Sudarat is Thaksin's choice to lead Pheu Thai, but the obstacles are great v The monk who blessed EPL winner Leicester is gaining respect for his integrity v Deputy PM Somkid is fighting a tough war to boost the economy and satisfy the people
The devil is inthe distance
Pheu Thai supremo Thaksin Shinawatra has made it known for some time that his wish is to see Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, one of his most-trusted aides, take the party's helm.
Many times he has been heard to urge Pheu Thai politicians travelling overseas to visit him to get in behind Khunying Sudarat. He wants them to help her achieve her tasks as word spreads that he has offered her a mandate to overhaul the party and make it an institution and a fixture in the country's political landscape, a party source has revealed.
According to another political source, Thaksin firmly believes that Khunying Sudarat, a deputy leader of the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party (Thaksin's original political vehicle), is the right person to lead the party through political hard times.
There is no denying Khunying Sudarat understands the ins and outs of politics. Even though she has for several years been keeping a low profile to concentrate her energies on non-political issues such as Buddhism, she remains one of the country's most influential political figures, commanding a strong faction of mostly Bangkok former MPs in Pheu Thai.
She is one of the few politicians to have a power base in the nation's capital, and she is also said to have ties to several heavyweights on the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). When other Pheu Thai members have been prone to taking a hardline stance against the military regime, she has appeared with a softer and more compromising position, which probably makes her the perfect choice for the leadership task that Thaksin wants to gives her.
However, things are not turning out the way the party sovereign wants, according to the source.
With Thaksin's blessing, she is supposed to be the most powerful voice in the party, but she is not. The soft-spoken veteran is said to be struggling to reach out to Pheu Thai members.
While Khunying Sudarat might have approached core party members not known as hardliners, such as Chaturon Chaisaeng, Pongthep Thepkanjana and Phumtham Wechayachai, and engaged them in talk about the party's future, she has had no success with other party heavyweights.
According to the source, Pheu Thai has an organisational culture in which they take orders from no one other than the "Shin-da-wongs", a reference to the three influential families of Shinawatra, Damapong and Wongsawat.
Yaowapa Wongsawat has had a dominating presence in Pheu Thai for years, while her younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, gradually built up clout during her two-year stint as prime minister.
Khunying Potjaman Damapong remains active in party affairs and is known as the party's financial lifeline despite her divorce from Thaksin that took place less than a month after the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced Thaksin to two years in jail over the Ratchadaphisek land deal case.
According to the party source, she has continued to provide support to Thai politicians who have been out of work since the May 22, 2014 coup through friends who were classmates at St Joseph School. With Khunying Potjaman in control of the purse strings, getting Pheu Thai's big guns together is no easy task for Khunying Sudarat.
These three women are unlikely to let go of their grip on power easily, according to the source. So, it should not come as a surprise if Thaksin's wish is no longer the party's command, especially as he remains a fugitive, hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles from home.
In a 'league' of his own
Phra Prommangkalachan, the assistant abbot of Wat Trai Mit Witthayaram in Bangkok, gained worldwide recognition after he blessed the Thai-owned Leicester City football club which then went on to win the English Premier League title for the first time in the club's 132-year history.
Better known as Chao Khun Thongchai, the monk gave his blessings to Leicester's players along with holy cloth (pha yan) bearing sacred scripts and amulets earlier this season.
Leicester chairman and King Power duty free business tycoon Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is a devotee of the 63-year-old monk and has flown him frequently to Leicester to bless the team and the King Power stadium.
Since the Foxes won the title, the monk's holy cloth and talismans have become very much sought-after items. Wat Trai Mit has become a magnet for fans, other sports teams, as well as politicians and the military top brass who seek the monk's blessing.
While many Thais believe his blessings plus the holy cloth and amulets he gave to the team helped it to win the title, Chao Khun Thongchai said his spiritual support for Leicester played only a small part in the club's success.
The monk said the team's achievement was mainly a result of good karma from all involved parties, while the "spiritual objects" he gave the players only helped to boost their confidence.
On March 6, Chao Khun Thongchai was the first monk to make the astrological prediction that movements by the planet Uranus would bring unexpected changes to the country.
