'Friendly’ Prayut aiming for image makeover
PRIME Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has admitted that his personality since becoming the country’s top executive has been “ferocious”, so his New Year resolution is to erase his short-tempered image and become a “good guy”.
During his weekly TV programme “Returning Happiness to the People of the Country” on January 1, Prayut vowed to “reform” himself by not being so irritable.
“Everything starts from ourselves. I will reform myself. Anyone that irritates me and drives me to speak too much must also improve themselves too,” he said.
As Parliament welcomed the New Year, reporters have noticed Prayut is emitting a new energy. Normally whenever ‘Big Too’, as he is known, held a press conference, even the audience watching or listening at home can sense his rising mercury as he became increasingly more agitated answering questions from reporters, who were forced to deal with his temperament.
But that is the old look. Since the New Year, members of the media are monitoring Prayut closely to see if he has been able to keep up his promise. They have found the PM is speaking much less.
On Monday, he spoke to the media for less than three minutes and the next day less than eight minutes. On Thursday he spoke for eight minutes, with 30 minutes his longest media appearance in the first week of 2016. That was at the New Year party for reporters at Government House.
Prayut kept his cool throughout the first week although he almost succumbed to temptation and became snappish when asked questions about halting the distribution of calendars with the images of ex-PMs Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra. The calendar distribution was stopped by officials, as they viewed the activity as having a political motive.
Government spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the PM had not only spoken less but he would rely on his own discretion over which issues needed to be clarified for the benefit of the public.
Prayut is not only reforming himself in terms of enhancing his charisma by curbing his negativity, he has rejigged the way press conferences are handled. He issued an order instructing permanent secretaries and deputies at all ministries including director-generals of departments to talk to the press. Every ministry has also been ordered to appoint spokespeople to answer questions from reporters. In March, the PM asked executives at every ministry to follow this policy but the order did not translate into full implementation.
Sansern said this time the PM wanted the policy to be carried out in full.
He said Prayut wanted the Cabinet to approve the appointment of spokespeople for all ministries. The spokespeople must coordinate with him.
But having spokespeople does not mean the permanent secretaries, deputies and director-generals are spared from answering questions from the press, Sansern said.
Advisers and secretaries at every ministry are also required to give information to the media. “They are hired to work. I cannot speak on behalf of all ministries,” Prayut said.
