Thai ex-PM Yingluck defies army with selfie, smiles tour

On a "fighting with smiles" tour by ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, selfies and symbols are the weapons of choice, showing adoring fans her family are still in Thailand's treacherous political game -- despite being hemmed in by the junta.

The Thai military has banned all political campaigning and Yingluck's trips to the north and northeast are ostensibly billed as cultural tours to celebrate reaching five million Facebook fans.

But in a very Thai take on politics, each act on her tour is suffused with meaning, from ringing the "Bell of Freedom" at a Buddhist temple to speaking in the local dialect.

And the party faithful are lapping it up.

In Phrae, a lush, mountainous province in the Thai north a few hundred kilometres from the Shinawatra clan's hometown, Yingluck was mobbed by legions of selfie-taking fans at every stop on Saturday -- many wearing the 'Red Shirts' synonomous with her family.