"Now the problem of Thai society is that people are gullible and believe rumours easily," he told villagers in Maha Sarakham, during a visit to the northeastern province. "Those who have an education have been deceived, let alone normal villagers. I regret the time they wasted studying.

"These people are ready to believe anyone who deceives them. But if you, villagers, have enough information, you can't be deceived. Most Bangkokians have been deceived. Worse still, they have been deceived by bad people," Thaksin said.

His words imply that the PM has declared war on Bangkok voters.

It is understandable that Thaksin might be furious about Bangkok voters who took to the streets in rally after rally earlier in the year, demanding that he step down. Their pressure lead him to dissolve the House in February and then taking a break from the leadership after the April 2 election.

In fact, Thaksin shouldn't have made his remarks - unless he plans to take a break from politics after the October election - because injuring the feelings of Bangkok voters will certainly affect his political future.

The caretaker prime minister should be reminded of the old adage that while rural voters form governments, city voters overthrow them.

Bangkok voters have a unique character. They stay close to information, and vote with their emotions rather than by rational consideration.

Thaksin could learn some lessons from former prime ministers Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Banharn Silpa-archa.

In 1997, a group of white collar workers called "Mob Silom" succeeded in ousting Chavalit, whose leadership they protested over, blaming him as the cause of the country's economic crisis.

Banharn's government was pressured by its coalition partner, Palang Dharma, whose political base was Bangkok voters, to sack some ministers who had a bad image. Eventually, the ministers had to go.

Thaksin might have forgotten those incidents. But he should remember how the Thai Rak Thai Party lost by a wide margin to its Democrat Party rivals in a number of seats in the latest election for the Bangkok council and the Bangkok City Assembly.

The number of "no votes" from Bangkok voters in the nullified April 2 election should also provide a firm reminder for Thaksin. TRT candidates received fewer votes than the ballots marked "no vote" in many constituencies.

However, Thaksin might think that while his party may win few seats in Bangkok, he will still be able to form a government if rural voters support his party. That's maybe why Thaksin, one day after attacking Bangkokians, appeared in high spirits yesterday, pleading for sympathy from about 3,000 people in Roi Et. While he may no longer care about Bangkok voters, who control only 36 seats, he leans back against a cushion of rural voters and hopes his party will win all 137 seats in the Northeast.

Although the number of MPs from Bangkok is small when compared with other regions, Bangkok voters are still the most powerful in punishing politicians. No government has ever survived when Bangkok voters make up their minds to say: "Get out!"

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Jintana Panyaarvudh

The Nation