No one knows if former labour minister Sirichai Distakul realises it or not, but when he packed up his personal effects from the ministry last week, he set a new standard for our political culture.
His abrupt decision last week paved the way for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to rejig his cabinet. While the prime minister said he has yet to make a decision on whether it will be a major or minor change, calls have been made for him to pick up new faces, people with relevant experience and backgrounds to fill the seat or seats. Needless to say, with the Defence Ministry being occupied by retired army men -- though it merits a debate if that's really necessary -- there is no reason for the premier minister to pick more men in green for his team. Times have changed from when Gen Prayut seized power in 2014 when he had to rely on his brothers in arms, even if their experience might have been in question.
Ploenpote Atthakor is Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.
Yet, we still don't know the reason behind Gen Sirichai's resignation as he remains tight-lipped while the prime minister, in dire need to assure the public of unity in his cabinet, merely said Gen Sirichai decided to leave the cabinet to pursue his business interests.
Maybe so, maybe not. Maybe his decision was voluntary, or it was made after pressure from Gen Prayut.
But whatever the real reason is (another oft-used one is health), we know Gen Sirichai, who joined the Prayut cabinet in 2015 after he retired from the top post at the Defence Ministry, was not satisfied with his job, or found the work with a sluggish bureaucratic system unfulfilling.
Some media outlets have already speculated that his quiet departure was a show of responsibility following a lightning transfer at the Employment Department, with department chief Varanon Peetiwan being moved to an inactive post. Such a shunt, if anything, could be a kind of KPI for the ministry which faces many challenges given that the country is a hotspot for migrant workers which makes running it a complicated affair.
It's true the new regulations governing migrant labour earlier this year, which adversely affected small- and mid-level business operators and millions of migrant workers, were less than impressive.
But it would have been normal if Gen Sirichai had chosen to stay on, waiting for his fate to be revealed when it was time for the premier to reshuffle the cabinet. Like it or not, that's our political culture.
Accountability doesn't seem to be in the vocabulary of people in positions of power.
So his decision was a surprise. It's a rare phenomenon for a minister in a top office to relinquish power. That shows courage -- accepting the consequences and quietly leaving, and not making a scene by blaming others to cling on to the position.
Despite the frequent flooding in Bangkok, we would never expect the city governor, elected or appointed, to tender his resignation to "pursue his business interests", or because he was suffering "poor health".
Nor do the the ongoing terrible road death tolls, that put Thailand among the world's deadliest countries to drive in, make any police officers, state officials or ministers think of quitting, and allowing the right man or woman to fill those shoes.
Look at the infamous hit-and-run case involving a young brat from one of Thailand's wealthiest families. No high-ranking police officers would ever imagine taking responsibility for allowing this fugitive to escape the law.
Unlike other ministers or top administrators trapped in high-profile scandals who would simply insist endlessly on being given more chances to fix problems until they are removed in disgrace, the former labour minister has decided to kick the ball into Gen Prayut's court.
Gen Sirichai's name will soon be forgotten. But let's hope his decision will set an example for others who still have no idea about the concept of accountability to the public.
