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Published on March 6, 2008

And it doesn't matter whether you are in office or not.

A premier's activities are of huge public interest, particularly when Thailand's political scene is getting hotter with active and outspoken Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej as well as deposed PM Thaksin Shinawatra, whose charm has never faded despite over a year of absence.

While Samak is selling new ideas nearly every day, including the possible opening of a casino, Thaksin is drawing a horde of reporters who are digging really deep to know what he is doing and where he will be appearing next.

"Caf? Sweet" on Sathorn Road may be the next stop for Thaksin.

According to a person who is familiar with the bakery shop, Thaksin's children have recently become regular fans. Last weekend, Thaksin's former lawyer who is now the foreign minister, Noppadon Pattama, was also seen there with a troupe of his guards.

"Khun Thaksin will soon be here. Soon, this place could boast that it has welcomed the famous former prime minister," the person said. Anybody curious to know what another former prime minister is doing? Yeah, I meant Surayud Chulanont. We know he is doing a lot of things. But if you want to see him in person, you should visit Siam Paragon next Wednesday.

Surayud is scheduled to be there in the afternoon. Just don't guess he's there to kick off a social event, as the actual reason is to open "DHC Olive Beauty" in the beauty gallery zone.

Is he a regular patron of the cosmetic brand? No. But his wife, Khunying Chitravadee, is.

Did I hear a sigh? It must be a sigh of relief. If Surayud is regularly applying creams on his face and still the wrinkles remain, it wouldn't be a boon to the brand.

Sniff and ye shall find

Many people who have visited China complain about the smelly and dirty toilets.

The smell is sometimes so strong you need not ask for directions to public lavatories.

Associated Press just reported that dirty toilets had been cited as concerns by Beijing Olympics officials, as they will soon welcome new users - such as those who are going to watch the Olympic Games in August.

Aside from the condition of toilets, visitors should be pleased to know they will not have trouble finding them when getting to Beijing.

Xinhua News Agency quoted Lu Haijun, director of the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission, as saying the capital has the most public toilets of any city in the world.

The city's 5,174 public toilets give it the top ranking as it prepares to host the Games.

This is a higher number than in New York, London or Tokyo, Lu said.

Hopefully, they will be clean, too.

 

achara_d@nationgroup.com

Achara Deboonme

The Nation