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“I have made a decision that I’ll go home to raise my grandchildren by this July, before my birthday. Please excuse me. It’s been nearly 17 years that I have to be away from my family. I’m already old,� he said.

Thaksin, 73, was a populist prime minister when he was ousted by a military coup in 2006.

He fled Thailand to escape a prison term in several criminal cases, which he decried as politically motivated. The government of his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was also toppled in a 2014 coup led by the current prime minister and candidate in the May 14 election, Prayuth Chan-ocha.

If Thaksin follows through on his pledge to return before his birthday on July 26, he could face at least a decade behind bars. Thaksin is a popular but divisive figure in Thai politics, and there are concerns that his return could be destabilizing.

In his tweet, Thaksin said he won't be a burden to his daughter's Pheu Thai Party.

"I’ll enter the legal process, and the day I return will still be in a period of Gen. Prayuth’s interim government. All of this is my own decision from my love and bond with my family, my homeland, and our master,� he said. It was unclear whom he was referring to as the master, but it could be a reference to Thailand's king, who is revered by his people.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter, has consistently topped opinion polls as a favored prime minister candidate. The residual popularity of her billionaire father, especially among poor and working-class Thais, is a major factor behind her rise.

to a baby boy this month, Thaksin tweeted that he would like to come home to see his grandchildren, ending the tweet with “See you soon.� It prompted Paetongtarn to play down the significance of the message, saying it was just a natural expression of a grandfather who was “very happy and excited.�

In 2013, Yingluck’s government, largely seen as Thaksin’s proxy, had floated a proposal for a political amnesty bill that could allow Thaksin to escape imprisonment. It triggered a series of protests which turned violent, eventually leading to the coup in 2014.

“I am my dad’s daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions,� Paetongtarn said during one of her Pheu Thai’s campaign rallies.