As it has turned out, with the gangster government now in power, the senate has become an important ally. In another case, it has become clear that gangsters have been rigging entry to the civil service. “Asked whether influential local political families were involved, Mr Worasit said some had been implicated. “Influential local political families” is longhand for chao phor, the dark influences or gangsters who control local politics and business. That said, every military and military-backed government this century has been a failure and Thailand is paying for that too.