Some critics have said that if Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha sets his sights on returning as a democratically-elected premier after the March 24 election, then he must act the part.
And central to acting the part of a regime leader is the ability to keep cool under pressure and to speak like a politician.
To be astute in politics, a military commander must learn to be moderately defensive when served up with a gibe by critics, and to return the salvo with a question, said an observer.
This is exactly what Gen Prayut did, when he was criticised for allowing a certain newly-founded party to "borrow" its concepts from the state's flagship welfare project, Pracharath, to design its policies and campaign strategy.
The party in question is none other than the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), which has been described by rival parties as a vehicle to secure Gen Prayut's return as prime minister.
Gen Prayut said that the Pracharat initiative was adopted long before the PPRP emerged on the scene and registered its name with the Election Commission. He said the fact that the party has the same name as the government's welfare project is merely "coincidental".
The prime minister also did not let a chance for a reprisal slip through his fingers.
"What about the Tor Sor Chor Party? The reporters know well how it came into being, do you not?" Gen Prayut said during a recent interview.
Before the reporters could answer, the prime minister put forth another question. "Do you know what Tor Sor Chor stands for?"
The reporters murmured: "Thai Raksa Chart Party".
The Thai Raksa Chart is alleged to be an offshoot of the Pheu Thai Party, which is set up strategically with the intent of capturing the constituency votes of losing candidates, which will be counted towards gaining party list seats.
The observer said Gen Prayut may be implying that if the Thai Raksa Chart wanted to attack the PPRP for being closely associated with and taking advantage of the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) power to further its electoral gains, the Thai Raksa Chart may have to look just as closely at itself, starting with its name.
The Thai Raksa Chart, called the Tor Sor Chor in Thai, has been ridiculed for being intimately associated with fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Even the name of Tor Sor Chor has a similar ring to Thaksin, suggested some critics.
Thaksin -- who is tangled up in quite a few legal charges in connection to the alleged abuse of office when he was prime minister -- has been allegedly running the Pheu Thai Party and its sister party, the Thai Raksa Chart, remotely from his self-imposed exile. As such, questions have been raised on the extent of the former prime minister's influence on Thai domestic politics.
At this stage, all political parties know to steer clear from any associations that may suggest that they are influenced, dominated or manipulated by an outsider -- a status that could land them in deep legal quagmires.
Under current laws, a party that is found to be controlled by an outsider may face dissolution, and its executives may be banned from participating in politics.
And as such, as an observer noted, Gen Prayut's remark may have caused a ripple effect that has an impact on not just one, but two parties.
Pheu Thai's rising star
Former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt once again took political observers by surprise -- the same way he did several years back when he was known as "Chadchart -- the strongest minister on the face of the earth" and became an object of all possible memes.
Just a few months ago his name was barely on anyone's lips as a serious candidate for a Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidate. Now, his popularity rating has skyrocketed, eclipsing that of veteran politician Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan.
According to Pheu Thai's internal opinion polls, the former ruling party would win more seats if Mr Chadchart was listed as a prime ministerial candidate.
According to the findings, the party would grab 220 House seats if it nominated Mr Chadchart as prime minister. It would, however, only bag 150 seats if it backed Khunying Sudarat, head of the party's strategic committee, for the post.
Why Mr Chadchart has received positive responses from several quarters is open to speculation, but political observers point to the fact he has a relatively untainted image.
When serving as transport minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, he was not involved in any controversies. He was possibly the least-known member of the Yingluck cabinet, but he started drawing attention when photos of him using the public transport system emerged.
However, the path to the premiership for Mr Chadchart, who is popular among a sizeable segment of social media users but who has no support base or ever run for a House seat, is not strewn with roses, according to political observers.
Maybe he has found that out himself.
Mr Chadchart is known to be a regular jogger in Lumpini Park and has continued his routine since the election campaign kicked off, which gives him a chance to meet voters from different age groups.
According to political sources, some park goers show their admiration for the former minister but also let it be known that their admiration does not extend to the Pheu Thai Party.
It has been reported that some of his "fans" simply tell Mr Chadchart that no matter how much they like him, they do not plan to vote for his party in the March 24 polls.
The so-called "strongest former transport minister on the face of the Earth" is said to take the remarks in stride. Mr Chadchart reportedly replied that it was totally fine with him because his immediate family members do not vote for Pheu Thai either.
"You can vote for any party you support. But please do go and cast your ballots," he was quoted as saying.
Mr Chadchart was among Pheu Thai key figures invited by then army commander Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to the Army Club to iron out their differences with government opponents and he was said to be deeply shocked when the coup was launched by Gen Prayut.
Mr Chadchart's reaction was understandable, given that he was a political novice caught in a bear pit, according to the sources.
Families feud in Suphan Buri
Suphan Buri's Constituency 3 is expected to become a fierce battleground for two veteran politicians -- Prapat Pothasuthon, secretary-general of the Chartthaipattana Party, and former senior party member Jongchai Thiengtham who has defected to the Bhumjaithai Party -- in the lead-up to the March 24 general election.
Former Chartthaipattana Party member Somsak Prissanananthakul previously confirmed that a feud within the party had prompted Mr Jongchai to defect to the Bhumjaithai Party.
Mr Jongchai's defection raised suspicions of a dispute over potential candidates in Suphan Buri, the stronghold of Chartthaipattana.
Mr Prapat backed a decision by his nephew, Yutthana Pothasuthon, to stand under Palang Pracharath Party's ticket in Constituency 4 in Suphan Buri.
Mr Yutthana would be fighting for a House seat in the same constituency as Mr Jongchai's son, Samerkan, despite an earlier promise from Mr Prapat that Mr Yutthana would not contest the seat.
Mr Somsak said Mr Jongchai is upset and plans to stand in the election under the Bhumjaithai Party's banner in Constituency 3 against Mr Prapat.
In light of this, Chartthaipattana leader Kanchana Silpa-archa tried to defuse the conflict. She tried to persuade Mr Jongchai to return to the party and stop his bid to contest in Constituency 3 against Mr Prapat, a party source said.
The move came after Mr Prapat agreed to ask Mr Yutthana to retract his candidacy, the source said.
This is because Mr Prapat realised that if he lets his nephew vie for a seat in the constituency, Mr Samerkan's chance of grabbing the seat there would be significantly reduced, the source said.
In the end, both Mr Yutthana and Mr Samerkan may end up losing in the poll, paving the way for a Pheu Thai Party candidate, who won the seat in the constituency in the previous 2011 election, to emerge as the winner again, the source said.
However, after talks with Mr Jongchai, Ms Kanchana said she could not convince Mr Jongchai to change his mind because Mr Jongchai would only rejoin the Chartthaipattana on a condition that Mr Prapat is no longer with the party.
The source said Ms Kanchana found it impossible to accept because Mr Prapat was voted unanimously to become party secretary-general while Mr Jongchai was no longer a party member.
The source said that voters in Constituency 3 of Suphan Buri are likely to favour Mr Prapat, who remains loyal to the party.
