Diplomatic catfights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs normally aren't worth watching, since they tend to involve personal disputes more than matters of statecraft. But when word leaks out that the ambassador to Washington reckons Thailand's bid to lead the United Nations is a flop, something interesting is clearly cooking.
This year marks the end of Kofi Annan's term as UN secretary-general, and there is talk about an Asian candidate to replace him. Bangkok thinks it has the perfect choice: Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, a former foreign minister and a loyal aide to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Thaksin has lobbied hard for Asia to unite behind Mr Surakiart, reasoning that a Thai candidate would be a neutral choice for both China and Japan. Sri Lanka has put forward its own candidate - a former peace negotiator and senior UN official - and there's also talk of a South Korean bid.
But without US support, nobody is likely to get far, which is why the leaked cable from the Thai ambassador has ruffled so many feathers in Bangkok. In the cable, published in The Nation newspaper, the ambassador suggested that Mr Surakiart should pull out now, as his candidacy had no support from the White House. Using rather undiplomatic language, he said Mr Surakiart, a Harvard-educated lawyer, was 'unmarketable' in Washington in the areas of human rights and democracy.
While Thailand's own record on protecting human rights is mixed, it pales in comparison to that of its neighbour Myanmar, which the United States sees as a pariah state. Mr Surakiart has repeatedly defended Myanmar's thuggish regime against western opprobrium.
It's hard to forget Mr Surakiart's spin on Myanmar's promotion of Soe Win, an army general linked to the murderous 2003 attack on the convoy of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. When Soe Win became prime minister in 2004, Mr Surakiart praised him as a decent chap who enjoyed a game of golf - diplomacy which may be par for the course in Asia, but not Washington.