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Published on November 8, 2007

It was also a battlefield for party leaders to get on the most popular shows and for producers to collar leaders in greatest demand.

When leaders or key members of a high-profile party walked into the arena, staffers for such programmes would approach to drag them away from the scrum of reporters.

People Power Party's Samak Sundaravej was the first leader to arrive. He sneaked into the stadium at 6am, when not many media representatives or supporters for other parties were around. Then he gave well-prepared interviews.

He said two other parties had tried to please the military. A vote for them would trigger another coup. A vote for his party would show distaste for military takeovers.

His mood curdled when a programme invited Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to join him. Samak waited.

After Abhisit said yes and paid respects to Samak, the veteran politician abruptly got up and left, saying he could not converse comfortably in that situation.

He did not appear in any programme after that.

When he came back from drawing lots - his party got the number 12 - he turned to the reporters instead of the broadcasters. After he repeated his message about political parties and military coups, he left the venue.

Meanwhile, other party leaders moved around the floor to give interviews.

Abhisit and Matchima Thipataya leader Prachai Leophairatana were among the most sought after.

After Samak exited, the role to represent People Power on the air fell to secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee.

Somsak Thepsuthin of Matchima Thipataya was caught off-guard when asked to appear on a live programme. As one of the 111 former Thai Rak Thai executives banned from politics for five years, he is meant to be taking no more than an advisory role in this poll.

Samak was not the only one trying to avoid other party leaders on the same show. Chart Thai's Banharn Silapa-archa also told a programme coordinator he could not talk alongside another party leader.

So, a scout for another show seized the opportunity and led Banharn off to join his show in another corner.

Kornchanok Raksaseri,

 Sucheera Pinijparakarn

 The Nation