To say that the military regime is going through a slump would be an understatement. It's more like a free fall from a high cliff.
Yet they don't seem to be aware of the gravity of their situation.
More and more scandals and faux pas have emerged to hobble their once-stoic attitude.
Their lightning rod has been Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, a deputy prime minister and the junta's second-in-command.
Gen Prawit shot to fame in the scandals department when he chartered a flight last year that took him and 37 others to Hawaii to attend the Asean-US Defence Informal Meeting. That trip cost taxpayers over 20 million baht.
It seemed to people excessive to have such a large entourage at the meeting. But as the general is the "Big Brother" of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the matter quickly faded from the public realm.
One of the characteristics of military big brass is their shooting-from-the-hip style of speaking, and Gen Prawit and his buddy in arms, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, are no exception.
Gen Prawit's insensitive comment regarding the dubious death of Cadet Pakapong Tanyakan drew a harsh public reaction, and he was forced to offer a lame apology a few days later.
It may be said that Cadet Pakapong's death has plunged the military into its most serious crisis since it seized power.
The widespread public doubts about the military's attempt to explain his cause of death clearly demonstrates the decline of its credibility and trust.
Yesterday's announcement by the military's fact-finding committee that his death was health-related and not caused by corporal punishment or harsh treatment at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School was received with incredulity even though the findings were never in doubt.
The Defence Ministry had earlier rejected calls for an independent inquiry to look into the incident.
"Please be confident in the impartiality of this investigation," said defence spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich.
But much of the public a long time ago lost confidence in the military's ability to stay impartial when its prestige is on the line.
The military's findings notwithstanding, the case will not end easily or quietly. Pakapong's family is poised to pursue the case in court. And so they should. The court will be the last resort for justice although we would be wise to be prepared for disappointment.
But back to Gen Prawit and his tendency to fall into a scandalous pit. The latest one involving his display of wealth will be hard to wriggle out of.
Since a photo of him shielding his face at a cabinet group photo session with the sun dancing on a multi-million-baht watch and a large diamond ring on his hand, more photos have surfaced of him wearing various watches of the luxury kind.
Political activists and curious observers have had a field day questioning the source of his wealth and his failure to report it in the mandatory declaration of assets form to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
Political activist and lawyer Srisuwan Janya has petitioned the NACC to open an investigation into the matter, something the public has eagerly awaited.
But the matter puts the NACC chief between a rock and a hard place. It's a common knowledge that NACC president Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit owes his current position -- in fact much of his career -- to Gen Prawit.
Pol Gen Watcharapol was, before his current position, secretary-general of Gen Prawit as deputy prime minister.
The anti-graft chief refused to answer reporters' questions whether he would recuse himself from the investigation, simply promising to ensure a fair and thorough probe.
If past records are any guide, Gen Prawit will probably slip through the legal net with at best a slap on the wrist. Since the current commission was put in place, it has never found evidence for conviction in cases involving the military or people with top military connections.
As for Gen Prayut, his penchant for angry outbursts and his swaggering gait have lost their charm even among his once admirers, judging from the visible decline in the number of comments in his defence against critical posts on social media.
While he himself has not been embroiled in scandalous accusations, his reluctance to take action over improprieties by people close to him is being noted more than ever.
Aside from Gen Prawit, people who enjoy his confidence include his younger brother Gen Preecha, and Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paojinda who was behind the acquisition of the army's failed surveillance blimp and GT200 bomb detectors.
Gen Prayut's latest admonishment of the media not to make too much of a fuss about Gen Prawit's wealth has not gone well with the public.
People have had enough of the military taking care of its own kind while cracking down hard on its critics and poor people who might have taken a wrong turn with the law.
As scandals swirl around members of the regime, some -- such as Gen Prawit and Gen Anupong -- choose to stay away from the media.
That leaves Gen Prayut as government head to deal with the annoying newshounds. So he chooses to travel upcountry more frequently where officials make sure he will meet only with friendly folks and where he can show generosity by dispensing public money on various schemes for the localities he visits.
In other word, the prime minister is behaving just like the politicians he disdains. And with a new group of people in his cabinet and his refusal to relax his grip on political parties, he can no longer pretend he doesn't want to stay in power longer.
The truth is he can stay in power as long as he wants so long as the people are willing to accept his authoritarian rule. But it seems more and more people are beginning to find it unacceptable.
Wasant Techawongtham is a former news editor, Bangkok Post.
