PRD director for radio and television Bovorn Techain said that the visit was made on the grounds that the station, 87.75FM, broadcast its programme without permission.

However the station staff told the officials visiting the station in Nonthaburi that their transmitters were broken and sent for repair in the morning.

Bovorn said his department is not authorised to close down any community radio stations but only to make sure that the stations were open legally.

The visit was made after the station aired Thaksin Shinawatra's interview to three community radio programmes - Confidante Radio, Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship and Taxi Driver Community Radio - on Wednesday night.

The radio host of 87.75FM claimed that he did not know that it was Thaksin who phoned in. He said he was shocked and speechless when he realised that Thaksin was on the other end.

Thaksin said he was worried that some of his schemes for the rural poor had been scrapped by the militaryinstalled government and that the government had scaled down scholarships for students. He  urged "children who are suffering" to contact his foundation.

Thaksin spoke to listeners for about 15 minutes, announcer Chupong Theethuan said, in an apparent attempt to make contact with supporters in the kingdom.

"I was shocked and speechless when I realised that the person on the other line was him," Chupong said.

"He urged quick elections and said the government does not have to worry about him as he will not travel near this region again," he said.

He also enquired after people's well being after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Laos was felt in Bangkok and northern Thailand on Wednesday.

"I told him that we miss him. The (earthquake) reminded me of the tsunami, and he was very quick to respond to the disaster," he said.

"Confidante" radio station is located in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok and was set up in December last year. It has since been a vocal critic of the junta which overthrew Thaksin.

The junta imposed a variety of censorship orders after it seized power, and in January this year issued a specific warning that it would shut down broadcasters who carried statements by Thaksin.

This is the first time Thaksin has successfully contacted media based in Thailand, although he has regularly been posting video messages to supporters on his website.

The Nation/Agence France Presse