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Published on April 22, 2008

 This past weekend saw news anchors, talk shows and Thai vernaculars getting all worked up about some mysterious pubic hair presented at a press conference on Friday, organised by the Democrat Party's assistant secretary-general Thepthai Senpong.

It all started when the Democrats alleged that every three days or so a poison-pen booklet, together with the hair, was sent out to the party's executives. The booklet attacked General Prem Tinsulanonda, accusing him of being a "pebble in HM the King's shoes". Members of the PPP, the alleged proxy of the Thai Rak Thai Party, have long accused him of being behind the September 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra.

It was not clear what the pubic hair was for, but it is understood that this is probably one of the rudest things a person can give to another. It was not the first time that pubic hair has been used to make a political statement, and probably won't be the last.

Needless to say, these statements irritated a number of big wigs in the People Power Party, especially those who made their names by picking on Prem.

Irritated Interior chief Chalerm Yoobamrung and PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkai told Thepthai to put up or shut up. And so on Friday, Thepthai organised the press conference, during which he produced a small bundle of pubic hair and the booklet.

"About every three days, these unsigned letters have been sent to ranking Democrats, and the government is fully aware of this," Thepthai said.

For the press, the sticky issue centred on the ownership of the public hair - as well as the booklet.

There were concerns of a possible witch hunt if and when a search for the owner of the mysterious bundle gets underway. A big sigh came when it was pointed out that the country has no real DNA database, thus making it impossible to do the matching - unless, of course, the investigators go door-to-door to make comparisons, which, even in Thai politics, would be unthinkable.

Thepthai revved up the engine a notch when he suggested the poison-pen booklets were similar to the kind of statement dished out by Jakrapob during his heyday at Sanam Luang in front of thousands of Thaksin supporters.

Jakrapob said the booklet and the pubic hair were part of a smear campaign to drive a wedge between the government and Prem. Funny how he forgot to mention that he was the key person who led an army of angry protestors to Prem's doorstep.

Today, the debate has shifted to the spitting contest between PM Samak Sundaravej and Democrat Party chief advisor Chuan Leekpai over much ado about nothing. Such bickering will continue to dominate the political scene for the time being, at least until the final court ruling on the future of three political parties, including the PPP.

In the meantime, the country's law enforcement community should consider setting up a DNA database. Forensic science, apparently, is no longer an instrument just for vicious crime.