Newsweek called him the 'new Mahathir'. He has a penchant for big-ticket projects. His economic prescription is simple - spend your way out of trouble. Nothing new in that, except in Thailand they called it Thaksinomics.

He delivers his own brand of populism - a healthcare scheme where Thais pay Bt30, about RM3, per hospital visit. Throw in a Bt1 million handout for every village and easy credit for just about everybody, you have a sure election winner. And like Mahathir who had ruled Malaysia with an iron fist, he too brooked no dissent.

But that's where the similarities end.