The party backing ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won the most seats in yesterday's election, preliminary results show.

With 93 percent of the vote counted, the People Power Party (PPP) was heading for 228 seats in the 480-member parliament and said it would form a coalition government.

Abrasive PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said Thaksin had phoned from exile to congratulate him on the result.