With political parties fighting tooth and nail for key cabinet portfolios and doing whatever it takes to have a chance to join a coalition government, two of them have let their principles and honesty take a back seat to the power grabbing.
It's typical Thai politics that has made many lose faith and trust in the political class. Some have even used it as justification for their support of military coups.
But a number of politicians from different camps have recently demonstrated that there are still rays of hope.
The most notable acts came from former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Bhumjhaithai Party's (BJT) Si Sa Ket MP, Siripong Angkasakulkiat, and Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidate Sudarat Keyuraphan.
The ongoing horse-trading among allies of the coalition government led by the pro-military Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) casts a negative light on the Democrats and the BJT.
By joining the coalition and voting for the PPRP's prime ministerial candidate, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, at a joint parliamentary session on Wednesday, they have broken campaign promises their leaders made that they would not support the junta leader returning to power.
Many see this as a pure betrayal of trust of those who voted for the two medium-sized parties in the March general election. Every reason that the party executives laid out this week to the public for their decision to join the coalition is more like an excuse than a justification.
Mr Abhisit resigned as an MP on Wednesday ahead of a parliament vote for the prime minister, reaffirming his stance to respect the promise he made to the 3.9 million people who voted for the party.
Even though the promise he made was not a party resolution, it reflects the Democrats' political ideology to "respect the voice of the people and promote an honest democracy".
BJT leader Anutin Charnvirakul made a similar pledge during campaigning -- that his party would only vote for an MP to be prime minister.
Gen Prayut is not an MP. But the party's Si Sa Ket MP, Mr Siripong, remembered a vow he personally made to people in his constituency that he would not vote for anyone but Mr Anutin as premier.
As a result, he kept his word by breaking ranks with the party, which resolved to support Gen Prayut, and abstained from casting a vote on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai's Khunying Sudarat opted out of the race for the PM job, even though her party came first in the election, to support Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit's bid for the top post.
This was to keep the seven-party coalition together to fight against the regime's bid to prolong its stay in power. She insisted this was a means for her to fulfil her promise that the restoration of democracy is her party's first priority, not power grabbing.
In addition to these three politicians, some Democrat MP candidates have also given up their party membership. They could not belong to a party that dishonourably broke its promise.
Mr Thanathorn, who is suspended as an MP due to a media shareholding allegation, has been working outside parliament by meeting people on the ground and discussing problems they have encountered.
We all have reasons to question their motives. But it is beyond doubt that they should stand as good examples for those who broke their promises and took the trust they gained from voters for granted.
