After being ousted on Tuesday for hosting food programs on television while in office, Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej found himself once more in the pressure cooker. His political party voted Thursday to renominate him for the countrys top office, and a Friday parliamentary meeting to vote on his fate seems headed for deadlock. This is a recipe for chaos in the economy, which is expected to slow to 4.5% for the full year, after growing 5.7% in the first half.  A Thai court impeached Samak, citing Thai law that barred taking payment for private employment while running the top political office. Samak earned $2,350 for appearances on a popular TV show, Tasting and Complaining, for two months after he took office. The 73-year-old, who hosted the show for seven years, has since given it up.  All this brouhaha over cooking? Not quite.  Samaks celebrity chef role is a mere morsel amid the toxic mix of party squabbling and fierce protests that have nearly paralyzed the country. A loose coalition of groups, including opposition parties, labor unions and students, is confronting Samaks ruling People's Power Party over issues of corruption and cronyism. Anti-government protesters have blockaded the prime minister's office compound for two weeks straight.  The People's Power Party vowed to back Samak, though its resolve appeared to waver on Wednesday, as leaders signaled that they were willing to consult with coalition partners and consider other candidates for the top spot. But a PPP spokesman said Thursday that Samak is the best choice because he is the partys leader. The PPP's move is likely to lead to a political stalemate because the other five parties in the countrys ruling coalition have withheld support from Samak.  Add to this dicey blend the specter of the military. The Thai army, which supports the idea of an all-party government of unity, has denied that it will intervene, but a dragged-out crisis of democracy may force its hand. Thailand suffered a coup in 2006 that toppled then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (See "Coup Makes Bad Situation Worse.")  Stints on a cooking show while in office are perhaps the least of Samak's legal troubles. He also faces corruption charges and is appealing a prison term on a conviction for defamation. The courts, which have thrown their weight around in Thai politics by dissolving Thaksins Thai Rak Thai Party and ousting three of Samaks appointees, may decide to flex their muscle yet again.  The benchmark Thai SET 50 index fell 0.9% in trading on Thursday.
Erstwhile Thai prime minister Samak Sundaravej is renominated after being ousted for his TV chef stints, creating a recipe for political gridlock and economic instability.