IN POLITICS, it helps to know who your friends are. Which is why Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the leader of Thailand's main opposition, staged a mass resignation from the lower house of parliament on June 28th. Ostensibly, his party's empty benches are supposed to put pressure on the prime minister, Chuan Leekpai, to hold an early general election. However, in itself the boycott hardly leaves Mr Chuan's coalition government shaking with fear.
Although Mr Chavalit's New Aspiration Party said most of its 116 MPs would resign, some of them seem ready to defect to a rival opposition party. This would be another blow to Mr Chavalit. He has already failed to win several votes of no-confidence in the government, after accusing ministers from Mr Chuan's Democrat Party of corruption and mishandling the response to the region's economic crisis. The crisis started in Thailand in 1997, while Mr Chavalit himself was prime minister.