Chalerm Yubamrung is not one to miss an opportunity to grab the limelight. When the deputy premier makes an entrance, he usually rules the stage.
Chalerm: Has Myanmar in a funk
Of late, however, he has been conspicuous by his absence from press conferences at which major drug hauls have been announced in front of the usual army of reporters and photographers.
In such press conferences, no matter where they are held, Mr Chalerm will race to the destination to parade what he hails as yet another milestone in the government's drug suppression drive.
Yet even with this bout of publicity reticence, Mr Chalerm has somehow still managed to stay in the spotlight.
It seems an official letter has been sent to the Thai military attache's office in Nay Pyi Taw conveying the Myanmar government's disquiet over an award the Royal Thai Police Office has conferred on Yod Serk, commander of the Shan State Army, a reliable source has revealed.
Mr Chalerm was involved in the creation of a new award called Insee Thong (Golden Eagle). It is intended as a tribute to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the police force's battle against illicit drugs.
The award, presented on June 23 at the Boonyachinda Police Club in Nonthaburi, was given to many people from a variety of backgrounds. The list was long but Myanmar did not miss the name which has been a thorn in its side for many years.
Although the SSA and Myanmar authorities have been trying to make amends after years of raging ethnic hostility, the two sides still have a long way to go in clinching a truce.
To honour the leader of the SSA, therefore, might not have been the wisest diplomatic step.
The source said Mr Chalerm circulated instructions to senior police officers to compile a short-list of potential awardees, within and outside Thailand. Close to 100 names made the cut.
A close aide of Yod Serk confirmed he was among the recipients. He explained the Insee Thong award was meant for the SSA, although the plaque was inscribed with Yod Serk's name.
A representative of Yod Serk collected the award from privy councillor Gen Pichitr Kullavanijaya.
Checks with high-ranking authorities familiar with the matter found no officials from Thailand had contacted the SSA chief about the award. It is not known how Yod Serk learnt about it.
Behind the scenes, Myanmar is probably fuming at Yod Serk being given an award by Thailand as he has been blacklisted by Nay Pyi Taw for alleged complicity in border drug dealings.
The source said curiosity is growing in some quarters that the award is Mr Chalerm's way of retaliating against Nay Pyi Taw for its refusal to hand over Na Kham Mwe, the Karen rebel leader whom Mr Chalerm believes is culpable for the proliferation of cross-border narcotics trafficking.
Observers are trying to read between the lines to make out whether Mr Chalerm has something up his sleeve that might shore up his political fortunes, apart from irking Nay Pyi Taw.
Mr Chalerm might need a plan, and an elaborate one at that, to keep himself from being upstaged in the drug suppression drama and from being sidelined by fellow members of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.
Time is of the essence now that a cabinet reshuffle may be on the horizon.
PM Yingluck hits the warpath
No one wants to be seen living in someone else's shadow forever and it is usually only a matter of time for the right moment to crop up before they assert their authority.
Supporters have lauded Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for exhibiting exceptional tolerance in the face of persistent, merciless remarks that she is her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra's figurehead.
However, it has become noticeable of late that the prime minister is making efforts to deflect criticism that she rallies public adoration from the face that she puts on but not from the substance she brings to the table.
Yingluck: The buck stops here
Ms Yingluck, according to government insiders, is adamant about showing that it is she who is in charge of the business of government.
Until very recently, it did not appear as though Ms Yingluck was taking much notice of the unkind comments directed at her.
But at the last cabinet meeting, Ms Yingluck finally had her ''right moment''. Without blinking an eye, she gave a piece of her mind to those political post holders and MPs who have bypassed her authority in favour of directives from Dubai, a government source said.
She bluntly told the cabinet ministers and senior officials that it is now time her role as prime minister is acknowledged.
Outwardly frustrated, she said a lot of cabinet members and government politicians had made a point of travelling to Dubai and briefing her brother on the progress of government projects and seeking his advice on political matters.
