This week The People seem to be very upset with parliament president Somsak Kiatsuranont. I say this week, because Thailand's scandals change like clockwork, rotating on a seven-day schedule. Actually, come to think about it, I think Mr Somsak already had his turn back in July when audio clips emerged suggesting that he had allowed parliament to become the tool of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Parliament president Somsak Kiatsuranont is under fire for spending 7 million baht on a press junket to Europe. Politicians keep wasting our money but these days don’t even bother lying about it.
This time it turns out he spent 7 million baht on a nine-day, taxpayer-funded "study trip" to Europe for 39 media staff and close aides.
Since this shocking news emerged cries of corruption and accusations that he has been wasting taxpayers' money on personal holidays have been echoing through the internet.
The general consensus is that the money could be better spent elsewhere for the benefit of the people, and that this money should not be wasted on the media, especially if Arglit Boonyai was not invited.
Are these statements true? Yes, entirely. Even the part about Arglit Boonyai? Okay, not that part.
Did Mr Somsak waste 7 million baht on a silly trip with dubious intentions? Of course he did, but as I said before this happens all the time. For whatever the reason - spending leftover budgets, bribes, politicking, etc - politicians waste our money on stupid stuff. Every week. This is Thailand, don't act surprised.
In fact, this doesn't just happen in Thailand, and most of the time it involves bigger sums than a measly 7 million baht, so there, in your face!
So really yelling and screaming about this stuff is a waste of time. Cheaters are gonna cheat, no matter what.
But do you know what makes Thailand so special? The thing that we should really be upset about? The fact that Mr Somsak, and countless others like him, can't even be bothered to lie about this stuff anymore.
They're too lazy and too complacent to even bother coming up with excuses for this stuff. This is the problem that we should be upset about most.
After "shrugging off" criticism Mr Somsak explained that he would take press groups to study the operations of the BBC, The Economist, the UK parliament and Oxford University. That was all he had to say on the matter. He went on, quite unashamedly, to say that he was looking forward to watching a football match.
Why was Somsak not questioned more deeply about the details of this itinerary?
Maybe the reporters interviewing him were still in too much shock from last week's scandal to ask more probing questions.
Let's assume for a moment that everything was above board. What exactly were the press expected to learn from this trip and how would that benefit the country? I have been on many, many media junkets, and believe me the itineraries are extremely detailed.
So why did he not elaborate? The planning involved with taking 39 people abroad to visit top government and private institutions must be staggering. Can we see some of it?
If, dear sir, you do not explain the details, newspapers like Thai Rath may accuse you of trying to lobby the media about the reconciliation bill and amendments to the constitution.
But the parliament president doesn't care about that. He's busy deflecting criticism by saying that he will no longer attend the trip to Europe himself and will instead head to China for an investment exhibition.
This is getting ridiculous. If the Europe trip was so important that it cost 7 million baht of taxpayers' money then why would Mr Somsak blow it off now?
Why would the parliament president take time off, while the House is in session, to skip a very expensive trip that he planned, to attend an expo that has nothing to do with his job?
Once, again I really must state, that it's not the money we should be mad about, it's these pathetic excuses.
We, the public, expect corruption and dodgy dealings to go on behind closed doors. We've watched The West Wing. But would it hurt so much for politicians to at least try and cover their tracks?
Just because the media and what few independent commissions there are fail to dig and pry into your business dealings and truly expose you, doesn't mean you don't have to lie like a professional.
We know you did something bad. We know you won't be punished.
You're like a child who tries to get away with saying the dog ate their homework, your lies are so stupid. We know you don't have a dog! So stop taking us for fools.
Arglit Boonyai Is Digital Media Editor, Bangkok Post