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 But on the sensitive topic of the monarchy when its political enemies are involved, the party quickly shows its true colours.

Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva proved he was a true-blue democrat when he attacked PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair over his controversial speech given to the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Thailand last year, saying the young minister's views reflected a "dangerous attitude" towards the country's constitutional monarchy.

Abhisit means business and it's plainly obvious Jakrapob is going to lose this battle. Yet it could have been different had his speech about the patronage system and the myth of monarchy been given at another time in our history.

Had Jakrapob been around 70-odd years ago and was given the opportunity to express his opinions in a like manner in a place similar to the FCCT, his audience in the main would probably just sniff and huff that this young man knows little about the monarchy, and that his political thoughts on the issue are too shallow.

In those pre-World War II years, Thai politicians were very radical and their attitude towards the monarchy was often described as "antagonistic".

For instance, Lieutenant Thongkham Khlai-opas, a member of the House of Representatives from Prachin Buri, addressed the Parliament on management of the Crown Property Bureau as if he was taking part in a censure debate against the monarchy.

In those early years of constitutional monarchy, the people were not able to enjoy full freedom of expression, but the royalist faction in the body politic was not as strong as the 1932 revolutionaries.

It took until the coup d'etat of 1947 before royalist politicians began to stake a claim to political ascendancy - a coup in which key members of the Democrat Party took part. The Pramoj brothers, Kukrit and Seni, played a crucial role in formulating a new constitution that would restore monarchical authority.

The Democrat Party took up the royalist position, tagging along with factions in the Army who were waging a war against members of the 1932 revolutionary group and their associates. Many of those who opposed them, including senior statesman and former prime minister Pridi Banomyong who led a civilian faction in the 1932 Revolution, fled the country and lived in exile until the end of their lives.

Since that time, the position of the monarchical institution has been elevated to a position of untouchability.

Jackrapob, if he had bothered to read his Thai history, notably on the role of the Democrats, should know that any speech relating to the monarchy these days, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, can only supply ammunition to his enemies.

Academically, the role of the monarchy in Thai politics is a debatable issue, but not at the present moment, and certainly the right to such debate is not the preserve of the Democrats' opponents. The main opposition party, which paints itself as a liberal organisation, gives no space for freedom of expression on this matter.

With the powerful sentiment about the monarchy being built up and played on by the rightist movement that is currently taking to the streets, Thai society is not in the mood to listen to Jakrapob's clarification. He might have the right in court to defend himself on a lese majeste charge, but that chance won't present itself before the political damage is done to his cabinet career.

Any attempt to seek help from his political masters, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and current Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, can only be fruitless. Thaksin just wants to steer clear of any controversy arising from lese majeste accusations, considering his recent history is regurgitated almost daily by his enemy, the People's Alliance for Democracy.

Samak, who is under some pressure to prove that he is still a royalist, is uncomfortable about extending his protection to his lieutenant.

Legally speaking, the lese majeste law does not allow for wide-ranging interpretation. So whenever an issue is politicised, especially by those who have long experience in doing so, nobody can hide behind a legal shield. And that will indicate Jackrapob's political fate.