The target of what seemed to be an assassination attempt was Thaksin, of course, while others would appear as collateral damage if the explosives went off. The man marked for death, as police investigators theorised, was unfazed.

In all the excitement and thrills there was just one problem - not many people believed the story. There were just too many loose ends. There were also motives for people to suspect that the car-bomb story was simply a diversion of public attention from the bashing of an old man by thugs allied with sympathisers of Thaksin in the heart of the city a few days before.

As investigations continued, police found it increasingly difficult to convince the public that the event was not stage-managed. Instead of fear or big sighs of relief that nobody was hurt, the news was received right from the start with a mixture of disbelief and laughter, around the capital and beyond.

The entire episode, as narrated by senior police officers from various units, failed to produce credibility. When the bomb squad was trying to neutralise the explosives, it was watched by onlookers just 15 metres away despite a claim that the effect of a blast would be felt a kilometre away.

The more those involved in unravelling the so-called assassination plot tried to produce evidence, the more the story became less believable. There were contradictory versions. Maybe they tried too hard, with too much efficiency, thus making it too unreal.

Thaksin was the target of an assassination attempt, the investigators insist, though it has not yet been proven. But as of now, he certainly appears to be the sole casualty of the event. The blow from the accusation that it was stage-managed is causing more damage to his credibility and stature.

Cynics scoffed at the news. They all wondered why anybody would want to kill Thaksin now, because he is more or less finished in terms of credible leadership - a dead man walking, so to speak. Thaksin cannot even appear in public without the risk of being booed and jeered at by those who want him to leave politics for good.

Thaksin's critics have pointed out a lot of flaws to support their argument that the event was indeed stage-managed. The investigations were conducted and concluded at this stage by police officers hand-picked by Thaksin to fill key positions to ensure his personal security and strong power base.

If Thaksin and his friends were frustrated by public doubt, it is because people have been fed with so many half-truths and true lies for so long that they tend to be suspicious when told about something too good or too bad.

What's more, Thaksin has never provided answers or cleared public doubts over many issues related to corruption, lack of transparency, shenanigans and business deals smacking of conflicts of interest involving his family members and kin.

That's why when he earnestly offers to tell the public something he believes to be true, many people treat it with suspicion. Past victims of soft sell and spin have been enlightened by emerging evidence of misdeeds, especially of massive corruption in many big deals spanning over five years.

Why should anyone cook up a story to damage the country, Thaksin's supporters might counter. There are plenty of reasons. His popularity is sinking fast after the mob attack and he desperately needs a diversion and a tear-jerker to regain votes for the upcoming general election.

The bomb scare was instantly effective. The news commanded TV prime time and front-page headlines while stories about the Shin Corp stock deal and other scandals were no longer highlighted. The event reminded people of the so-called assassination attempt in Taiwan when President Chen Shui-bian was in precarious political position. A shot carried him all the way to election victory.

The investigators will try harder to produce evidence and more people could be arrested - whether on solid grounds or trumped-up charges will be debated later in court. At the same time, the media and critics will also do likewise to prove that it was just another stage-managed act.

Will Thaksin smell better from now on? On the contrary, he has obviously created more enemies, this time among retired and active figures in military circles.

The stakes are high. If there is convincing evidence of the whole thing being a farce, staged with or without Thaksin's knowledge, it could lead to his last scene in politics as well as theatre.

 Sopon Onkgara