The Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia today became the unlikely venue for the surrender of fugitive murder suspect Duangchalerm Yoobamrung.

Dunagchalerm is the son of top ranking Thai pollie Chalerm, previously Deputy Leader of the New Aspiration Party (NAP), fondly referred to the New Exasperation Party throughout this column.

He has been on the run for many months in the style of another favourite son, but this time Indonesian, Tommy Soeharto. While Tommy weighed much more power, both have reputations in their respective countries for abusing their positions of influence and power. Both wayward sons are now in custody - both facing murder charges.

Duangchalerm is suspected of the killing of a Thai copper in a nightclub shooting. Thailands constabulary have wrought a keystone copper like chase for Dunagchalerm, not unlike the Indonesian search for Tommy. Both sons of the political elite there is strong suspicion that their influence with the police in both countries aided their laying low.

Popper Chalerm was ...well lets say pissed off.. by the Thai media's constant promotion of the case. So much so that he launched his own newspaper a couple of months back, claiming that the cost of the paper was less than his son's monthly drinking tab.

Meanwhile the armed forces and police combed Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, supposedly just missing him in Cambodian border casinos, jungles and remote villages... Spot Dunagchalerm has been a popular sport in Bangkok, with many claiming to see him sporting dark glasses being whisked by limo's through Bangkok sois and soi-sois...

In the end, Duangchalerm just wandered into the leafy surroundings of the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Ampang and gave himself up. Not a shoot out in sight.

It's a story will be following closely, especially to see how Dad's rag spins the story, and how equal in the eyes of the law is the son of an influential politician with a track record of gun incidents in nightclubs, the alleged protection of the military and some sections of the police, to the ordinary Thai citizen.

(OK we were not sure whether to post this in Culture, Nightlife and Travel or Politics and Government but the latter won out in the end... ...Eds.)