Leaving the sinking ship
 The Nation
November 22, 2005 - Suddenly, few people want to back Thaksin at a time when his political fortunes seem a bit rocky.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra probably feels pretty abandoned following the onslaught of attacks from media tycoon and critic Sondhi Limthongkul, especially when the PM is not in a position to strike back, and more importantly, has no one to do it for him.
So what has happened to Thaksin's defenders? Where are they when Thaksin needs them most?
Throughout his two administrations Thaksin has been surrounded by supporters, with anyone who dared to criticise him unlikely to escape immediate reprisals from his defence force, which consisted of his ministers and MPs.
In the past, the premier's men have efficiently dealt with any political hot potatoes targeting Thaksin or his government on his behalf, often while Thaksin is out of the country.
An attack on Thaksin delivered by Sondhi last week resulted in the Civil Court ordering Sondhi to stop making defamatory remarks about the PM, but the order has simply whetted the appetite of the people, who seem to have even more interest in what Sondhi has to say.
And as the situation continues to heat up, Thaksin's men just can't seem to shut Sondhi up, while Thaksin's main defenders appear to have disappeared.
Last week while Thaksin attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea for four days he had to call on one of his close aides to protect him from Sondhi's criticism.
Prime Minister's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva was forced to act as Thai Rak Thai Party spokesman instead of the official spokesman Sita Divari, because Sita is inexperienced and also preoccupied with his role as Sudarat's secretary.
When he was party spokesman, Suranand used to monitor all the media reports that affected Thaksin and the government on a daily basis - making him a strong part of the PM's personal defence force. Making Suranand a minister has also limited his capacity to defend the PM. Unfortunately for Thaksin it seems that the more Suranand speaks, the worse the situation gets.
Suranand is Thaksin's highest-ranking defender now, as many of the senior ministers who once stood by the PM have slipped out of sight.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, one of Thaksin's closest allies, is understandably preoccupied with the bird-flu issue. Though in the past Sudarat was always the first person to defend Thaksin, it seems her priorities may have shifted.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who was once considered a likely successor to Thaksin, has also vanished from the public eye. PM's Secretary General Prommin Lertsuridej, one of Thaksin's inner circle, has also failed to re-establish the party's political momentum.
In addition, another of Thaksin's inner circle, Deputy Transport Minister and TRT deputy secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai, has distanced himself from the controversy amid rumours that he could be ready to jump the Thaksin ship altogether.
Even Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee has been unable to improve Thaksin's image.
Ultimately, the severity of the situation seems to have been caused by Thaksin placing himself in the role of sole decision-maker, leading his defenders to opt for silence, because they are afraid that what they say could anger Thaksin.
Considering the other factions in TRT, Snoh Thienthong's Wang Nam Yen, Deputy PM Suriya Jungrungreangkit's Wang Nam Yom and Deputy PM Suwat Liptapanlop's Lam Ta Kong, those likely to come to Thaksin's aid in this situation seem few and far between.
In fact most of them seem to be waiting in the wings for Thaksin's downfall. And due to Thaksin's treatment of them in the past, the weaker Thaksin becomes, the more they stand to gain and the stronger the factions will become.
So if Thaksin wants to blame anyone for leaving him to fight alone, he can only really blame himself.
Somroutai Sapsomboon,
Jintana Panyaarvudh
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