Seven years as a beauty salon boss in a working-class district of Bangkok has schooled 34-year-old Thanakit Somwong in the art of keeping his customers happy. These days, that means biting his tongue when the conversation turns, as it so often does, to the political turmoil gripping his country.
With his bookings down in a rapidly cooling economy, Mr Thanakit is anxious not to upset anyone in his salon. 'I have to be neutral, to not take any position. I just listen to their opinions,' he said.
After months of rowdy street protests, tit-for-tat violence and relentless partisanship by rival camps, Thailand is feeling the strain. At cafes and in offices, and among families and friends, tongues are sharper and less forgiving. A nation that prizes unity and harmony is splintering along social, economic and regional fault lines, driven by a bare-knuckles fight for political power.
Like many Thais with humble roots, Mr Thanakit, the son of farmers, has a sneaking admiration for Thaksin Shinawatra, the telecommunications tycoon turned prime minister who was deposed by a coup in 2006. Out of earshot of his customers, he is full of praise for the exiled former leader.
During Thaksin's five years in office, life in Mr Thanakit's hometown in the barren northeast improved, with new roads and higher crop prices, and voters loved it.
'Nobody is perfect, but he worked hard. He worked for his country,' he said.