He sounded like the same old Thaksin: abrasive, combative, arrogant and very confident of his power base supported by massive wealth. The sabre-rattling produced mild shock among the public, who had a very clear idea who Thaksin meant in his speech to top bureaucrats.

He shook off his temporary, self-imposed restraint on rhetoric and bravado. This was a return to his true self after ending a leave of absence and resuming active duty due to the worry that being away too long from the seat of power could lead to a permanent loss of national leadership status.

His outburst triggered off an atmosphere of unease and tension. Public speculation was that Thaksin was taking on Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda with a direct challenge for a head-to-head power play. When pressed for a clarification by reporters, he offered a blank response and a sheepish smile.

Whatever the damage done, Thaksin did not show that he cared or feared much. He must have calculated well the extent of power he commands in case of any unpleasant consequences, or even a showdown.

Without any strong reaction from the target of his snide remarks, Thaksin must have felt satisfied that his point was taken. The bureaucrats and other segments of the country's entire power structure must have got the strong message that he remains the man to be reckoned with.

Thaksin's latest high-wire act was impressive to Thai Rak Thai Party members as well. It was his most daring so far and convinced his followers that he intended to stay on for a long time and face any kind of adversity, come hell or high water.

His leave of absence was forced upon him by a pressing crisis arising from widespread opposition and street demonstrations against his regime, which had become authoritarian with heavy-handed measures against press freedom and total control of state-owned media to prevent reports on massive corruption, cronyism and abuse of power.

Still, he seems to realise the negative impact of his fast mouth. It has created more enemies among those who respect Prem. They were dismayed by Thaksin's careless remark, prompting tighter security for the embattled politician. This was not the first time Prem had taken an indirect hit. Men loyal to Thaksin had tried with far more callous words before.

When he resumed his weekly radio talk yesterday morning, Thaksin did not touch on the controversial subject, spending much time on the grand event of His Majesty's 60th anniversary on the throne. He managed to devote some time to smooth talk laced with spin and half-truths to dazzle the rural grass-roots audience.

The weekend may serve as a cooling-off period, but it could also foment further displeasure and wrath at Thaksin. His message was not lost on Prem either. The general sentiment was that if the daring remarks went unchecked, the incident would set a bad precedent and lead to bolder challenges.

What's more, the clout and charisma of Prem could be bruised after all the years his statesmanship has been held in high reverence and inviolate since his retirement from politics two decades ago. Thaksin would then be able to chalk up another win and return to the stratospheric arrogance of power.

A direct response came from leaders of the pro-democracy alliance who have been opposing Thaksin's rule. They plan to resume a nationwide campaign for his ouster now that the Thai Rak Thai leader has become more litigious than ever with a number of multimillion-baht libel suits against his adversaries. Chief among these are newspapers, politicians and academics. The leaders of the pro-democracy alliance are facing speedy police action in Thaksin's aggressive moves to deal with those opposed to his corruption-plagued regime.

Surely Thaksin's words will fan the flame of conflict. There is a likelihood of violence if the anti-Thaksin masses return to street demonstrations, because he is not expected to yield to their demand for his departure from politics for good. For him there is a lot to lose, including the massive family fortune with possible action against him in the International Criminal Court.

The national economy is in the doldrums due to the unending political crisis. There is no certainty over a general election Thaksin wants to hold in mid-October: the Thai Rak Thai and Democrat parties have to wait for a verdict from the Constitution Court on their alleged poll-related misdeeds.

Thaksin insists on clinging to power and refuses to be part of any proposed solution that requires him to stand down from politics. The entire populace feels helpless, as though victims of blackmail by corrupt politicians with limitless greed for power and wealth.

Sopon Onkgara