Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra carries a basket he received yesterday as a gift from hill-tribe people during a visit to Chiang Mai.

At a time when all political parties are waiting for the green light to start their election campaigns ahead of the Oct 15 election, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made a jump-start to retake Government House.

With the official start of the campaign season, set by Royal decree for August 24, still over a week away, Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party have already entered their first lap.

Despite his claim that the current tour of the North - hot on the heals of last week's tour to the Northeast - is for nothing more than to observe government programmes in action, Thaksin seems to be using the tour to wave the Thai Rak Thai flag at every stop along the way.

The same thing happened during his three-day tour of the Northeast.

Thaksin had planned to meet with villagers and hand out various goodies, including cattle, seeds and land title-deeds. Members of rival political parties immediately cried foul over "unfair" play, complaining that the caretaker prime minister was using his position to benefit his party and political ambitions.

The complaints did not go unnoticed. And with less certainty over the outcome of the upcoming poll, Thaksin realises the new Election Commission (EC) is unlikely to treat him and Thai Rak Thai as well as the recently jailed EC commissioners did in elections past.

On the contrary, it could be a nightmare if the Senate selected "unfriendly faces" - Nam Yimyaem and Kaewsan Atibhodi - to take two of the five open spots on the EC.

Nam chaired an EC investigative panel that has asked the Constitution Court to dissolve the Thai Rak Thai Party.

Kaewsan is a recently resigned senator whose stance has been severely anti-Thaksin during his five years in power.

In any case, Thaksin cancelled plans to hand out government assistance to the villagers, just one day after insisting that the handouts were not a violation of election law.

However, still hoping to gain the upper hand despite the circumstances, Thaksin tried another way.

Former TRT MPs from the area, most of whom could potentially run as candidates in the upcoming election, were seen at meeting venues in Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham and Roi Et about a half an hour ahead of Thaksin's arrival.

A potential House candidate from TRT was quoted as saying at a meeting in Roi Et's At Samat District: "The Bt55-million budget [for the district] has not yet been approved. Keep the matter in your hearts, clap your hands, because you will surely get it."

That sounds like nothing more than an electoral "promise".

Similar types of campaigning took place at the site of a new groundwater supply station that Thaksin opened. Three other former Thai Rak Thai MPs addressed the crowd before Thaksin arrived.

In Chiang Mai yesterday, Thaksin was consistent with this new style. He met with hill-tribe villagers and promised to help them by building more irrigation and providing plots of land for planting.

The crowd of villagers and other Thaksin supporters was reportedly organised by former local TRT MPs who will be running in the October 15 ballot.

Thaksin is using an old tactic, but one that served him well during the 2005 election campaign.

During that race he left leaders of rival parties far behind him in terms of popularity. He launched a series of provincial tours, thereby avoiding having to take part in any debates on television.

Those trips took place before the election decree for February 6, 2005 became effective.

Thaksin seems to have escaped penalty for his jump-start - and will perhaps continue to do so even after the new EC assumes power.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon

The Nation