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Thailand's most senior military leaders have dispelled some of the fears about a renewed drift towards army-flavoured politics with vehement denials last month about any intention to meddle in Parliament.

Indeed, some observers now fear less that the military will attempt to overturn a Thai government for the 18th time this century than that politicians will drag the military back into politics.

The military got a chance to air its democratic credentials when academic pollsters recently found that nearly half of all soldiers in the Bangkok area wanted Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa to step aside for 'mismanaging the economy'.

'Are the poll takers trying to drag the Army into politics?' asked its chief, General Pramon Palasin.

He made clear that 'the Army has refrained from making political comments, has maintained a non-partisan stance and avoided taking sides'.

Is has not always been so. Historically, Thailand has been, at best, a demi-democracy with the military regularly stepping in to 'cleanse' governments that, left alone, were widely perceived as wont to wallow in corruption.

But the military's ability to portray itself as a necessary corrective to civilian excess was severely undermined by the last junta's cynical attempt to hijack Parliament in 1992.

 Citing rampant corruption as an excuse to overthrow a civilian government in 1991, it shamelessly created a political party of 'money politicians' to retain power after national elections the following year.

Many people's lingering sympathy for the military's 'civilian' role evaporated when soldiers shot scores of pro-democracy demonstrators in May 1992.

Few people think another coup is on the cards. But when observers claim repeatedly that this is one of the most corrupt governments in Thai history, then many people naturally cock an ear for the sound of marching feet.



Military dispels fears of meddling