A woman of her word

The crowd demonstrating at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument cheered enthusiastically and blew their whistles as Anchalee Paireerak made her way up to the stage. A simple “Hello” from the former journalist and radio host just served to raise the decibel level even higher. Such is the price of fame for Bluesky TV’s favourite anchor.

A veteran of political rallies, Anchalee is host of the morning news programme known as “Roi Kao Yam Chao” broadcast on the Democrat Party-affiliated channel. Last weekend, she hosted the show at Samsen station, the original site of the Democrat’s rally and was promptly invited to serve as emcee for the evening. On Monday, she joined the rally’s march from Samsen to the Democracy Monument and has been playing master of ceremonies from 6pm to 9pm ever since.

Anchalee has been much in demand since the beginning of this present round of protests against exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the amendment of the Amnesty bill that could see him return to Thailand, speaking to demonstrators with the Student and People Network for Thailand’s Reform (STR) rally at the Urupong intersection as well as the Dhamma Army at the Phan Fa Lilat Bridge.

She was also popular with the anti-Thaksin demonstrators led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), aka the yellow shirts, back in 2006.

But her involvement in the political scene goes back even further, to the days when Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party governed the country. 

The former TV reporter first became known to the public through FM 96.5 MHz, a radiowave dedicated to providing detailed analyses of decisions made by the government. When the station was shut down in 2004 she moved to a community radio FM 92.25 MHz. 

“That was the real beginning of the fight against the government through the alternative media,” she says.

As her immersion in politics increased, so did her desire to speak out against the government and later that year, she volunteered to serve as news anchor for the anti-Thaksin rally led by Sondhi Limthongkul, updating the protesters with the current news. 

“I wasn’t at all excited when I went on stage,” she recalls. “But I was astounded by the number of protesters who’d gathered – half of Sanam Luang was occupied!” 

Anchalee was also a key player in the 2006 and 2008 PAD protests, assuming the role of MC and spending plenty of time on stage. 

“During the 2008 rally, I was out there protesting for 193 days without a break,” she says with pride.

She attributes her popularity to her easy-going nature and relaxed approach.  “I think I am a fun person. Usually rally speakers tend to make things too intense and stressful or go the other way and make it all fun. I try to find a balance between the two,” she says, adding that she’s not the kind of emcee who will urge the protesters to chant “fight, fight!”

Anchalee prefers to lighten up the atmosphere by singing or teasing the crowd and getting them to feel involved. While she can be cutting about opponents, she is gentle in her style of delivery to the protesters, entertaining them and keeping them updated on the current situation and also introducing the celebrities who come to show their support on the stage.

After 10 years of political rallies, Anchalee is pleased that today’s technological advances have made organising the stage for protests so much easier. She cites the crane as an example. “The camera [stationed on the crane] makes it look like a revolving stage,” she says. “That makes viewers watching the broadcast from home feel more of a part of the rally and also encourages them want to leave their comfort zones and join us.” Posting and sharing pictures on the social media is also a good ploy to bring more hesitant protesters to the rally site.

Asked whether she feels she was born to be a political emcee with the rally stage as her natural home, she thinks hard before replying.

“The feedback I get from the crowd is that I have an ability to make people laugh or cry. When I’m on the stage holding a microphone in my hand, I feel like I just disappear.

“By that I mean, there are moments when I can’t remember what I’ve said. It’s a bit like when writers say they get lost in their manuscripts,” she says,

While Anchalee is enjoying her time on the Democrats’ stage, she is well aware that their current protest starts and ends with the controversial blanket Amnesty bill only.

“I will not stop at the dropping of the bill. I will see this through to the end,” she says firmly, adding that Thailand’s current government is nothing more than a continuation of the Thaksin regime she started fighting a decade ago. 

“If the Democrats back down after the amnesty bill is withdrawn, I will join another protest that shares my cause, most likely the STR,” she says, meaning that regardless of the political outcome, her fans are sure to see her again and often in the days to come.