As the current authorities are discovering, mobile cabinet meetings might sound splendid in theory -- getting out to meet people in the provinces and all that -- but in practice they do not always work out quite as planned. Those pesky provincial people have a nasty habit of saying things you don't want to hear.
Over the years, Thai cabinet meetings have assembled in assorted exotic locations, especially during the time that Man in Dubai was running things. In those days, the cabinet moved around so much that they must have felt like the Travelling Wilburys.
In one of the more fanciful locations, in 2006, the cabinet assembled in a Chiang Mai zoo, or "safari park" as they preferred to call it as the word "zoo" offered the potential for too many unflattering jokes. The politicians were at least guaranteed a captive audience and the monkeys, elephants, zebras and giraffes duly behaved themselves.
Quite what the animals made of the appalling zebra-striped chairs provided for the ministers is another matter. It's a pity there wasn't a Dr Dolittle in the cabinet. Some ministers were even wearing tacky zebra-themed shirts. It had an uncanny resemblance to the Mad Hatter's tea party at its maddest.
One embattled cabinet in 2010 in desperation held its meeting in a prayer room, apparently hoping for "divine intervention". It didn't work.
Isan Express
The most publicised mobile cabinet meeting took place on a special train as it trundled through the Northeast in 2005. It was "special" because it cost 3 million baht to do up the carriage in which the cabinet were travelling so they wouldn't suffer "numb bums". No second-class rolling stock for them.
This did not stop the train falling behind schedule, however. It was particularly unfortunate for villagers at one station on the line who had all been assembled to greet the PM in a brief stopover. Alas, because the train was behind time, it failed to stop at the station, leaving the welcoming party who had been sitting there for hours less than happy.
Some observers were disappointed that the cabinet did not take the opportunity to discuss why Thailand's trains are not much faster than the average buffalo. It was also noticeable that cabinet members looked considerably happier boarding a plane at Ubon airport for the return journey rather than taking a bunk on the overnight "rapid".
On the road again
Perhaps mobile cabinets should adopt a slightly more hands-on approach. One possibility is for the cabinet to pile onto an overnight Bangkok-Chiang Mai tour bus. As the bus hurtles through the night, screaming around those bends, there is just a possibility the topic of road safety might appear on the agenda. However, it is not recommended for ministers of a nervous disposition.
Alternatively, for those who cannot handle high speeds, a cabinet meeting could be held on a regular Bangkok bus. It would be interesting to see what solutions they would come up with after being stuck in a sweltering Pratunam traffic jam for a couple of hours. We might even get some action … well, maybe not.
'The kid and the kestrel'
On to something completely different. Over the years, I've managed to see most films that I've wanted to experience, but there has been one that evaded me. When Kes was first released in 1969, I had just left England and somehow the Ken Loach film and I have never crossed paths. But that changed last week when I finally got to see Kes on television here in Bangkok -- and it was well worth the wait, fully justifying its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Set in South Yorkshire, it tells of a 15-year-old lad who is suffering a miserable life both at home and at school, finding a ray of hope through training a kestrel. It features the finest acting I have ever seen from an adolescent, with David Bradley superb as the downtrodden Billy Casper. There is terrific acting from the entire cast, especially the schoolkids who are so natural it doesn't look like acting. The scenes of the lad with the falcon are truly moving. OK, I'm bit of a softy.
It's only drawback for non-English people is that the South Yorkshire dialect is so strong that when it was shown in the States, they had to use subtitles. Mind you, many Brits also found the accent a bit of a struggle.
Barnsley boy
Bradley's performance is all the more remarkable considering his only previous acting experience was in school pantomimes. Even while filming Kes he still carried on with his regular paper round in Barnsley.
I was curious to learn what happened to Bradley after his outstanding performance in Kes. He is aged 64 now and it's fair to say that Dai Bradley, as he is now known, is not a household name. In the 1970s he had regular employment in theatre, television and the movies, including All Quiet on the Western Front in 1979.
His biggest success, however, was in the theatre and he received accolades as the troubled teenager in Equus, a part he played more than two years. After that there was little work and he even became a carpenter for a while.
Bradley is phlegmatic about his career: "If people only remember me for Billy Casper, then that's fine. It was a wonderful experience." That's quite refreshing.
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