Once again, the military regime seems to have missed the point. The issue about foreign poll observers is not about Thailand's ability to hold a general election but whether it will be held in a free, fair and transparent manner.
Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon is the latest government figure to show his disapproval for calls to permit foreign organisations to monitor the poll planned for Feb 24.
Gen Prawait, also defence minister, and known as General Rolex for owning several million baht worth of luxury watches without declaring them as personal assets, said Thailand has its own election regulator. As defence minister, he is confident he will be able to take care of public security during the polls.
Even though the Election Commission (EC) has broadly said foreign observation will be allowed, it has insisted certain conditions will be applied.
Apparently lost in the regime's view that they are the best thing that has ever occurred to Thailand, Gen Prawit seems to have forgotten that the calls to bring in international monitors is not about ability, it's about trust.
With Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha holding on to Section 44 which can override any organisations in the country including the EC, the integrity of the poll is questionable. Since PM Gen Prayut seems intent to run as a prime ministerial candidate as well, the conflict of interest is prominent.
Four ministers in the current government have become leaders of the Palang Pracharath Party to contend in the election and they still cling on to their day jobs promoting the government's work which is similar if not identical to their party's platform. The government said it's fair enough. Who can say it's not?
That is not all. The 250 senators who will get to vote to select the new prime minister will be appointed by the current premier who could be a candidate for the premiership himself. That does sound dubious. But of course, the government said that is how the election was designed so nothing can be done about it.
Gen Prawit echoed the earlier disdain for foreign observation expressed by Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. His rationale is similarly off the mark as he suggested that the general election will be seen as respectable if it's run as a domestic affair with no international witnesses.
It's not just that Mr Don is showing a rather inward-looking view as an international relations chief but he also appears too absorbed in his own brand of patriotism to see that the point of the next poll is its democratic value.
The first general election after four years of dictatorship will be a test of Thailand's transition back to democracy. It's imperative that the entire process is accepted as being democratic and fair to all, not designed to favour any particular players.
Mr Don sounded super-defensive when he said the country would be viewed as having problems should it accept foreign poll observation.
He must be either behind the curve or overacting in his role as foreign minister. It is surely part of his duty to portray the country in a positive light but he does not have to go so far as to appear ignorant. The long years of military dictatorship mean problems, lots of them, in the eyes of the international community. Mr Don can't turn a blind eye to the reality as a foreign minister.
In his opinion, Thailand may be a model of peace and military-style efficiency but that cannot gloss over the dictatorship tag, which is arguably a more prominent label and one that warrants the foreign interest.
Mr Don described the election as an "auspicious'' event, one that will show the world that we can look after ourselves and take care of our own business. As the election is part of the country's prestige, foreign observers are unnecessary. We cannot rely on outsiders all the time and it's impossible for foreigners to be better than us in everything, he said.
The reasons are utterly superfluous, even from a diplomat. The world does not care about Thailand's prestige or dignity. The whole point about the Feb election is it had better be seen by all as free, fair and compliant to international standards.
That is the only way for the poll results to be acceptable. It's also the only way for Thailand's first step back to democracy to be a meaningful one, a strong enough basis for its continued growth towards becoming an umbrella for people of different ideologies and culture to coexist in peace, under the same law.
If that is still too complicated, the point is that people don't doubt the government can organise an election. They just don't trust that it will play fair.
Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist, Bangkok Post.