Winds of change blew first in Foreign Ministry

The ministry said it decided to revoke Thaksin's diplomatic passport last Friday but went public with the decision only after the House of Representatives on Monday elected Democrat Party leader Abhisit as the new prime minister.

The ministry has the legal authority to revoke any passport held by anyone who has committed a crime or been barred from travelling abroad, without having to wait for orders to that effect.

The ministry never acted on street protesters' demands to revoke Thaksin's passport.

 Surayud Chulanont's military-installed government did revoke his diplomatic passport last year, but early this year then-foreign minister Noppadon Pattama issued him a new one. In fact, the last two governments, which had strong connections to Thaksin, secured his passport for him.

The ministry kept silent on its latest decision until a key Democrat leaked the news of the passport's revocation to the media and said a ministry spokesman would make an announcement on Tuesday. Upon learning of the leak, the ministry's Information Department issued a press statement on Monday evening denying it had planned a press conference.

But in fact, the ministry has been consulting the Democrats on several issues since the dissolution of Somchai Wongsawat's government. Asean Affairs Department director-general Vitavas Srivihok met Abhisit last Friday to discuss a new date for the Asean Summit. This was three days before the Democrat leader was elected as the new prime minister.

Abhisit has said since last Friday that the Asean Summit would be held in Thailand next February. A special Asean ministerial meeting on Monday in Jakarta announced the same schedule.

The Public Relations Department's NBT network learned of the new trend when the plug was pulled on the pro-Thaksin "Truth Today" programme last Thursday. NBT director Suriyong Huntasarn said the programme, hosted by Veera Musigapong, Jatuporn Phromphan and Natthawut Saikua, had been taken off to enable other good programmes to appear.

And the Department of Special Investigation is being closely watched. The new government may transfer director-general Thawee Sodsong, due to his decision to drop Thaksin's asset-concealment case. Thawee gained a reputation for political bias after he launched an investigation into an Election Commission (EC) scandal involving a ballot-printing auction. The move was widely seen as political, one that would discredit a certain EC member who was anti-Thaksin.