The remaining two years in office for Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra will be fraught with difficulties unless he opens up and tells his supporters what he has been doing.
MR Sukhumbhand has rarely been in the public eye since he was elected in 2013 and this is unlikely to change now he has fewer aides and officials to help him bridge the gap to the people of Bangkok.
In fact, one of MR Sukhumbhand's few public speeches back in March, when he said that city folk should go "live on a mountain" if they don't like the floods in the city, drew an angry response.
Even Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party when MR Sukhumbhand won the election, spoke out against the remark.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post, he urged MR Sukhumbhand to communicate more with people to let them know about what is going on at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), which he runs.
Mr Abhisit said MR Sukhumbhand must "narrow the gap" between himself and Bangkokians.
MR Sukhumbhand has shied away from public speeches since a major court ruling in 2014 and earlier this year which dealt a blow to his administration.
Last year, the governor was suspended for about six months as he waited for a verdict by the Appeals Court on his alleged violation of an election law during his election campaign in 2013.
The case, which was filed by the Election Commission, regarded speeches given by his supporter, former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban, who was suspected of defaming MR Sukhumbhand's rival, Pheu Thai Party candidate Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen, and influencing voters.
Even though the court dismissed the allegation, the six months away from work only added to the distance between the governor and the people of Bangkok.
The other case was filed against the BMA and involved a scandal over the cost of fire engines.
MR Sukhumbhand was embroiled in the case because he was the governor at the time it went to court.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found the fire engines to be overpriced and the purchase, signed by late Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej in 2004, benefited the Austrian supplier Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug AG.
The case eventually went to the Geneva-based Court of Conciliation and Arbitration which earlier this year found the company was at fault for damages resulting from the deal and ordered it to compensate City Hall 20.49 million euros (about 820 million baht).
However, questions remain if the damages can actually cover the costs of what the city has lost over the past nine years.
MR Sukhumbhand refused to discuss the issue when asked about it, claiming he was waiting for a Thai translation of the court ruling.
MR Sukhumbhand has tried to campaign as a man of the people, but has usually wound up showing that he actually isn't. (File photo)
Due to his low public profile, people started to ask where their governor was and his image wasn't helped when internal politicking erupted among his backroom staff, reportedly causing some of his close aides to resign, said a source at City Hall.
Threedow Aphaiwongs left her position as MR Sukhumbhand's adviser and BMA spokeswoman at the end of July.
Before that, his secretary Sanya Chantharut and assistant to secretary Waraporn Trakoolshewapanitt also quit over personal reasons, said the source.
Some senior officials will also leave next month when they hit retirement age.
Among the 15 high-ranking retirees are city clerk Sanya Chenimit and chiefs of Drainage and Sewerage Department and City Law Enforcement Department, all of whom have played key roles in helping the governor solve city floods and illegal street vending.
Mr Abhisit said that when the governor was unable to make an appearance, "I often saw the city clerk doing his job on TV instead" to solve flooding in the capital.
Mr Abhisit urged other city officials and MR Sukhumbhand's aides to use Mr Sanya as a role model in how to do their jobs.
The resignation and retirement of important City Hall personnel is seen as another stumbling block to MR Sukhumbhand's work over the next two years, the source said.
Mr Abhisit is still optimistic, however, saying the governor can take this as an opportunity to set up a new team and redesign working strategies.
Yet it remains unclear if MR Sukhumbhand has the ability to connect with the people of Bangkok, especially after the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) halted the elections of city and district councillors.
These councillors help bridge the gap between City Hall and the public.
Even with all these negatives against the governor, MR Sukhumbhand has strived to keep the promises he made to his voters.
He set up "district offices" inside Paradise Park shopping mall in Prawet district and Seacon Square department store in Phasi Charoen district to make it easier for people to register births and marriages.
Installing more than 26,000 security cameras and over 13,000 lights across the capital are other tasks he has completed.
"Getting the street vendors in order was also a good job," Mr Abhisit added.
Former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt also echoed Mr Abhisit's comment, applauding MR Sukhumbhand for his efforts to control flooding by building a new giant sewer under Bang Sue canal and increasing the city's green areas.
Yet some critics remain unhappy with the work he has carried out over the last two years, and the condescending way he spoke to people during the floods in March.
"It showed a lack of EQ," said Srisuwan Janya, president of Stop Global Warming Association, referring to his inadequate "emotional quotient'' when the governor told people to move to a mountain.
Mr Abhisit admitted he is worried how people view MR Sukhumbhand and the Democrat Party, which has backed the Bangkok governor for more than 10 years.
The Democrat Party has not decided who will run for governor in the next election in two years.
At present, Mr Abhisit just wants MR Sukhumbhand to improve his communication skills and try to get closer to the people of Bangkok.
"He [MR Sukhumbhand] needs to improve his image and I believe he's aware of that," Mr Abhisit said.
In a poor sign perhaps of his willingness to reach out to the public, MR Sukhumbhand refused to comment for this story, despite a number of requests.
The Bangkok Post tried to get comment from MR Sukhumbhand several times, but there was no response.