Former Thai PM Thaksin makes formal bid for Man City

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BANGKOK, May 19 (Reuters) Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made a formal bid to take over English soccer club Manchester City, his spokesman said today.

''What I can say now is we have tendered a bid for the team,'' Thaksin's lawyer Noppadon Pattama told Reuters by telephone.

Thaksin, who has not returned to Thailand since a bloodless military putsch in September, made an indicative proposal to Manchester City earlier this month but no further details have been released since.

''We had to be silent because we had to follow the stock regulations as we are trying to buy a listed company,'' said Noppadon.

A leading Thai newspaper said on Saturday that a (197.5 million dollar) deal had already been reached, but Noppadon said this was premature.

''The deal is not formally or legally concluded yet,'' he said when asked to comment on the Thai Rath report.

The report also said billionaire telecoms tycoon Thaksin would become club chairman and that he wanted to bring in former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri to replace sacked manager Stuart Pearce.

Thaksin would also put four Thai businessmen on the club's executive board and push for some Thai national team players to play in the club's reserve teams, the newspaper said.

The former Thai prime minister, who failed in his efforts to buy Liverpool for 65 million pounds three years ago, is accused by coup leaders of corruption during his five years in office.

He lives in London and has recently travelled around Asia playing golf.

REUTERS BJR PM1210