HONG KONG (AP) — Thailand's exiled former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, won't know until Sunday whether people in his homeland are still fans of his politics, but he was happy as he hosted a wedding reception in Hong Kong for his youngest daughter.

Though ostensibly a family affair with a raft of VIP guests, the ceremony's timing Friday seemed to carry an implicit message to Thaksin's countrymen: Don't forget me and my political allies at Sunday's general election.

Thai Princess Ubolratana Mahidol, who made an abortive attempt last month to be a prime ministerial candidate for a political party allied to Thaksin, was a special guest. Although Thaksin was ousted by a 2006 military coup, the Pheu Thai Party of his loyalists is expected to capture the most seats in Sunday's polls.