Thailand's new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva addresses media at the Democrat party's headquarters in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Apichart Weerawong/Associated Press)Thailand's new prime minister made a call Thursday for ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return home to face justice.

Speaking three days after he was appointed as Thailand's prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva told Thailand's Channel 7 news he wants to see Thaksin back.

"If he comes back and fights in court and shows that all Thai people are equal, there will be a closure."

"Thai society is merciful and forgiving, but first he has to show acceptance in the judicial process," said Abhisit, who was scrambling to assemble a cabinet.

A Thai court in October convicted Thaksin in absentia of violating a conflict of interest law while in office and sentenced him to two years in prison. There are several other pending corruption cases against Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon.

Thaksin was overthrown by a coup in 2006, and has since lived in self-imposed exile, appearing most recently in Bali.

Anti-Thaksin sentiment rampant

But critics have accused Thaksin of trying to keep his allies in government long enough to help exonerate him of his alleged offenses and move his riches out of the country.

Over the course of the year, there had been mounting calls for the government, led by the People's Power Party, to be purged of Thaksin's allies.

Simmering anti-government tensions finally boiled over on Nov. 25, when protesters, angry at Thaksin's perceived influence in the PPP, stormed the country's largest airport in an eight-day siege.

The standoff only ended on Dec. 3, when a constitutional court dissolved the PPP after finding it guilty of electoral fraud in last year's elections. As a result of the ruling, party leader Somchai Wongasat — also Thaksin's brother-in-law — was forced from his role as acting prime minister.

Abhisit emerges in aftermath

Abhisit, 44, was voted to power by the country's parliament on Monday following the PPP's ouster. Abhisit is the first Thaksin opponent to take power since 2006.

In his inaugural address Wednesday evening, Abhisit vowed to reunite the deeply divided nation and to restore Thailand's tourist-friendly image.

The airport shutdown battered the country's essential tourism industry and stranded more than 300,000 travellers.

Abhisit said his first priority would be to revive Thailand's economy, which economists say is on the verge of recession.

After meeting on Monday with representatives of the agriculture sector, tourism industry and labor groups, Abhisit said Wednesday his government will also announce a stimulus package next month.

His Democrat party had been in opposition since 2001.

With files from the Associated Press