The Dems' "Double A" team
When senior Democrat MP and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban blew a whistle to start the Samsen rally against the amnesty bill last Thursday, his stance was translated into English and announced to protesters right away by two young bloods -
The 27-year-old Akanat, and Apimongkol, 35, are Bangkok MPs who have degrees in engineering from Oxford University. They have similar personalities, hairstyles, costumes, and are the same height.
This pair jumped into the rally as spokesmen.
Akanat said the Democrats knew this gathering would grow into an international issue. So they wanted translators who can give correct information to foreigners, especially the international media.
"Initially, protest leaders discussed how to choose one [person]. But they finally chose us because we are junior politicians who are close aides for them. It’s easy to order us about," he said.
Referring to their first speech on the Samsen stage, they spoke with powerful voices and a good accent. It made many protesters feel they were hearing a declaration of war.
"You know we asked what we should say, while Suthep was playing a big role on stage," Apimongkol said with a laugh. Akanat added that they were not only translators but protesters. Everything they do, it’s natural.
Both admire party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has a degree from Oxford University like them.
On day two, Suthep ordered Akanat and Apimongkol to act as spokesmen at the rally, saying "I don’t want to speak too much. I will talk to the reporters as necessary. Please talk to them instead of me."
"If someone needs to be Ajarn Panitan [Watanayakorn, a former government spokesman] or ‘Kai Oo’ [Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd], you can deal with that by yourselves," Suthep told them.
Panitan and Sansern were spokesmen for the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) during the red-shirts protest three years ago. They announced key messages from CRES in Thai and English on Nation Channel, one to three times a day. Most Thais remember them, and some admire them like superstars.
Every day, the double "A" spokesmen start by reviewing the mainstream media, meeting with leader protests, translating Thai announcements into English, and communicating with the foreign media, Apimongkol said.
"Now we are finding a Chinese translator to join with us," he said.
Akanat is the middle child of Srisakul Promphan and Porntep Techapaibul. After they divorced, his mother became Suthep's common-law wife.
He said that when Suthep told Srisakul he would take his fight against the amnesty bill to the street, she didn’t oppose him, but just said "do it now".
"Suthep is very serious and dedicated about this fight. If he was to die on the stage, that would show it. For me, I don’t help because I’m a family member. It’s because my heart trusts him."
