For the first time since becoming a government spokeswoman, Narumon Pinyosinwat held a Q&A session this week to answer concerns over her role in politics.
The statistics professor has been the target of some rather unflattering remarks about her work as head of the government spokesperson team. One critic even labelled her and her assistants, made up of two deputy spokeswomen, as the "female cook trio", an allusion to a popular household brand of canned sardines.
The description, slammed by critics as disparagingly sexist, was apparently meant to convey the feeling among some government opponents that they had been unsophisticated and mediocre in their performances so far.
A communications expert said the label was unfair to the trio -- and Ms Narumon in particular -- although her limited political profile prior to her joining the government may have led some people to doubt her ability to handle such a high-profile political position.
After the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) elected Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon as its new leader and Anucha Nakasai as secretary-general at the weekend, speculation swirled about Ms Narumon's chances of leaping up the political ladder and landing on top of the pile as finance minister in the next cabinet reshuffle, replacing Uttama Savanayana, who has also just lost the PPRP leadership.
Lending weight to her prospects was Mr Anucha, who confirmed Ms Narumon would have a prominent role in the party's economic team, his comment interpreted by political analysts as a credible indication that Ms Narumon was a heartbeat away from clinching the finance portfolio.
It was actually several weeks ago, when the dust over the PPPR leadership contest had not even settled, that Ms Narumon was first tipped for the post of deputy finance minister.
Now that the PPRP has sworn in its new leader, with an ensuing cabinet shake-up believed to be likely sooner rather than later, Ms Narumon may already enjoy solid support within the ruling party to go one step further and actually become finance minister.
However, her possible bid to assume the top job has been greeted with brickbats rather than roses and Ms Narumon is highly sensitive to the reaction to her possible appointment.
The communications expert agreed that while Ms Narumon was no stranger in the higher echelons of the country's economic sector -- she was a consultant on the stock market and the banking system for more than 10 years and served as a board member in the private sector -- many people were keen to know if she had any meaningful experience as the "real deal" in key decisions at financial organisations or businesses.
Ms Narumon has laughed off the suggestion that she was a "backstabber" who had betrayed Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, regarded by many as the economic czar. Mr Somkid was known to have introduced Ms Narumon, professor at the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), to politics.
Of the allegation that she backstabbed her one-time friend, Ms Narumon told reporters: "That is only your interpretation of events."
During the reported power struggle in the PPRP that culminated in its leadership change, however, Ms Narumon was thought to have forged a close bond with Gen Prawit and was even pictured among PPRP heavyweights who recently called on the deputy prime minister to formally extend an invitation to him to lead the ruling party.
Political observers noted that Mr Somkid, who currently heads the government's economic team including the finance minister, might see his political fortunes waning, while Ms Narumon's head in the opposite direction.
This coincides with a feeling that the Somkid-led economic team is on shaky ground ahead of the upcoming cabinet reshuffle and is heading for an uncertain future.
The observers said if Ms Narumon were to succeed Mr Uttama as finance minister, she would face an uphill battle trying to manage the country's economic affairs.
Should Mr Somkid not return to the cabinet in the next refresh of the line-up, the new finance minister would have to direct the ministry unaided by a "strong hand" who is well respected by movers and shakers in the economic sector. The new finance minister would then need to be able to stand firmly on his or her own feet, a quality commonly found only among well-established and experienced figures, according to the observers.
Although Ms Narumon has denied her role in the PPRP has anything to do with the composition of a future cabinet reshuffle, she has not ruled out becoming a PPRP candidate for a ministerial post.
Prayut: 'Big decisions' over reshuffle
A tough call awaits
The decisions that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has to make are often tough, but one he is facing now could put his administration on the line.
The dilemma stems from the latest spat between stalwarts in the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the government's economic team led by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
The simmering tension came to a head on Tuesday when Chaiwut Thamakamanusorn, a PPRP executive, verbalised his frustration with the economic team and suggested Mr Somkid pack up and leave the cabinet.
He also said he believed the next cabinet reshuffle would see the departure of not only Mr Somkid but other economic ministers including Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana and Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong.
Mr Uttama was replaced as PPRP leader and Mr Sontirat as the party secretary-general only last weekend at the party's general assembly.
To add insult to injury, both men also lost their places on the party's executive board.
Their supporters slammed the new party executives for betraying Mr Uttama and Mr Sontirat, who co-founded the PPRP and were credited with successfully cobbling together various political parties to form the coalition government.
A source in the PPRP said Mr Uttama and Mr Sontirat have been "rewarded" enough for having held the economic cabinet posts for more than a year under the stewardship of Mr Somkid.
Some PPRP insiders also rebuked Mr Uttama for being out of touch with party members and failing to take sufficient care of them during his time as leader.
Now that the new PPRP board has been elected with Mr Uttama replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Mr Sontirat by Anucha Nakasai, the executives are going in for the kill by setting their sights on the cabinet's economic team.
"I think Mr Somkid should go," Mr Chaiwut said, emerging from a PPRP meeting this week. He said several capable people were eager to join the economic team but were reluctant to step forward because Mr Somkid still headed it.
Mr Somkid must have picked up the vibe of hostility early, and it apparently touched a nerve. At a forum in Bangkok where he was invited to speak, the stoic deputy prime minister cut a commanding figure and declared that people in the team incapable of fulfilling their duties should know better than staying put.
On the other hand, individuals looking to replace them who are also inadequate for the jobs should stay away, Mr Somkid said.
Another highly placed source in the PPRP said Mr Somkid made the remarks secure in the knowledge that the party could not find a better alternative choice of economic minister.
Although Mr Somkid's team may not have scored high on a report card of achievements in steering the country's economy, at least the name of a possible contender for finance minister coming from the PPRP had hit a brick wall.
It was reported government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat might be groomed for the coveted portfolio.
Adding weight to Mr Somkid's confidence that his team might escape being purge in the next cabinet shake-up was Gen Prayut saying he was fairly satisfied with the performance of the current economic ministers.
It is speculated a reshuffle might happen after the passage of the budget bill for the 2021 fiscal year which starts in October.
The House debate of the bill is over and done with. The bill's second and third readings are expected in September. A political analyst said deciding who to keep and who to let go in the next cabinet reshuffle will be an extremely tough call for Gen Prayut.
Retaining the Somkid team may be a boon to the continuity of the government's economic policies, which is more critical than ever as the country moves to kick-start the economy post-Covid 19 pandemic.
However, not replacing the team would turn up the political heat from the dissatisfied heavyweights in the PPRP and that might cost the government dearly in the long run, according to the analyst.