Since a military coup in 2006 toppled populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra, his supporters and opponents have been battling for votes in a contest that has largely sidelined the crisis in the deep south. An election campaign to decide who will be the next governor of Bangkok is currently transfixing much of the country, underscoring the enormous influence of the Thai capital in public life, and potentially inflaming the separatists further. "As Bangkok dithers, the insurgents are growing bolder and more capable,