At this tense time, Not The Nation provides an amusing diversion with its most recent analysis of Shinawatra clan assets.

It should remind us all of this strange episode, which still comes, thankfully, with a lesson in finding the most brazen photo opportunity imaginable. That was back in 2004 when Thaksin still encouraged his kids to follow in his own humble footsteps. Paethongthan’s stint at Maccas was a stunt (was she even there for a month?), but it was one that I doubt many other political leaders, Thai or otherwise, would even contemplate. The last time I checked the average McDonalds in Bangkok was paying 19 baht an hour. Thaksin, of course, still dwells on his time in the fast food industry — at a Kentucky Fried Chicken back in his American student days. Does anyone know how long he lasted?

These are all intriguing, and potentially diverting, footnotes to what is shaping up to be another serious showdown in the week(s) ahead. And by the sounds of it Paethongtan won’t be manning the front counter this weekend; she is off to Berlin.

Is it too unreasonable to assert that her father’s real foot soldiers will be doing the minimum wage labour this time around? Is that just the way it works?