The election that brought the red shirts to power was an (almost) fair, democratic election. Just the usual vote buying by ALL parties.
Thaksin's government then went on to deliver his pledges to the supporters. (Mostly rural, poorer Thais.)
As Thais at the time said to me "He may be corrupt - they all are, but he is the first that has helped me, my family and our village."
Now that sounds a bit like democracy to me.