Ms Yingluck felt she was being pushed aside as the people in her government preferred to report directly to her brother. In times of administrative and political conundrums, they also turn to Thaksin for solutions.
But the prime minister asserted that it is she who is physically here to confront the problems and any repercussion from the government's undertakings.
She reminded the ministers they are answerable to her.
Ms Yingluck conceded she has no knowledge of some key issues which require her leadership to resolve because they had been communicated to Thaksin and not to her.
The source said Ms Yingluck asked cabinet ministers of the ruling Pheu Thai Party to help her ''save face'' by not ''skirting around'' her.
She thought it was wrong to pack problems into a suitcase and fly them to Dubai, thinking of getting them solved there.
Also, the source said, one of the latest visits by a leading Pheu Thai member to Dubai resulted in a change of Pheu Thai directors _ the seat previously occupied by Plodprasop Suraswadi, the science and technology minister.
The source said Phumtham Wechayachai, a former minister and a media strategist aligned with Pheu Thai, returned a few weeks ago from Dubai. Shortly after his return, he was named as Mr Plodprasop's replacement.
Mr Phumtham's foremost task has been to wage a media war with the government's opponents and stem any slide in Ms Yingluck's popularity.
It's not what you know, but who ...
To expect the selection of holders of high office to conform to the merit system is to live in a dream world, as people in the know like to point out.
Capability, talent and hard work may get some people far but those attributes on their own won't necessarily see them hit the heights without a push from the quintessential power brokers.
Many observers are now wondering how much behind-the-scenes rope-pulling is occurring _ or has occurred _ for the top jobs at the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand and the State Railway of Thailand, the principal state enterprises controlling the country's rail transport system.
Prapas: A few billion short?
The post of governor at the MRTA has been vacant for almost two years with the incumbent running the organisation in a caretaker capacity.
Being MRTA chief is a plum job as the organisation is among the ''premium-grade'' state enterprises. It supervises the construction of multiple colour-coded electric train routes and handles a massive annual budget.
The selection of MRTA governor was approved last month, but is not yet finalised as negotiations are still going on over salary and benefits. The lucky candidate is Yongsit Rojsrivichaikul, a former executive of Shin Satellite Plc. His credentials were vetted and he was given the nod, but the unsuccessful candidates have appealed, claiming Mr Yongsit falls short of the qualifications criteria.
The selection speaks volumes about his association, perceived or real, with the Pheu Thai Party-dominated government. Shin Satellite is affiliated to the telecom empire previously owned by the Shinawatra family.
The SRT, on the other hand, is a loss-ridden state enterprise, beset for years by what sources have described as organisational dysfunction, evident in frequent train derailments.
But like the MRTA, the SRT will wind up with a leadership vacuum if there is no one ready to lead the agency by July 21 when Yutthana Thapcharoen completes his term as governor.
And so the race is on to find Mr Yutthana's successor and one candidate who has caught the eye of many watchers is former MRTA governor Prapas Chongsanguan.
Mr Prapas amassed extensive experience in rail transport during his stint in the MRTA. Of all the candidates, he should come across, at least on the surface of things, as a cut above the rest.
The other candidates are three current SRT deputy governors.
Mr Prapas is known to appeal to many SRT employees who believe only an outsider can deliver the much-needed shot in the arm for the country's struggling state enterprise.
But one's calibre may not be the deciding factor. In fact, it will likely come down to who backs him.
A source in the Transport Ministry believes Mr Prapas will be lucky to make it past the qualification screening stage. A crucial criterion requires the candidate to possess a background in supervising an organisation which turns in an annual, after-tax profit of at least five billion baht.
The MRTA under Mr Prapas's supervision from 1997-2008 generated an after-tax profit of nine billion baht in its best-performing year. However that figure included a foreign exchange windfall, which, if cancelled out, could put the actual profit well below the five-billion-baht mark.
It can't be known, of course, if the SRT governor selection panel will define that windfall as a segment of profit.
But sadly for Mr Prapas, luck may not be on his side. One figure with final authority in the selection has said Mr Prapas is not his favourite choice.