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Monday's press conference, held to declare his "undisputed" love for the Thai monarchy, raised more questions than it answered, and suddenly any semblance of an ideological man fighting for what he believed in has simply vanished.

We are left wondering which is the real Jakrapob - the defiant "freedom fighter" who spoke at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT), or the very typical Thai politician who appeared at the press conference on Monday decrying a "conspiracy" and vowing to sue. We don't know what to take seriously - his unequivocal FCCT statement that Thailand's dependence on "patronage" was regressive, or his desperate attempts to cling on to Thaksin Shinawatra, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Samak Sundaravej to save his job.

The FCCT Jakrapob is controversial but, in certain ways, commendable. The Monday Jakrapob is no different from anyone deemed a "hero" and later exposed as anything but at the moment of truth. And the latter sought to undermine the former with claims like his clan has been serving the traditional Thai system willingly and loyally for generations. The person at the top of the Thai traditional system, declared Jakrapob, is the nation's "heart and soul".

So far, he seems to be a very lucky man. For all of the proclaimed questionable traits of patronage, the FCCT Jakrapob managed to go on and be a part of a great election victory. Questions were whispered about the speech before they started rumbling, but no secret agents came knocking and he ended up being one of the ministers lining up to salute His Majesty when the new Cabinet was sworn in. Not bad for a regressing democracy.

The speech has probably become politicised, but from video evidence, what Jakrapob purportedly believed was hardly distorted in the ensuing controversy. Putting the two Jakrapobs face to face may show that the only one distorting the FCCT speech was the man at the centre of Monday's press conference.

At the FCCT, Jakrapob said Thaksin Shinawatra was the man who could turn things around as far as patronage and democracy are concerned. After Monday, can other Thaksin supporters still believe in Jakrapob? On the other hand, can other royalists buy the virtual pledge of allegiance by Jakrapob the press conference man?

All of a sudden, the man who arguably took the clearest public stand on patronage and democracy has displayed the most muddled beliefs on the subject. We may assume that the Monday Jakrapob was exercising expediency for a greater goal and that the FCCT Jakrapob is the real one. If that's the case, the question is why he needed to compromise, if not trample on, what he believes.

Shall we really presume that "Jakrapob the pragmatist" dictated the words and actions of "press conference Jakrapob" in order to keep the "No more patronage" ideal alive? This theory is disturbing because it goes against the very essence of what he seemingly wanted to promote at the FCCT. Back then, the apparently revolutionary Jakrapob raised the issue of the "Thais' duty to be loyal" and stated in no uncertain terms that patronage was clashing with democracy.

If on Monday it was Jakrapob the Liar talking, was it because he was observing the "duty to be loyal"? And if that's the case, is Jakrapob the Liar actually Jakrapob the Coward? Jakrapob taking an anti-patronage stand is not wrong if we do believe in true principles of democracy. What is not right is making a mockery of what one proclaims to stand for.

Democracy allows Jakrapob to be angry, just as it allows those upset by him to respond. Most importantly, democracy gives Jakrapob a chance to reinforce his beliefs by facing their consequences like a man. A true democracy wouldn't make Jakrapob resign for what he said at the FCCT. But if Jakrapob is really clamouring for true democracy, he's probably looking for it in the wrong place. And that's not because of patronage at any level, but because this is where even the seemingly most ardent advocates of democracy like him lack true courage and find key values expendable.

True democracy would oblige Jakrapob to do many things, and if Thailand can go that far the FCCT statement should be the least of his concerns. Whether or not he truly understands the obligations only he can tell, but if he does want to help lay down foundations, he can start by being true to himself.