Thailand's fugitive ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra has been given a Nicaraguan diplomatic passport, authorities there said Thursday after his Thai passport was revoked following political unrest.

Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption, but in recent weeks has called for "revolution" as his supporters have taken to the streets.

Thailand revoked his passport after his supporters stormed a summit of Asian leaders at the weekend, forcing the meeting to be cancelled, and then fought street battles with security forces in Bangkok on Monday.

Nicaragua said Thaksin had been appointed "an ambassador of Nicaragua on a special mission" earlier this year, so he could help attract investment to the impoverished central American country.

"Thaksin Shinawatra was democratically elected by the majority of Thai people, and was then forced to abandon his duty by a coup in 2006," said Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua's first lady and a government spokeswoman.

Pro-Thaksin demonstrators say his allies were unlawfully pushed from power by a court ruling last year, and have demanded that current premier Abhisit Vejjajiva step down and hold fresh elections.

Abhisit admitted that the Nicaraguan move complicated Thailand's efforts to extradite Thaksin and warned that other nations should not allow themselves to be launchpads for attacks on Thailand.

"I don't know which country we will find him in, and it also depends on what agreements Thailand has with that country," he told a press conference, adding the government was checking how many countries had granted him passports.

The government said Wednesday that Thaksin's passport was withdrawn over the assault on the Asian summit, which forced Asian leaders to be evacuated from the hotel venue ? some by helicopter from the rooftop.

Thaksin, a 59-year-old billionaire tycoon, denied the charges of inciting violence in a television interview filmed in Dubai earlier this week.

"I feel very tragic on what is happening among the Thai people. But I am not instigating it," he told Al-Jazeera. "I keep telling them every day, the message is peaceful, peaceful, peaceful."

Thai authorities have stepped up their campaign against Thaksin and his allies, mounting a hunt for the main organisers of the demonstrations that left two people dead and 123 injured this week.

Abhisit said he had ordered a probe into reports that another two men whose bodies were found gagged and bound in a river were anti-government protesters.

On Thursday he returned there for the first time since the offices were besieged three weeks ago, arriving in a heavily guarded motorcade to brief foreign diplomats on the recent turmoil.

Authorities issued arrest warrants for 36 more "Red Shirt" protest leaders Thursday, widening their campaign after seeking the arrest of Thaksin and 12 top supporters earlier in the week.

The 36 were targeted over the storming of the summit in the beach resort of Pattaya, and two attacks on Abhisit's motorcade ? one in Pattaya last week and another at the interior ministry in Bangkok on Sunday.

On Thursday three protest leaders who were arrested after turning themselves in to authorities were brought to court amid tight security. Their detention was extended under the state of emergency measures currently in place.

Abhisit insisted that the botched summit would be rescheduled and that dates for the leaders of 16 Asian nations including China, Japan and the 10-member Southeast Asian bloc to meet would be decided within days.

Thailand's stock market re-opened after three days of public holidays, but losses were modest with the key index down just 0.20 percent, as investors were reassured by the quick handling of the demonstrations.