Thaksin Shinawatra always kept Chaturon Chaisaeng at arm's length. But it is the last-minute emergence of this intelligent politician from Chacheongsao that has saved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party from disintegration.

Members of Thaksin's inner circle, such as Somkid Jatusripitak, Sudarat Keyuraphan and Surakiart Sathirathai were nowhere to be found when the party needed them most, simply to keep it afloat. They jumped ship and melted into the crowd under the grim shadow of the military coup.

Chaturon, 50, has reluctantly taken on the challenge of becoming acting leader of Thai Rak Thai. Had Thaksin considered his suggestion, that he should take a temporary break from politics, the ousted prime minister may not have suffered a humiliation so complete that it threatens to collapse his entire party.

Thaksin and Chaturon were, in fact, so far apart that they hardly talked to each other. The last time Chaturon spoke to Thaksin was at a Cabinet meeting on September 5, before Thaksin began the overseas trip that still sees him in a kind of exile.

Chaturon is hard put to remember the last time he spoke to Thaksin by telephone. Then he recalls it was about two years ago when, as a deputy prime minister, he called Thaksin to discuss the closure of the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo because the tigers were infected with the bird-flu virus. But, more recently, he made another call to tell Thaksin he would visit areas devastated by the tsunami.

If Sudarat, Newin Chidchob, Prommin Lertsuridej, Yongyuth Tiyaphairat and Surakiart Sathirathai were members of Thaksin's innermost circle, then the second "layer" consisted of Somkid Jatusripitak, Somsak Thepsuthin and Suriya Jungrungreangkit. Chaturon belonged to the third or even fourth layer with access to the ousted prime minister.

"It was the way we worked. I usually called him only to consult about work," Chaturon told The Nation in a special interview.

Even last Friday, when Chaturon accepted the acting party leadership because no-one else would step into Thaksin's shoes, there was total silence from the distant former leader.

As a student at Chiang Mai University, Chaturon had stayed at the house of Thaksin's father, taking advantage of a close friendship between their fathers.

Years later, even though not a member of Thaksin's inner circle, Chaturon is surely deserving of Thaksin's gratitude for being the only one prepared to hold on to what is left of the former ruling party.

Chaturon's reason for accepting the post is a feeling of sympathy for party members.

 "Nothing is frightening or threatening [about taking the job]. I was concerned that party members might feel disappointed with the party. When they were asked to become TRT members they didn't hesitate to grab the chance. But when not a single member stood up to protect the party, how could we keep it running?" he asked.

Chaturon was one of the "Paesano six" that reportedly planned to stage a political coup by seizing the party from Thaksin and backing then deputy leader Somkid Jatusripitak to take over. But they did not act on their plan and then everything was halted by the coup. The other five members of the 'six' all deserted both the party and Chaturon. They are among 101 members who have resigned, up to yesterday.

"I wasn't angry that they left the party. I understand why they made their choices and we feel sympathy for one another," he said, adding that the six have sometimes talked by phone.

"You should understand that our party was stormed by a political crisis and we were caught in the middle of the hurricane. It had a great impact on us. Party members had to find their different ways out," he said.

Asked if it's possible the six will join politically in the future, Chaturon said it depends on future policies and directions.

Realising that Thai Rak Thai is regarded as the party of one man - Thaksin - Chaturon is trying to prove that without Thaksin, the party can still function as an institution.

"This is my small step to try to prove that the party is an institution. Despite Thaksin stepping down, the party still exists. There are some who continue working," he said.

Chaturon has not decided on his future yet, and says there are many factors and conditions to consider before he decides on a permanent leadership role in the party. However, he admits he is a candidate.

An obvious difficulty is running the party without Thaksin. Chaturon has asked key members to suggest ways to run the party in the absence of its exiled ex-chief.

He recalled suggesting to Thaksin that he take a break from politics, and Thaksin told him he was thinking about a solution. The problem, Chaturon said, was that Thaksin could not decide when to declare his decision to the public.

"Today the impact [of his hesitation to decide] is too great. The medicine [they are using to cure the crisis] is too strong and beyond our thoughts. I'm not sure - if Thaksin had taken a break at that time - how the situation would be now," he said.

There was one question Chaturon declined to answer: what if Thaksin comes back and wants to regain the party leadership? Chaturon said that in the current political circumstance, he did not think it was an issue he should address.

However, he has his first lines ready, should he and Thaksin meet again.

"I will show him my sympathy and encourage him to fight on," Chaturon said.

Jintana Panyaarvudh,

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation