It must feel so good to get the chance to get away from Bangkok. Fresh air. No annoying whistle blowing. A warm welcome by the red shirts.
Everything looks perfect for caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after her aides arranged a tour of drought-stricken provinces to get her away from the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
Of course it would be even better if Chiang Mai were designated the capital of Lanna — a desire many United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship members harbour in their hearts. The PM could be up north in her hometown for good, with a worry-free atmosphere and no playing hide-and-seek with demonstrators who have vowed to go after her wherever she stays or works.
But the reality is, as the great boxer Joe Louis once said, you can run but you can't hide. At the end of the day she has to come back to the place she probably loves the least.
Several ideas have been mooted by her camp to try to ensure the caretaker premier survives this political crisis. One which will never happen is to have a new country with a boundary encompassing the northern and northeastern regions. Another is to form a government-in-exile in case she and her Pheu Thai Party have no choice but to relinquish the power they are so desperately holding on to.
The Yingluck camp will never receive international sympathy from the setting up of an exile administration, either here within the country (Chiang Mai) or elsewhere. Pheu Thai already made the wrong bet on holding the general election on Feb 2.
It banked on support from other countries, once the poll was held, for being the party that tried to end the ongoing turmoil through the democratic process.
International backing would, of course, help Ms Yingluck keep power and would put more pressure on the PDRC to end its anti-government protest. But things have not turned out that way. The political tactic is a flop as most countries apparently are opting for silence, or at least are urging a quick end to the problem in Thailand and an end to politically motivated attacks instead of coming out to hail the election and call for the results to be respected.
Other countries support the settlement of the conflict through election. But they clearly do not support an election used to whitewash the wrongdoings of a government that has tried to whitewash corruption cases in the name of the disgraceful blanket amnesty bill. It is understandable to see caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul remind diplomats of the reaction needed against those breaking the rule of law. He even planned an overseas trip to garner support for the caretaker administration. It won't work and would be a waste of taxpayers' money.
Buying time and avoiding confrontations with the anti-government group seem to be the best option available at least for now. Ms Yingluck's trip to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai last week and another one on the cards to the northeastern region have been arranged to serve this strategy.
Issues in talks with other caretaker cabinet ministers and senior civil servants during her trips revolve around drought hitting several provinces, in addition to a threat of forest fires in the North. But the essence of the trip last week and the one this week are the trips themselves, not the topics put on the meeting table.
Officials are good at making a visit look meaningful. It is part of the job for those ordered to do so. What happened outside the meeting room last week said it all. Ms Yingluck looked relaxed and happy after being greeted by red-shirt supporters minutes after her plane landed at Mah Fah Luang airport in Chiang Rai and the same atmosphere continued in Chiang Mai. The same warm welcome is expected in northeastern provinces this week, when she will chair a meeting to fight drought for people in the northeastern region.
Her supporters might argue that the caretaker prime minister is seriously worried about the water shortage and the plight of farmers who are in a desperate quest for water to nurture their crops. The presence of the caretaker government leader will make officials work quickly to come up with a coordinated plan to alleviate suffering of people in drought-hit areas. The tour has no political motive hidden behind the schedule.
Sixteen provinces have been declared emergency areas hit severely by drought, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department on Saturday.
If Ms Yingluck is serious about helping drought-plagued areas, she should not forget to visit Trang, too. It is one of those 16, and the home turf of Chuan Leekpai.
Saritdet Marukatat is digital media news editor, Bangkok Post.