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BANGKOKIAN

For the dogs

Forget the Obama-McCain rivalry. They have nothing on Thai politics. Who wants to talk about polls and demography when you have back-stabbing, betrayal, airport hijacking and thugs beating up people for the colour of their T-shirt.



Take Newin Chidchob, for example. Who would have thought that this heavyweight, who epitomises everything that is wrong with Thai politics, would turn his back on his old boss Thaksin Shinawatra and throw his support behind clean-cut Abhisit Vejjajiva?

It was a kick in the head for Abhisit's fans who thought that British-educated politicians were better then Buri Ram-raised politicians. Oxford doesn't teach "Modern Thai Politics 101".

If anything, Newin can rest in peace knowing that he was the one who gave Abhisit his first real taste of Thai gutter politics. It may be hard to swallow at first, but all of us have faith that Abhisit will learn to live with it.

When it comes to Thai politics, experience isn't everything. Living proof of this universal truth is Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. The former prime minister abruptly ended his monkhood to announce that he would be the next adviser to a Democrat-led government. But like with the previous People Power-led administration, Chavalit is likely to be left out in the cold.

After decades in Thai politics, Chavalit continues to come up short. Perhaps he should return to the monastery and meditate a little harder.

Thaksin's ex-wife, Pojaman, is testimony to the fact that when it comes to Thai politics, all is not what it seems. Like most people, Bangkokian was certain that her return to Thailand was to help keep the embattled government intact. But in the end it seems all she succeeded in doing was changing her last name.

Snoh Thienthong, once a king-maker who swore up and down last year that he wouldn't have anything to do with a People Power-led government, now is calling people "dogs" for switching sides. A couple of days ago Snoh organised a dinner party for political bigwigs. Nobody showed up. Perhaps they thought he was serving dog food.


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