Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s temper flared on Wednesday when he was asked about a recent poll by King Prajadhipok’s Institute that showed fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra had a higher credibility rating while in office than Prayut has now.
“I am so over him. But you [the media],
you’re not. And you keep reporting [news] about him,” Prayut responded
after first pretending not to hear the question and asking the reporter
to repeat herself.
Asked whether he was also “over” his former boss – former prime minister
Yingluck Shinawatra, who recently fled the country – the general said
he was “over” everyone from conflicting parties. But it did not mean he
disrespected them, he said.
“By getting over them, I mean I don’t think of them. I don’t give
importance to this kind of stuff, because I’m not like they say I am,”
he said.
He said he “got over” these people since his very first days in office, and now he just wanted justice to prevail.
Clearly upset, Prayut continued: “I’d really like you to do the same and
start asking better questions. Ask about my trip to join the BRICS
meeting. Ask me if I’m tired or how much Thailand is welcome there. But
you never care.”
Prayut said that matters involving the Shinawatra siblings were being handled in the judicial process.
He said the best thing was to forget them and leave them to the justice system. If not, the country would not go anywhere.
“Do you get that there are wrongdoings there? Please report so,” he
said. “For my part, I can only tell the international community about
the wrongdoings. Whether or not they are guilty depends on the justice
system. But because of their flight, they cannot proceed with the cases.
That’s it.”
Prayut said the government did not want to “go after” anyone, but the wrongdoings had occurred before he took power.
The prime minister went on to say that the issue had been neglected in
the past and this had resulted in people coming out into the streets to
fight one another.
He asked whether the media was trying to provoke the people again.
Clearly irritated, Prayut said that finally the blame would be put on
him.
“Don’t think that I do not follow your [the media] work. I always do.
But I only read what matters and I skip the nonsense,” Prayut said.
Before leavingm he added: “I want to know why you never asked whether
I’m tired, whether I will be back, where I have been. But don’t ask me
now. It’s too late. I’m back here and the first thing I get is these
questions. It’s you that never get over them.”
King Prajadhipok's Institute’s most recent survey revealed on Tuesday
that fugitive former prime minister Thaksin was perceived as the most
popular and credible prime minister in the past 15 years, slightly
surpassing current PM Prayut.
Thaksin’s popularity rating was highest at 87.8 per cent in 2003, while
Prayut’s was 87.5 in 2015, a year after he seized power. Thaksin’s
government also scored above Prayut’s, with 92.9 in 2003 compared to
78.8 in 2015.
Although the general’s peak rating was lower than Thaksin’s, Prayut was
more popular during the downturn. Prayut scored 84.8 per cent in 2017,
while Thaksin’s dropped to 77.2 in 2006.
Meanwhile, former premiers Abhisit and Yingluck rated between 50 and 60
per cent. Abhisit received 61.6 and 51.2 per cent in 2010 and 2011
respectively, while Yingluck’s rating was at 69.9 per cent in 2012, down
to 63.4 during 2013 and 2014.
When it came to the credibility of individuals or groups of individuals,
the people surveyed laid their trust best in state medical staff, who
socred more than 85 per cent, followed by private medical staff on 85.6,
the military (85.1), the PM (84.8), civil officials (82.3), and the
National Council for Peace and Order, 82.1.
Political parties, on the contrary, ranked among the lowest receiving less than 40 per cent.
Source - TheNation
PS - He looks jealous ?
