Ranking Abhisit 's problems

And yes, there are the local and international economic figures that have gone way beyond horrifying.

But compared with those of his predecessors, these are nice problems to have. Abhisit can concentrate on the real issues without having one eye on an upcoming court verdict on his or his party's status. His troubles, therefore, can simply be arranged this way, from the least severe to the most worrisome:

5. The quorum hiccup. It made the front page because there was no bigger political news. To all the doomsayers, something like this also happened once in a while when the Democrats' rivals were in power with omnipresent control of Parliament.

4. The rohingya scandal. With each nation preoccupied with dousing the economic fire in its own house, this is a controversy that comes at the wrong time as far as his opponents are concerned. Of course, it still looks bad internationally and could develop into his biggest diplomatic headache. But as far as local politics goes, the issue is below the fold at best and is one of a few topics Thaksin Shinawatra would hate to mention in future phone-ins.

3. The Boonjong banana skin. Whether Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat must be disqualified for the silly act of distributing government funds along with his own name cards is for the court to decide, not Abhisit. Yet this is the sort of story the local press loves and critics waiting to expose "hypocrisy" dream about and one that will test both Abhisit's ethical resolve and fragile relationship with allies.

2. The red shirts. They have been weakened, and the supply line has been cut. But they will always be lurking, and each slip on Abhisit's part will give the movement added energy.

1. The economic horror. Have you ever had a dream in which you are back in school and cannot do the tests, and then you wake up feeling relieved that you only have unpaid bank loans and high cholesterol to worry about? If Abhisit could choose, surely he would prefer to wake up from this economic nightmare and shrug at all the trivial issues of Boonjong, rohingya and quorum accidents.