Otherwise, you would never be able to crack 'The Thaksin Voodoo Code' and get to the bottom of the dark plot to create a new empire.

The battle has moved from mob protests to another level dominated by encrypted messages, secret codes, strange symbols and voodoo power.

In the politics of encryption, Thaksin has thrown in a fresh code for his opponents to crack. In his letter to US President George Bush dated June 23, 2006, Thaksin coined the term "extra-Constitutional" to refer to the tactics used by forces he alleged have been trying to topple him.

"There has been a threat to democracy in Thailand since early this year. Key democratic institutions, such as elections and the observance of Constitutional limitations on government, have been repeatedly undermined by interests that depend on creating chaos and mounting street demonstration in Bangkok as a means to acquire political power that they cannot gain through winning elections," Thaksin told Bush.

"Having failed to provoke violence and disorder my opponents are now attempting various extra-Constitutional tactics to co-opt the will of the people."

The "extra-Constitutional" piece of coding marks a critical departure from his previous code when he referred to those engaged in street or mob protests against his leadership as "extra-parliamentary forces". It was clear then that the extra-parliamentary forces that Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai strategists were referring to were the People's Alliance for Democracy, the Democrat Party and those who called for the appointment of an interim prime minister through Article 7 of the Constitution.

These extra-parliamentary forces, Thaksin alleged, did not play by democratic rules or honour the electoral process.

What constitutes the "extra-Constitutional" tactics that Thaksin refers to in this new encryption? Thaksin did not spell out the key to his encryption in his cry baby letter to Bush.

But less than a week later, on June 29, he revealed the key to deciphering this special code to the Thai public in his address to senior bureaucrats at Government House. He told the bureaucrats that "a person with reserved power beyond the Constitution" had been trying to overthrow his government.

"At some institutions, their heads have done harm to their institutions by agreeing to follow the requests of some people [who have reserved power beyond the Constitution]," Thaksin said. He further told the bureaucrats to stay the course by ignoring any extra-Constitutional influences.

"You just follow your duties directly. That is the flag. You don't need to observe any other flag. Whoever else tries to tell you to do anything, don't follow it," he said.

Who is the "person with reserved power" that Thaksin was referring to? Of course, Thaksin would not reveal the secret of his code. A code is a code after all.

Meechai Ruchuphan, a former Senate president, attempted to crack this code by pointing out that all Thai people understand that the person with the most reserved power in the Kingdom is His Majesty the King. Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda also holds a great deal of reserved power.

Meechai asked Thaksin to come forward and break his own code by revealing the name of the person with reserved power, otherwise, he said, Thaksin would be deemed in violation of Article 8 of the Constitution.

"The person with reserved power" is an encrypted message that Thaksin would like the international community and the Thai people to consider in terms of choosing whose side they are on. "Are you with me or are you not with me?" is the audacious line around this coded message.

The senior bureaucrats - who were told by Thaksin to follow their own duties and responsibilities without having to wait for signals from another flag - might not grasp the meaning of this code if they did not play golf. As a golfer, you need to drive your ball as nearest to the flag as possible because that's where the hole is. The flag is an indispensable mark for golfers driving golf balls from a distance.

But in running the country, Thaksin was asking senior bureaucrats to decide whether they would listen to him alone or wait for the signals from another flag? You have to decode "the flag" piece of coding by yourself.

In his letter to Bush, Thaksin inked his signature and signed off as "Prime Minister of Thailand". Bush corrected Thaksin's clerical error by addressing him in his reply on July 3, 2006, as "Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand".

On June 9, the day His Majesty the King commemorated 60 years on the throne, he greeted his subjects from a southern balcony of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. A sea of yellow shirts overwhelmed the Royal Plaza in a united display of loyalty. Yellow is the symbolic colour of His Majesty as he was born on Monday.

But who could lay a charge against Thaksin and his cohorts in the sensitive matter of loyalty to the monarchy? Thaksin has been wearing yellow shirts all along too and he ordered his Cabinet colleagues to do so as well. The Thai public can see with their own eyes that they all are engaging in an act of united loyalty.

Yet to suit his working style, Thaksin also wears a dark jacket on top of the yellow shirt.

There have been rumours of all kinds of Khmer voodoo power introduced by one of Thaksin's aides at Government House. On June 12 and 13, the day that kings, queens and royal representatives from 25 countries were taking part in the royal ceremony to mark His Majesty's 60 years on the throne, Thaksin managed to make his presence felt.

On June 12, Thaksin stood in front of all gathered dignitaries to read out a statement in honour of His Majesty inside the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. At that very moment, Thaksin could have been absorbing the radiance of the royals and the power of the universe all at once. This could have further enhanced his aura of invincibility.

Thaksin also got to shake the hands of the luminaries in attendance and patted their backs as they departed the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall after the end of the royal ceremony. Again, he could have been feeling the touch of the power of the universe running through his body like high-voltage electrical power.

Nobody knows exactly whether he said to himself as he bathed in the myriad rays of royalty: "May the force be with me".

Perhaps someone with as keen a detective mind as Langdon should come up with an 'Unauthorised Guide to the Thaksin Voodoo Code' to decipher all of the encrypted signals, secret codes and strange symbols that have emerged during this abnormal time of Thai politics. All of the encrypted symbols will be decoded sooner or later even though it may take 40 years.

Come on, you can all become Robert Langdons in your own right.

Thanong Khanthong

The Nation