Werachon - speaking the PM's mind

THE PRIME minister always speaks from the heart so it is crucial to convey his messages correctly when serving as his interpreter, says newly appointed Deputy Government Spokesman Major-General Werachon Sukondhapatipak. 

Talking to The Sunday Nation in an exclusive interview, Werachon detailed his experience as a spokesperson and the PM’s interpreter. 

He said the most challenging part of his job as the personal interpreter of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha was finding appropriate words while taking into account the tone of the message. 

“It is important for me to send the right message, bearing in mind the tone, mood and context,” he said. “For instance, when the PM met with the United Nations Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March, I had to relay the message about Thailand’s role in international development along with the country’s contribution to UN activities.” 

When asked how he prepared for his work, Werachon said he read all kinds of newspapers in order to be accustomed to specific vocabularies and current trends. 

“Before a conversation, I will already have some keywords in mind, and I will try to figure out the sequence of the story that I have to translate. Normally, I will have all of the images in my mind before translating,” he said.

He added that he was used to working with Prayut, as he used to be the Army spokesman, an important factor enabling him to know the PM’s personality and mood. 

Nowadays, Werachon is not only the PM’s personal interpreter, but also the government’s spokesman on international affairs.

“Being the government spokesman for foreign issues requires more preparation than during the time I was the Army spokesman. Now, I am more exposed to multiple issues, ranging from economic, political to social issues,” he said.

And Werachon has to learn about the dos and don’ts in diplomacy while upholding this task. Most of the time he has to face many questions from the foreign press regarding Thai politics such as the issues of reform, the referendum and the scheduling of the next general election. 

“We have to inform our foreign partners about the reasons why the Army had to intervene in order to prevent the further escalation of political turmoil that was on the brink of bloodshed,” he said. “Furthermore, we have to inform them about our commitment to following the [reform] road map and to ensure that this government will pass on the administration’s tasks to the next government in good hands.” As Werachon follows the premier in his missions abroad, he said one of the additional tasks he undertook was helping the premier verify his speeches. 

“The message that we try to convey to the international community is the concept of sustainable development, which can be realised through His Majesty the King’s philosophy of the sufficiency economy.”

Werachon also put emphasis on the unity amongst member countries of Asean and on improving relations with foreign partners on the basis of mutual respect. 

He said: “Thailand should progress at the same pace as other Asean countries so that the country can avoid experiencing a tall poppy syndrome.” 

When asked how his experiences abroad helped with his work, Werachon said they contributed to his understanding of global dynamics. 

He was a scholarship holder of the Australian government and studied at the Australian Defence Force Academy, the University of New South Wales, and he was involved in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone. 

“We should be open-minded and listen to the comments of our friends – and not to use our |norms or values to judge others,” he said.