What is needed for the new year, to really boost their ratings, are some populist policies and ideas aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people.

Let's start with the capital and the now pretty much defunct Don Muang Airport. I would advise that this be converted into free accommodation for victims of slum fires. The poor, after having to cope with Victorian-style slums, have got to tolerate living under Bangkok's overhead walkways or in local temples - to the distaste of the resident monks. With plenty of space left over, Bangkok's neglected and flea-ridden stray hounds could also be given shelter. However, if it is found there are more than million of them, they could also be relocated en masse to that place with an enormous amount of free open space - Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Now, Bangkok isn't exactly one of Asia's most beautiful cities and the thousands of huge billboards are an eyesore. The pedestrian population would breathe a sigh of relief if they could walk the streets safely without fear of being crushed by a falling dilapidated billboard advertising Armpit Whitening Lotion. And talking about beauty products, the generals would truly win the hearts and minds of many female university students if nose jobs were offered on the 30 baht health scheme.

Regarding the health scheme, even though Thaksin didn't think the idea up, it has gone down  in history as one of his most popular policies. So, why doesn't the government simply take one step further and offer a 20 baht scheme? Two trips to the hospital would make for a saving equivalent to a mini bottle of moonshine. The upcountry male population would be delighted at such a proposal!

You have to agree that Thaksin really knew how to get the thumbs up from the villagers, so isn't it about time the generals put on sarongs and vests and spent a month living upcountry, eating spicy papaya salad and fermented fish? Cut the military budget by a fraction, and they'll be able to promise a truly free education system including uniforms, shoes, books, stationery and ice-cream. On top of that, instead of the 'one village one million baht' policy - which is eagerly received by hungry village headmen before distribution - how about a 'one motorbike one family' project? Now that would really win the hearts and minds of the people!

Everyone knows just how much the folk upcountry love the lottery, and if the government wants to continue with any kind of clampdown, then they are shooting themselves in the foot. Gambling on the lottery is a social norm. The government have no hope of converting the people to a life without it, and it would be a waste of time for them to even contemplate the idea. Any crackdown on the lottery would only, once again, lead to it being controlled by underground heavies. A wiser more strategic move by the government would be to introduce a weekly lottery. Should the masses wish to blow their cash even more, then that's their problem. Perhaps have the draw even more frequently, say on a daily basis. Then, if it were possible, they might even become bored of gambling. I would doubt it though.

Gambling is well and truly ingrained in Thai society and the government ought to admit it instead of doing the usual Thai thing, which is kicking the problem under the carpet. We have seen many monks up in arms, aghast at how a Buddhist country could possibly legalise gambling, but just how many of them make stacks of cash predicting, hocus-pocus style, the lottery numbers?

A really popular policy to help win the male youth would be to legalise gambling on football. Since half the young male population gamble every week anyway, it is quite useless to allow the underground system to go on unchecked. The only choice the government has is to either permit the local mafioso and uniformed figures to continue making billions, or legalise the entire industry and forward the proceeds to the national budget.

If gambling is considered a sin, then how come you can buy official lottery tickets any time of the day, but you can't do the same with beer? Another popular policy, a return to old ways, would be to scrap the idiotic time regulations on the sale of alcohol. What sense is there in a law which allows you to purchase a beer between 11am and 2pm, but not 2pm to 5pm? It is recommended that we abolish childish regulations that dictate to mature adults when they can have a drink. Besides, if you can't get served at a mini-mart anyway, you can just whip around corner into a small soi and you'll find a shop selling whatever you, completely indifferent to nonsensical regulations.

I would also recommend abolishing all the laws restricting the advertising of alcohol. Some people may cry out 'We are a Buddhist country, how can we allow such a thing?' But again, this mentality is the same as sweeping the problem into a corner and trying to forget about it. As for drink driving, that has to be dealt with by proper law enforcement. Thais love watching sport, especially football, but they don't appreciate watching an event or a match with half the TV screen blurred out because of ads.

The government needs to realise that Thais, are by nature, rebellious. They don't like being told repeatedly what they can and cannot do. Make a daft law, and the locals will go out of their way to break it. The people don't like laws and regulations that treat them as immature children.

And finally, how about the founding of a new bank dedicated to those who never get acknowledged for their  contribution to the rural economy - the lovely ladies who work the bars and Internet to attract monthly payments from their various foreign lovers? With the setting up of the 'Thai Lovers Bank' account holders could receive special interest rates and be offered incentives to sponge even larger pay-outs from their darlings. It would help the government's popularity immensely if they showed their appreciation to the ladies who have managed to import billions into the rural economy.

Stephen Cleary

Stephen Cleary is the co-founder of www.thai-blogs.com.