Astrologers had cited March 6 as the day Uranus entered the Aries zodiac sign for the first time in 84 years. Bangkok was established on April 21, 1782, with Aries as the capital's zodiac sign, according to astrologers.
The last time Uranus entered the Aries zodiac sign was in 1932 when there was the 1932 Siamese Revolution, which saw the country's ruling system change from absolute to constitutional monarchy.
This time, astrologers said the influence of Uranus's transit would cause a major change in the country and its occupants, no matter which zodiac sign they were born under.
This influence would last as long as seven years from now, they said, adding that the changes would be both positive and negative.
However, Chao Khun Thongchai has come up with a "positive prediction" that the Uranus transit would bring "positive change, innovation, idealism, and freedom", particularly in the areas of politics and society, and this should help ease concerns and boost public morale.
Following his "positive prediction", the monk once again has been busy welcoming guests who have sought his blessings and advice on various matters.
They include those in power, the military top brass, politicians who have lost their positions, senior civil servants and billionaires, according to a source.
On political matters, the monk has given his assurances that the draft constitution would pass the Aug 7 referendum and the election would be held as planned next year.
The monk has also predicted that the military will have a major role in national administration for seven more years after the poll.
Phra Prommanglachan has also been interested in educational matters and has gained respect from several previous education ministers.
As chairman of the Council of the Confucius Institute of Maritime Silk Road based in Dhurakij Pundit University, the monk has been recognised by the Chinese government for his role in promoting cultural and educational ties between Thailand and China.
The institute has signed academic cooperation agreements with the Office of the Vocational Education Commission as well as 52 vocational colleges.
The battle for hearts, minds
Bread and butter issues as they affect the people are of concern to the government which is making intense efforts to ensure they aren't hijacked to fuel political instability.
Critics are keeping a close eye on Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who directs the government's economic team, to see how he deals with the poorly performing economy and the effect it is having on issues basic to the people so that there is no spillover into the political arena.
Stimulus projects are being put into action to oil the economic engine, focusing on giving a shot in the arm to small and medium-sized enterprises through various means including micro lending in the villages.
Mr Somkid, at the same time, has tried to prove his critics wrong for belittling his ability to get the economy moving ahead at a much faster pace. They have argued that while he was finance minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, Mr Somkid gave priority to kick-starting the grassroots economy through a range of populist schemes, and now that he is back in government, he is walking the same path.
Some critics have even predicted Mr Somkid may be shown the door if he lets the economic slowdown persist for much longer, although the government insists the state of the economy is being largely dictated by what goes on far from the country's borders. These external influences are having a substantial impact on the way the government steers its economic course.
In the face of heavy pressure, Mr Somkid has stuck to economic promotion policies targeting the grassroots and middle-class sectors of the population.
One of the projects which can help spur the economy is gaining momentum. The so-called Food Innopolis, initiated by the Science and Technology Ministry, is exploiting the best Thailand has to offer the world. It aims to position the country as the world's kitchen through culinary innovations.
The project was an instant attention grabber for Mr Somkid who bought the idea and put it to the cabinet for approval. Steps to realising the scheme involve collaboration with foreign interests, which allow government agencies to undertake roadshows overseas.
In late May, Japanese companies were provided with additional incentives to invest in Thailand, particularly in the food cluster scheme that the government has chosen as the first of its industrial clusters.
Mr Somkid had declared during a visit to Japan that Japanese investments in the Food Innopolis scheme were in line to receive the highest promotional privileges from the Board of Investment.
The Science and Technology Ministry proceeded to sign a memorandum of understanding with relevant parties to establish the Food Innopolis, which is billed as an innovation and development centre tasked with increasing the value of the country's crops.
Stakeholders which signed the MoU comprise 13 food companies, 12 universities and 10 government agencies.
The government wants to capitalise on Thailand's rich supply of farm and food products. Food is foremost among the 10 planned industry clusters earmarked by the government.
Food Innopolis has been allocated a budget in two tranches spread over two fiscal years. The first is worth 89 million baht and has been issued using government money from the current fiscal year, while the next portion, valued at 500 million baht, will be disbursed in the next fiscal year.
Political sources say Mr Somkid's performance as cabinet minister will inevitably be rated according to whether and how he can pull the country out of the economic slowdown, and much of that will depend on just how fast he can get some of the key projects to bear fruit.