Wongsawat government in a more embarrassing position, because Thaksin is still travelling on a red diplomatic passport even though he is now considered a convicted fugitive who has also jumped bail.

Somchai refused to answer questions on the issue of Thaksin's red passport, saying it was not that important.

"We should be focusing |on economic issues. Other matters can wait or let them |go first. The passport is not a big matter. The big issue is |the livelihood of Thais," he said.

Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat said his ministry would not ask the UK government why it had decided to keep Thaksin out, because such was the right of each country.

He said the ministry and the Office of the Attorney-General would work together to seek Thaksin's extradition.

"It won't be too difficult to find him, because he's a famous person," Sompong said.

British Ambassador Quinton Quayle yesterday met with Sompong to discuss bilateral relations but declined to elaborate on why the UK had revoked Thaksin's visa.

Quayle said the UK respected Thailand's democratic principles and did not side with any party.

Thaksin, who had been living near London after he and his wife, Pojaman, jumped bail in August to avoid corruption charges, said he had scrapped his British asylum application to be free to carry on with his political activities.

"I dropped the asylum bid because I didn't think it necessary. I don't like the term 'asylum'. I want freedom, because I am a champion of democracy. I don't like anything that restricts freedom," Thaksin said.