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Published on January 2, 2008

If you enter my name together with that of Snoh Thienthong and hit the search button on our website, you will see a lot of thoughtful - well, at least I thought they were thoughtful - analyses of the man. You will see that I never trusted the guy, even at the height of his bitterness towards Thaksin Shinawatra.

Those articles now only serve to aggravate my shame. I should have stuck to my own wisdom that saw Snoh as a willing Thaksin slave, no matter what he wanted to make you believe.

Less than two years ago, I wrote: "Our Kingmaker is like Antonio Banderas in 'Original Sin', who can't bring himself to kill Angelina Jolie despite what she did to him - which included an albeit-lame murder attempt."

Nothing tops a June 21, 2005 opinion piece, though. Under the headline "Rebel with a cause or last-gasp blackmailer?", I said smartly: "For all of his emotion, his amazing display of patriotism and his this-is-the-most-corrupt-government-in-mankind's-history outburst, we just knew the man couldn't be serious."

And the best part was where I analysed why people fell for Snoh: "When desperation reaches a certain level, scepticism naturally gives way. And who wasn't touched by Snoh's Oscar-winning performance in Parliament, when he vowed to die rather than continue playing for the wrong team? Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva must have been equally conned, because he led the subsequent thunderous round of applause from opposition MPs and various senators ..."

I guess Abhisit must be banging his head against the wall like I am, although for me it's all about "face". At news meetings after the December 23 election, where we analysed the chances of the winner and first runner-up, I repeatedly ruled out the possibility of Snoh's Pracharaj Party joining the People Power Party to form a government. "Anyone but Snoh," I insisted. "Banharn [Chat Thai] is possible, so is Vatana [Puea Paendin]. But Snoh, no way."

My better-informed colleagues were as polite and respectful as they could be, but one finally had to notify me that Pracharaj was the first party in Samak Sundaravej's pocket.

Why did I become such a blind fool? It had to do with one personal encounter with Snoh. The meeting between the man and Nation senior editors took place one evening some weeks before the coup, after he had actively joined the anti-Thaksin rally near Government House.

There were no emotional speeches or signs that he was about to cry. But that evening I joined Abhisit and others in the Snoh fan club. He looked a totally changed person. The old man did not quite seem like someone who was remorseful about supporting Thaksin, but he appeared genuinely betrayed and revengeful. The statement that got me was: "I once raised his hand on stage and proclaimed him to be the best thing for Thailand. I can't bear to watch that video now."

A few months from now, there will be some more videos that Snoh will be reluctant to watch. He was a star speaker at the anti-Thaksin demonstrations and many of the things he said must have been taped. He was so good that our managing editor, Thanong Khanthong, gathered a few reporters in front of the TV one night and with them watched a political veteran at his soul-searching best.

At least Snoh was kind enough to the likes of me, Abhisit and Thanong by sending his wife, Uraiwan, to the PPP's press conference on his behalf. A more sadistic man could have been there by himself, but Snoh chose to remain in India at this time. It didn't help much, but his absence must have saved a lot of TV sets and probably a few cats.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the PPP to be the core of the new government. Democracy demands that. But democracy should also give citizens like me the right to at least the minimum degree of political decency.

It's simply not fair to force anyone to watch past, present and future Snoh videos and convince them this is a reasonable political system.

Someone is talking about a "cobra" scenario. This person still holds on to the belief that Snoh might be trying to plant himself as a mole that could bring down a PPP-led government.

Be my guest. All I care about is, if Snoh does plan to be a mole, they must catch him and put the man in front of a firing squad. 

Tulsathit Taptim

The Nation