Thailand: Thaksin and Sondhi are like a cobra and a mongoose.

(From Thai Press Reports)

Section: Commentary - They once cherished a chummy relationship - a senior journalist-cum-business tycoon hobnobbing with a powerful politician-cum-billionaire together aiming for high stakes through their close connections, The Nation reports.

During the moments of camaraderie and fine wines they addressed each other on a first-name basis.

Now they stand apart. On one side is Sondhi Limthongkul, now a fiery orator who on Friday moved thousands of people who rallied at Lumpini Park to hear his new chapter of tirades directed at the man he now faces off with, his old friend Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

They have stopped shaking hands and are now grabbing for the throat simply because Sondhi has changed, turning his friendship into enmity towards Thaksin. The love-hate-relationship has deteriorated, …