Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin appeared to be caught with his pants down last week when, out of the blue, his wife, Anongwan, was served with a notice from the National Anti-Corruption Commission to acknowledge corruption charges related to the 770 million baht fund for the construction of fai maew weirs.
The weir project dates back 12 years when Ms Anongwan was minister of natural resources and the environment.
Mr Somsak lamented to the media that he thought the case was over a long time ago, noting the NACC has never invited his wife to clarify the matter, and all the investigative panels set up by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as the Comptroller Department and the Office of the Auditor-General have cleared his wife of any wrongdoing.
The justice minister might have called Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon asking: "What happened?" And the response he might have received was "I don't know" -- the standard reply of Gen Prawit to reporters whenever he wants to evade an embarrassing question.
Mr Somsak should have learned from the popular saying: "There are no true friends or permanent foes in politics." He and his Sam Mitr faction are wrong to believe they have Gen Prawit on their side for the coup they staged in the ruling party to position him as the new party leader, replacing Uttama Savanayana.
In the meantime, a video clip showing Suriya Jungrungreangkit, in a pre-election interview on a TV news programme, promising not to take any cabinet portfolio if the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) won the election and managed to form the government was released on social media.
The new executive board of the ruling PPRP which is dominated by the Sam Mitr faction and its allies has demanded the energy portfolio for Industry Minister Suriya who is ready to cede his post to Anucha Nakasai, the party secretary-general.
Some elements loyal to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha believe these two incidents have not happened at the same time by coincidence. By now, Mr Somsak should have realised the NACC's move against his wife was meant as a warning for to to stop making waves over the cabinet reshuffle and allow the prime minister a free hand to fill the vacant Energy Ministry portfolio.
Meanwhile, the TV clip of Mr Suriya making a promise not to accept any cabinet post was intended to label him as a man who cannot be trusted and whose words should not be treated seriously.
In the end, the prime minister may have his say in who gets to be the new finance and energy minister, succeeding Mr Uttama and Mr Sontirat Sontijirawong respectively, but he will have to pay a price.
The prime minister will have a tough time running the government without knowing when the dissenting MPs in the ruling PPRP may rebel against him.
Absenting themselves from voting in the House on selected issues or from attending meetings of various panels such as the House budget scrutiny committee to force their cancellation due to a lack of quorum are examples of the tricks likely to be employed by rebel MPs to embarrass the government or delay urgent projects.
Outside parliament, the situation seems to be getting worse with increasing opposition to him and his regime by students and members of the public.
Like the Covid-19 contagion, anti-government protests by students have spread nationwide to echo demands for parliament's dissolution, that the constitution be rewritten and the government stops harassing its opponents.
The challenges for the new cabinet, particularly how to revive the struggling economy while maintaining public safety, will be tough to crack. Indeed, the government itself seems to be unsure whether it will succeed due to the distractions posed by increased student activism and unrest within the ruling party.
Given the forces arrayed against it, the outlook does not bode well for the prime minister and his new cabinet.
They may have to start the countdown to their forced departure sooner rather than later unless they start communicating with students in earnest and addressing some of their outstanding issues such as the constitution rewrite and alleged intimidation against perceived enemies of the state.
Veera Prateepchaikul is former editor, Bangkok Post.