Strategically speaking, the military junta's attempt to enforce traffic laws through absolute power under Section 44 has been a total flop.
It was meant to be the biggest campaign to save lives in the traffic mayhem that happens every year during major celebratory events such as Songkran.
Instead, it turned out to be a stick that poked the beehive. And so the junta was forced to beat a hasty retreat, and the campaign becomes the biggest fiasco in its three-year rule.
It's one thing to want to restore sacredness to the law. Indeed, that's what Thailand sorely needs. But it's another when the action is taken out of rhythm and out of place, severely disrupting the way of life for a large portion of the populace.
Wasant Techawongtham is former News Editor, Bangkok Post.
(Ironically, few people understood the phrase "way of life" when it was often used to argue against disruptive state development projects in rural areas. But this single event has now cleared up the concept for all of the people.)
The thing is most people understand the government's desire to ensure public safety on roads and support stricter enforcement of existing traffic laws. But they also believe the latest campaign was poorly thought out and implemented by people who are out of touch with reality on the ground.
The sentiment was reflected in a Facebook post by a police inspector in Chumphon. Pol Lt Col Akarat Hoongnam is now facing a possible disciplinary probe for expressing a view contravening a government policy.
The fiasco, while a loss of face for the junta surely, is valuable in that it is instructive about so many things in Thai society that are collectively referred to -- derisively or not -- as "the Thai way".
The fact is pickup trucks, which bear most of the brunt of the latest campaign, are poor people's transport of choice. They serve utilitarian purposes to carry goods and livestock as well as people.
Do they know it's dangerous to ride in the bed? Yes, they do. Do they know it's illegal? Well, they did but that was a long time ago because the lack of consistent enforcement has turned it into a cultural norm that everyone takes for granted.
And that's why the decision to enforce the rule at such short notice raised such uproar.
Ah, the decision! How it was made has been carried over from feudal times -- in a top-down fashion, no doubt with good intentions, but without regard for the feelings or necessities in life of the serfs.
But it's so out of step with the current age. Such decision making often leads to disastrous results. But how do you make the authoritarian rulers understand?
On the other hand, the people's penchant for pragmatism and disregard for the law when it suits them is a black mark of Thainess on par with the authorities' penchant for selective enforcement and their eye toward off-the-book monetary gains.
So deep-rooted are these character traits that it will perhaps take generations for rehabilitation.
The fiasco also reveals the limitations of absolute power. Absolute power is most effective when it divides and rules as it has done with political dissent so far.
But when it negatively affects entire classes of people, the people become united and absolute power crumbles before them.
Even people of middle class backgrounds realise the folly of the junta's latest edict. They don't object so much to the requirement for everyone in a car to fasten seat belts even though they might grumble about it.
They also agree that riding in the bed of a pickup truck is a bad idea and extremely dangerous. They believe the practice needs to be better regulated though not prohibited entirely.
But not allowing people in the space behind the front seats of a pickup -- what locally is called "cap" -- when it's available has met with near universal resistance.
Many low-ranking policemen are not happy with the way they are thrust into the controversial campaign either. They are the ones who have to face the people's wrath when they try to enforce the rules. Those who issue the orders can stay safely away in their air-conditioned rooms, as they say.
The absurdity of the scenario would not be complete without the upper class, the country's one per cent. They can be recognised by the makes of cars they drive or ride in. No officials will bother them unless they hit and kill someone and somehow are unable to prevent the story from being published.
The fact that the rich and well-connected can flout the law with near impunity is a major blight on the Thai cultural landscape.
So here are the lessons our leaders should take to heart:
Thailand is fundamentally a conservative society that abhors radical changes. So go slow and propose viable options. Engage the people in talks to arrive at mutually agreed solutions.
Pay particular attention to the cultural aspects of any proposal. Legal measures or threats or technology can only take you so far, but sustainability needs cultural fixes.
And for heaven's sake, if you truly want betterment of society, start with yourselves. In this case, top-down fashion applies admirably.