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| Pro-Thaksin party leads Thai vote | Pro-Thaksin party leads Thai vote |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Initial exit polls suggest that the party allied to Thailand's ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra has taken a strong lead in general elections. | |
| One poll gave the People Power Party (PPP) 202 out of 480 seats, while another poll gave it 256. | One poll gave the People Power Party (PPP) 202 out of 480 seats, while another poll gave it 256. |
| This is Thailand's first election since the military coup that overthrew Mr Thaksin in September 2006. | This is Thailand's first election since the military coup that overthrew Mr Thaksin in September 2006. |
| All eyes will be on the military, as there are fears of another intervention if the PPP forms a government. | All eyes will be on the military, as there are fears of another intervention if the PPP forms a government. |
| Mr Thaksin himself has been in exile since the coup, and he and his Thai Rak Thai party were banned from politics by the military government. | |
| But his allies have resurfaced under the PPP banner, and analysts say they have benefited from Mr Thaksin's populist appeal, especially in the countryside. | |
| Bangkok's Suan Dusit College said the PPP had won 256 out of the 480 parliamentary seats, giving it a clear majority. | |
| But Assumption University's ABAC poll said the PPP had only won enough votes for 202 seats - in line with pre-election expectations. | |
| If the latter poll is right, there will be period of bargaining with other parties and a coalition government is expected. | |
| A BBC correspondent in Bangkok also warns that exit polls should be treated with caution. |