General Prem Tinsulanonda, the president of the Privy Council, yesterday tried to shift into reverse gear by playing down his brief meeting on Thursday with Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra at his home. But the damage has been done.

The meeting has made political waves and can be interpreted in a myriad ways.

But when the dust settles, Prem's political naivete will be fully exposed. He and the National Security Council, which staged the September 19 coup, have everything to lose, while Thaksin Shinawatra and Pojaman have everything to gain.

Prem belongs to the old generation of leadership, which bound itself tightly to the military and the bureaucratic system.

In the 1980s, when he was in power, Thai politics was not that complicated. There were fewer interest groups and fewer constituencies. The media were underdeveloped. The Internet was not invented yet. Thai democracy was half-baked. The international community did not care much about what was going on in Thailand.

Prem did not have to care about public perceptions because he did not stand for the election. He only spoke when he wanted to. And he was very economical with his words. All roads to political power led to his Sisao Theves residence.

But the world has changed dramatically over the past 20 years since his departure from politics.

Prem may not be aware of the politics of speed or how political perception can shape public opinion in a certain way. Thaksin is the master when it comes to manipulating public opinion in his or his Thai Rak Thai's favour.

By allowing Khunying Pojaman to meet him at home, Prem has irreparably undermined the cause of the coup, that is to remove the Thaksin regime.

For Thaksin and Pojaman represent the ultimate symbol of cronyism that the military elite headed by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin has set out to destroy.

But more than a month after the coup, no assets of the politicians associated with the previous regime have been frozen. The Surayud government has failed to bring corruption cases to court. Potential cases involving lese majeste have also become hot air. Save for Thaksin, who is now living in exile in London, most other Thai Rak Thai leaders, including Pojaman, have been travelling in and out of the country as if nothing had happened.

If business is as usual, then what was the coup for?

Prem may be carried away by Pojaman's kow-towing to his charisma (barami), but his meeting with her gave the impression that she and Thaksin had been badly treated by the coup. The public perception was that Pojaman, as a good wife, was simply making a plea for her husband to be allowed to return home.

Pojaman also wore a yellow dress almost from head to toe to display her loyalty to the monarchy.

She told Prem that if the government found out that the Shinawatra family's assets had been earned dishonestly it could confiscate them, but in the meantime she was willing to give donations to any causes for the Thai public.

Prem did not give any promise to Pojaman, who was, however, happy enough with the meeting. In this game, perception counts more than substance. It shows that Thaksin is alive and well. His supporters only have to wait for him to return to power.

The members of the People's Alliance for Democracy are extremely upset with Prem. During the political rallies against Thaksin, the PAD twice requested a meeting with Prem, and each time he sent a representative to see its envoys in front of his home.

Now, after a fierce but bloodless war against Thaksin, Prem has accepted an olive branch from him.

Many people are now questioning what the coup was all about.