Let's start with setting standards for behaviour and sticking to them.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and its mirror organisation, the government, sure have big dreams for Thailand.
Reform. Reconciliation. A return of happiness. These are gargantuan tasks that will take a staggering amount of grit and willpower to implement.
The missions, however, will be nothing but pipe dreams if people don't see their spirit being reflected in the conduct of their leaders.
Ever since he took office last year, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has made no secret of his contempt for members of the media.
From a seemingly playful act of throwing a banana skin at one reporter to more serious condemnations and a veiled threat to "execute" journalists, Gen Prayut has consistently blamed the media for allegedly presenting news that is damaging to the country or factually incorrect.
Social networks have also taken some blame, with the PM and military leaders being especially critical about mostly false speculation that was circulated online after the shrine bombing.
At one point, the authorities even threatened to have those who share false information prosecuted.
So what does the PM have to say about his government's spokesman who offered an unsubstantiated theory on TV that the blast was likely the work of old political groups who had lost their power?
Nothing. Gen Prayut has publicly said zip about how the official communication was among the most unsubstantiated. No reprimand. No criticism. No throwing of banana peels.
I daresay the claim by government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd was unsubstantiated because he gave the interview hours after the blast. Police had not even finished gathering the evidence by that time. There was no way the government spokesman could have come up with the motive based on established evidence.
It's true that the shop-worn "old power clique" opinion of Maj Gen Sansern was not the most far-fetched.
Among the most bizarre claims I have encountered is an attempt by one online user to suggest that bomb damage on the Brahmin statue's chin was a supernatural clue.
"Look up to the 'chin'. Is Lord Brahma trying to tell us who is behind the hideous act?" the user wrote.
The user was apparently trying to link the statue's chin to the "Shin" element in the so-called old power clique.
Most people would just laugh at this outrageous claim. But how different is this from the government spokesman's opinion? One may be official and less outlandish but both are guesswork.
Some people may say that Maj Gen Sansern's theory about the motive behind the bomb was just a case of an official jumping the gun too quickly and it is not a big enough deal to demand redress.
If that is the case, however, the government may be exposed as being hypocritical when it threatened private citizens with lawsuits for sharing unsubstantiated information.
Hypocrites can't pull off reform or other nation-building tasks. That is why it is important for leaders to be seen as setting a standard and sticking to it.
The same can be said for the NCPO when it recently broadcast a photo of a suicide bomb vest during a TV address, mistakenly assigning ownership to the Erawan bombing suspect who was arrested on the weekend.
Police later issued a correction on Twitter saying the vest was not among items found at the suspect's flat. Netizens were then warned not to share the photo, arguing it could damage an already "very bruised" Thailand.
NCPO spokesman Winthai Suvaree later argued the military didn't make a mistake, blaming TV outlets for inserting the picture themselves.
Whether the reason given by Col Winthai is true or not does not really matter. What matters is the NCPO spokesman and his team failed to verify the content of its programme.
Again, the premier who hates media mistakes made no mention of the one that came from his own organisation. Again, the mistake is probably not big enough to demand his attention. But is it hypocritical to always find fault with others while ignoring your own?
The NCPO and the government lead other important, nation-building tasks that require public trust. The military leaders must start leading by example. The new charter, national reforms or reconciliation have no chance of being established if they are based on double standards.
Atiya Achakulwisut is Contributing Editor, Bangkok Post.