And that is all the more reason why the all-powerful Council for National Security (CNS) and the Surayud government should stop feeling nervous every time they see a picture of the former leader trying on a new Rolex or swinging his golf club on the front page. Yes, he is the same old Thaksin they pushed out two months ago and definitely a much lesser threat than he was.

Don't blame the media for the publicity the former Thai Rak Thai leader has been getting. To paraphrase what former prime minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh had to say about his ex-boss last week, isn't it better to have him under the spotlight than not know what the man is up to?

Blame the jumpy manner with which the military top brass and Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont react to news about Thaksin's activities. Their responses range from "he should make a sacrifice by not coming home now" to "not in the next one year". And in between there is this conciliatory tone of "we can talk things out".

So, one can never be sure what the reaction will be from the powers-that-be every time Thaksin pops up somewhere. But one can sense their nervousness. And for Thaksin, this is probably where the real fun is.

After his five years in power, we should all be familiar with his propensity for creating headline-grabbing spectacles. Thaksin knew that London was too far away for any effective publicity stunts - not to mention the rowdy and unfriendly receptions he often got from Thai expats.

The timing of Thaksin's appearances in Hong Kong and then in Bali was no coincidence. The shifting public mood towards the generals who staged the September 19 coup was certainly not lost on a shrewd politician like Thaksin, who must have been kept abreast of every single political development by the political machine that he left behind and is still alive and well. So what better time to get on their nerves?

But while Thaksin may be having fun rattling the generals' cage, his political manoeuvring, coupled with the so-called "undercurrents" challenging the new authority, is at the same time also inevitably shaking people's confidence in the country's political future. For many, the spectre of a comeback by Thaksin is no longer just an empty threat.

This is the kind of distraction that Thailand definitely doesn't need at this juncture, as it moves to dismantle the many politically destructive legacies of the old regime and tries to create a new political structure. And only a firm and unequivocal stand taken by both the CNS leaders and Prime Minister Surayud can lay to rest fears of the "Thaksin ghost".

First of all, they must stop giving the impression that they still consider Thaksin a respectable former head of government worthy of political niceties. The minute the generals decided to kick him out of office, Thaksin was already dumped in the dustbin of disposed dictators.

Let's hope the coup-makers don't forget the high crimes they accused Thaksin of having committed and which were cited as a justification for their action. Any political leader accused of robbing the country, systematically destroying democratic mechanisms and insulting the Monarchy obviously deserves no sympathy.

The undercurrents keeping the military and government on edge are being kept alive only by the faith that pro-Thaksin people have in the toppled leader - reinforced by the huge flow of money to finance their activities. We all know what Thaksin is capable of doing with his wealth and grassroots support he has. There is no way Thailand can heal the political rift caused by Thaksin's authoritarian and divisive rule as long as there is a notion that sooner or later he will be back in power. His presence in nearby countries only adds to that.

While there is little the generals and the Surayud government can do to prevent Thaksin from making headlines, they can surely do a lot to contain their impact so that it does not add confusion to the already fragile political situation.

Instead of adopting a conciliatory approach towards Thaksin - like saying "if he wants to return we can talk things out" - they have to make it clear the man is not welcome, now or later. To demonstrate they are in charge, both the government and military have to make it known to everyone - both Thaksin's critics and supporters - that there is no way the former prime minister can set foot again in Thailand, at least not before he becomes politically irrelevant.

Thaksin is certainly not the only one who can create spectacles. As someone who is so divisive and so menacing to democracy and the Royal institution, it would not be too much for the present rulers to declare him persona non grata and have his passport revoked. A step further is for the Surayud government to ask governments of neighbouring countries to refuse entry to Thaksin. Didn't Thailand come under pressure from mainland China once in a while to bar Taiwanese officials from landing here?

After all, what could be a bigger crime than staging a coup to get rid of a democratically elected leader? The generals obviously didn't intend to push him out only to be haunted by his political showmanship, did they?

Keeping Thaksin at bay and on the defensive has less to do with the man himself than with his supporters here. The so-called undercurrents will stop only when it dawns on their instigators that their benefactor is finished as a political force, with no chance of returning in the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, let Thaksin continue with his shopping sprees and golf rounds. It's only when he starts going to museums and libraries that we should begin to worry. But that's something that is unlikely to happen soon.

Thepchai Yong