The sight of police gathering outside the Democrat Party's headquarters early this week in support of Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit Thoopkrachang has served to whip up his critics.
Kamronwit: Under fire from critics
Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit reportedly ordered police stations to send 10-20 officers each to show him moral support last Tuesday when he submitted a petition to the Democrat party which accused him of dereliction of duty.
Almost 200 officers turned up. Several arrived in passengers vans bearing the names of the police stations they work under.
Those officers were seen loitering near the Democrat headquarters but there was no sign of Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit. Supporters of the opposition party at the same time started converging on the compound, holding placards condemning the city police commissioner.
The commander of 191 Police turned up instead with the petition which he handed in on the city police chief's behalf. Then the men in brown dispersed.
Such a spectacle does not do Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit any good even though police, like others, have the right to hold a peaceful protest.
Those officers were in uniform and armed. This has raised the question of whether it was some kind of strategy of intimidation on the part of the agency that the people depend on to serve and protect them.
All of this originated from the ''pride'' of Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit who put a photo of his meeting with deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the wall of his office.
In the photo, he had Thaksin pin a new police rank insignia to his uniform. Underneath the photo, there is a phrase saying the city police commissioner owes it to Thaksin's generosity and Thaksin's signature and the date.
What catches the eyes is the rows of books in the background in the photo. It has raised suspicion that the photo could have been taken in Thailand, not in Hong Kong as claimed by Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit.
The suspicion is fuelled by a rumour that the ousted premier flew to Chiang Mai in his private jet and took a flight to Don Mueang airport in June.
Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit has seen nothing wrong in showing allegiance to the former prime minister. He has also announced that he would resign from the post when the political tide turns.
The city police chief is known to have confided to a close aide that his career was stunted by the Democrat-led administration.
Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit started gaining publicity when serving as the commander of the Division for the Suppression of Crimes against Children and Women. The task force worked closely with the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children in tackling human trafficking and sexual abuse of children.
Whatever his political ties, the fact that he took no action against Thaksin who is a fugitive running from a jail sentence has cast doubt on his professional ethics.
The ''mobilisation'' of city police to shower him with support has badly tainted the image of the police force. It has caused some critics to ask just how low the police force can stoop to serve one man's interest.
Justice gets a lot of policing
The Justice Ministry is being likened to a ''police state'' now that all of its principal agencies are under the control of former police officers.
The justice minister, Pracha Promnok, and the deputy prime minister in charge of overseeing the ministry, Chalerm Yubamrung, are also ex-police officers.
Chalerm: Heads police chain at Justice
Critics of the appointment of ex-police to head up sensitive agencies say the ministry is now being governed by a system of patronage which many police officers, past and present, are well accustomed to.
Much of the way the ministry is being run mirrors the concept borrowed from the police force.
While Pol Gen Pracha, a former police chief, sits at the top of the ministry echelon, Mr Chalerm sees to the execution of overall security-related policies.
Together, the two men formulate what is referred to as a ''double-layer'' of policies wrapped around the Justice Ministry.
At the helm of the Department of Special Investigation is Tarit Pengdith who has shrugged off criticism he has gone with the flow and clung tightly to his seat despite having served in the previous Democrat Party-led government.
Mr Tarit, although having no police career background, is said to have close ties to Somchai Wongsawat, the former premier and former justice permanent secretary who is a brother-in-law of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Tarit is also on cordial terms with Mr Chalerm.
It had been speculated that when the Pheu Thai Party clinched electoral victory last year it would herald the beginning of the end of Mr Tarit's DSI career as he had worked closely with the previous Democrat-led administration.
However, Mr Chalerm lived up to his assurance that Mr Tarit would be allowed to stay put.
Mr Tarit now finds himself in the line of fire after hinting at the possibility that former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban could be charged with premeditated murder as a result of the Criminal Court ruling on the death of a taxi driver during the 2010 political unrest.
The security officials accused of shooting the driver will be classified as witnesses, as they were acting under instructions. Mr Tarit said it was possible Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep could face premeditated murder charges because they ordered the military to quell the riots.
Democrat supporters slammed Mr Tarit for jumping to a conclusion while Mr Abhisit warned Mr Tarit could be in the same boat as he also took part in directing the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES), which oversaw the government's response to the police unrest.
The supporters poured scorn on Mr Tarit and suggested he change his surname to Plien Si (changing colours).
At the Corrections Department, police-style riot control procedures have been adopted by prison officials with a priority duty to suppress the drugs trade being run from behind bars. The department is directed by Suchart Wong-ananchai, a former police colonel.
The emphasis is on a sustained crackdown on drug trading inmates with funds being sought to improve the physical structure and security of prisons.
Also under a former policeman is the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). The current secretary-general is Pol Col Dussadee Arayawuthi who at the end of the month will hand over control to Pol Col Pokepiboon Protanant, currently chief of the Probation Department.
A political source said Pol Col Pokepiboon will take charge of the PACC until DSI deputy chief Prawet Moolpramuk, a red-shirt sympathiser, has his rank elevated from C-9 to C-10, which will qualify him to take over.
As the core of the Justice Ministry's administration lies firmly in the hands of former policemen, some ministry officials are wondering whether non-police individuals will ever get the chance to win promotion.
An anxious wait for Yongyuth
Yongyuth Wichaidit secured his positions of deputy prime minister and interior minister by agreeing to be the leader of the Pheu Thai Party, which leaves him vulnerable to being banned from politics should the party be disbanded.
While it might have been a courageous move, today his status in the cabinet hangs in the balance as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has found him culpable in the approval of the sale of monastic land where the Alpine golf course and housing estate now stand. The law prohibits the sale of monastic land.
Yongyuth: Stands to lose everything
Approval for the sale occurred when he was a deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry in 2002.
Mr Yongyuth certified the sale of the land, which belonged to Wat Thammikaram, to Alpine Real Estate Co and Alpine Golf & Sports Club Co on March 13, 2002.
The land in Pathum Thani province was donated to the temple by the late Nuam Chamnanchartsakda decades ago. Later, the management of the temple sought to transfer ownership of the land but former deputy interior minister Sanoh Thienthong blocked the move in 1990.
A foundation was set up to handle the plot which was later sold to Mr Sanoh's family company which then developed the Alpine golf course and housing estate.
With the NACC spotlight firmly on him, Mr Yongyuth can be dismissed retroactively and thus lose his right to be an MP and a minister.
Mr Yongyuth received a letter on the issue from the NACC late last month. He then ordered the Interior Ministry's civil servants' committee, headed by Pranai Suwanrath, the permanent secretary, to decide his fate.
Mr Yongyuth may lose his pension. He plans to seek absolution under the 2007 Absolution Act as his way out. Apart from the Interior Ministry's civil servants' committee, the House will also rule on whether he can retain his status as an MP.
Pending the decisions of the committee and the House, Mr Yongyuth is looking for a successor. Politicians who have just ended a five-year political ban resulting from the disbandment of the Thai Rak Thai Party are hungrily looking at Mr Yongyuth's seats.
Among them is Sermsak Pongpanich, former interior minister and former deputy interior minister. He was a key legal expert for Thai Rak Thai and he has worked out a reconciliation bill.
However, the NACC found Mr Sermsak culpable in supporting the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's past procurement of overpriced fire engines, fire boats and related equipment together with former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin.
As Mr Sermsak shares a similarly insecure fate as Mr Yongyuth, the latter is turning to his most favourite deputy prime minister, Chalerm Yubamrung.
However, Mr Chalerm is not interested as he was an interior minister in the past and is enjoying his present work. Besides, he does not want to make more enemies as many politicians covet the interior portfolio.