A Thai flag bearing Thaksin Shinawatra’s name was flying proudly as Manchester City lost at home to Fulham last Saturday. Thaksin owns the club.

Kingdom's flag with Thaksin's name strikes sore nerve with locals

Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said yesterday he would contact Manchester City Football Club to investigate how a Thai national flag bearing the name "Thaksin" was displayed at the club's stadium.

Matichon newspaper published a picture of the flag taken as City lost 3-2 to Fulham at the City of Manchester Stadium in the English Premier League last Saturday.

Noppadon said it was a sensitive issue among Thai people. He believed the club would cooperate with the ministry to ban the improper act.

"Thaksin [Shinawatra] is unlikely to be involved in what we saw," he said. It could have been done by City supporters who didn't realise that it was improper to Thais, he added.

Not proper

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said printing the name of "Thaksin" on the national flag was inappropriate. He has asked his aides to look into the matter, but believes local supporters were responsible.

Thaksin's spokeswoman Sansanee Narkphong said the flag could have been placed on the terrace by local supporters. She appealed for Thais to wait until the truth was revealed otherwise they could become the tool of a group who want to ruin Thaksin.