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Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Aug. 2 announced a reshuffle of 17 Cabinet-level portfolios in his government, less than five months after his Thai Rak Thai party won re-election. Thaksin...

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Aug. 2 announced he was reshuffling 17 Cabinet-level portfolios, saying the move would enable the government to operate more efficiently. Notably, embattled Transportation Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit -- who survived a June no-confidence vote in connection with a corruption scandal -- retained a seat in the government, becoming industry minister and deputy prime minister. Though the portfolios of 17 of the 35 ministries changed, only four new ministers joined the government; the others simply moved to new positions.

Since his reelection in March, Thaksin has faced several domestic challenges that have severely damaged his popularity among the population. Thaksin's inability to halt an insurgency in primarily Muslim southern Thailand -- despite repeated military operations and attempts to install new individuals tackling the problem with a different approach -- seems to have emboldened the rebels, who continue to carry out more frequent attacks, potentially severely impacting the country's tourism industry. Estimates for 2005 economic growth in the former "Asian tiger" nation have been downgraded to levels not seen since 2000, as a result of high oil prices, declining Malaysian tourism, and growing avoidance of Thailand's south by the Chinese. Thaksin's government has also faced numerous allegations of governmental corruption, which necessitated a government reshuffle to confront charges of impropriety.