Seeing red over political mismanagement

Fifteen years ago, Kokaew Pikulthong, like most other southern Thais, supported the Democrats. Today, he's a red shirt leader who has no respect at all for his former party.

"I was like any southerner with an interest in politics. I'd liked the Democrat party since I was teenager," says the 46-year-old.

The Phang-nga native recalls supporting local Democrat Jurin Laksanawisit from the beginning of Jurin's first election campaign. On that occasion he failed to win the vote but the former education minister he soon became a Phang-nga MP.

After graduating from Chulalongkorn University's engineering faculty, Kokaew started his own business in Bangkok.

His love affair with the Democrats came to an end in 1998 when Thailand fell victim to the Asian economics crisis. His business was one of the many affected and the government in power at that time, the Democrats, appeared powerless in facing up to the problems.

"I had to lay off about 50 staff. That was very hard for me to do as they were like family."

Although the crisis had started during the previous Chavalit Yongchaiyudh-led government, Kokaew believes the Democrats' inability to handle the problem made the situation worse.

"Businesses were collapsing left, right and centre but [former] prime minister Chuan Leekpai worked so slowly. I lost all my confidence in the party: I couldn't support the Democrats any longer."

Thaksin inspires Kokaew to enter politics

Kokaew's hopes for economic recovery were revived by a new star on the political scene, Thaksin Shinawatra, founder of the Thai Rak Thai party."

"Thaksin was a successful businessman. He was the best choice for the future," says Kokaew, who set about helping the party's candidate in his constituency, Yannawa, in the 2001 election campaign. To his disgust, the Thai Rak Thai candidate lost to a Democrat.

The failed candidate later left politics, so Kokaew decided to fill the void and became a regular participant at events in the constituency. He didn't run in the 2005 election, however, as Khunying Sudarat Keyarapan, the party's leader for Bangkok, had another candidate in mind: former actor Danuporn Punnakan.

"I was too young for politics so I didn't lobby Khunying Sudarat or any of the key party members, I only made myself known to the people," he explains.

His talents were recognised though, and after the election, Kokaew was assigned to help then deputy transport minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He was appointed as caretaker director of now-defunct Express Transportation Organisation to study how to deal with business losses. Kokaew later suggested that the unit either been entirely rehabilitated or dissolved, and the ministers took his advice and closed it down.

His first real friend in Thai Rak Thai was Jatuporn Promphan. "Back then, Jatuporn was a nobody, just like me. We're both southerners and around the same age, so we became close."

After the 2006 coup, Kokaew went back to running his business. When Jatuporn asked him to join the People Television (PTV), he agreed without hesitation.

"In truth, I don't like to be anybody's enemy. If I had known I would become part of a conflict, I would have thought harder before joining," says Kokaew, adding quickly, "but, I'm glad to have played my part in protecting democracy."

Kokaew was one of the red shirt leaders jailed after the government crackdown on the red shirt rally last year. "I was jailed for nine months and three days," he says of his time in prison.

He has a two-year-old daughter who was still a baby when he went to jail. His wife Kulrat is six months pregnant and the parents-to-be are delighted that the new arrival will be a boy.

Kokaew ran in the Bangkok by-election last year under the Pheu Thai party but was pipped to the post by a Democrat. He did better in the July 3 general election and is now a party-list MP.

Thaksin should be given a chance to return home

He says he sees Thaksin as both asset and liability to the Yingluck government. "He is our government's strong and weak point. Because of Thaksin, Pheu Thai won the election. But Thaksin has many enemies and they may try to destroy the government too," he says.

"Thaksin is smart enough to know that the more political moves he makes, the more Yingluck and her government will be affected. If he stays quietly in the background, the government will benefit."

Would he like to see Thaksin return to power? Kokaew smiles. "Actually, I want him to be prime minister again, but I'm worried that his return will create more conflict.

"However, I believe that Thaksin only wants to come back home and stay with his family and I think we, the Thai people should give him a chance.

"The best scenario is for Thaksin to stay at home and give some advice to the government," he concludes.