He has before him what is probably his last opportunity to prove that what looks good on his resume - his professionalism, battle-tested field leadership and, mostly notably, his honesty - is relevant to his current job as Thailand's leader.

The sudden resignation of Pridiyathorn Devakula, the deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, amid what he claimed to be political infighting, should have come as a wake-up call for General Surayud. While there may be little love lost for Pridiyathorn, the prime minister cannot avoid responsibility for allowing things to come to a head.

General Surayud may take pride in being a gentleman who half-heartedly agreed to take the political helm to save the country during a crisis. But his politeness and his hands-off attitude, which were seen as his strong assets, have turned out to be liabilities. While it would be unfair to fault General Surayud for his lack of political acumen - after all, what does a former army chief know about politics and the art of running a country? - nothing is preventing him from surrounding himself with good and able advisers.

But as a former military leader used to issuing commands, General Surayud might have problems learning to take advice - or even feeling the need to solicit it. And it doesn't help that most of the people in his closest circle are his former subordinates and admirers. When he decided to recruit Somkid Jatusripitak, who was closely linked to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to chair a committee to propagate the philosophy of sufficiency economy, Surayud didn't think it was necessary to consult his Cabinet members. Even those closest to him were also kept in the dark.

And even after Somkid decided to call it quits amid a storm of protests, Surayud didn't feel the necessity to explain to his Cabinet what the commotion was all about. So Somkid came and went and General Surayud wanted everybody to pretend that nothing had happened - even though it was seen as his biggest and most embarrassing blunder in his more than four months in office.

Pridiyathorn was certainly entitled to feel offended by Surayud's insensitivity over Somkid's appointment and the nightly criticism levelled at him by his erstwhile political foe, Sondhi Limthongkul of the Manager Group through his talk show on government-run Channel 11. Pridiyathorn obviously felt let down that his boss did nothing to stop PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan from putting Sondhi on air.

While it's debatable whether Pridiyathorn's resignation is justified, the circumstances surrounding it reflect badly on General Surayud's leadership. The prime minister has made it clear that he has complete trust in the honesty and ability of his team. But as a government leader, he has to provide his Cabinet members with a vision and a sense of priority.

Surayud's Cabinet members may be noted for their depth of experience: most have served as bureaucrats and some were technocrats bought out of retirement. Under normal circumstances, these steady and experienced heads may have served the country well. But Thailand is still struggling with a crisis, and public expectations are very high.

A sense of urgency has definitely been lacking. And if the interim government has been perceived as directionless and insensitive to public expectations, it's due largely to the character and style of leadership of the man at the top. And it's hard to imagine the former army chief being allowed to continue to muddle through in the same fashion in the remaining months of his term.

Of course, the generals sitting in the Council for National Security - who have the power to remove him - are getting impatient. They are obviously as dismayed as everybody else by the lacklustre performance of the man they believed was most qualified to lead the country at this extraordinary juncture. However, reluctant to change horses in mid-stream, they are apparently prepared to give him more time to prove himself.

Pridiyathorn's resignation in a way should provide Surayud with an opportunity to reflect on his performance and chart a new path for his government. If the prime minister is as responsive to criticism and public opinion as he keeps saying he is, then this is the time to prove it.

While there is no denying that General Surayud needs to reinvigorate his "old ginger" Cabinet through a major reshuffle, it's a prerequisite that the prime minister admits that his style of management is also a problem. He needs to reinvent himself as much as he does his Cabinet.

General Surayud has to prove that honest people can also manage. Major General Chamlong Srimuang, a veteran politician and an admirer of the prime minister, commended Surayud for his "guts" and his "brain". But time is running out for Surayud to demonstrate that he can make good use of what he has in running the country.

Thepchai Yong