Over at The Interpreter, the must-read blog of the Lowy Institute, veteran Southeast Asia-watcher Milton Osborne makes some very interesting points about yesterday’s resignation of Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag. Based on a lifetime spent observing politics across the region, Osborne’s analysis is, to my eye, worth a very close look.

He concludes that Tej’s “departure has all the elements of a signal that the king wants a rapid end to the uncertainty that grips Thailand”.

But taking the headline question about the king, I wonder if it is, in fact, worth asking something much more specific. What is it that the king may have had enough of? Enough of the “uncertainty”? Enough of the street-protest using his brand to bring down the elected government? Enough of the critical attention that the current showdown brings to his kingdom? Enough of the Samak government? Enough of parliamentary democracy?

That’s enough from me.

What do New Mandala readers think?