Apology was good, but rape is a big problem in Thai society
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Prayuth's apology for his remark about bikinis is welcome, but action to counter crime always speaks louder than words
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has apologised for his bikini remark in the face of a national and international outcry.
Nevertheless, damage has been done.
“They think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere,” Prayuth told top government officials during a policy address. “[But] can they be safe in bikinis ... unless they are not beautiful?”
His comment followed the brutal murder of two British tourists on holiday on Koh Tao, a popular destina?tion in the Gulf of Thailand among young foreign travellers.
In his first attempt at damage control, Prayuth said: “I want to apologise for everything if my remark was too harsh and caused misunderstanding”, suggesting that the public missed the point that he was trying to get across.
“I’m sorry that it hurt people. I have too much pressure and feel sorry about the loss [of lives] whether they are Thais or foreigners,” the junta chief turned premier went on to say.
Prayuth was questioning the safety of foreign tourists in the country. He suggested that there was a price to pay should one choose to dress a certain way.
Essentially, he was tossing the blame on the victims, not the fact that crime – specifically rape and other form of sexually assault – is a major problem in the Kingdom.
If wearing a bikini on the beach is not appropriate, perhaps under-dressed young women hanging offpoles in Pattaya and Bangkok’s Soi Cowboy and Soi Patpong should be criticised, along with the owners of the bars they work in, as well.
According to one account, a rape occurs in this country every 15 minutes. That’s a sad and disturbing reality. Another sad predicament is our attitude towards rape and sex crime, not to mention the neanderthal mentality that many of our leaders can’t seem to let go of.
Prayuth’s statement came two days after the battered bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found on the southern resort island of Koh Tao.
Instead of remarks about why men may be driven to rape women, Prayuth’s thought and prayers should be with the victims’ family.
But Prayuth also did something that many of our other national leaders would not do. He apologised for his remarks.
This was welcome. Certainly he had the benefit of hindsight. But nevertheless, he went on the record to say that he did not intend to insult or blame anyone, and that Thailand is still a safe place for foreign visitors. And like anywhere else, there are bad people out there.
As expected, Prayuth instructed security officials to step up their measures to protect tourists. Such spin is expected.
But if our officials are serious about this, they need to keep up with measures within reach, like the crackdown on fraudulent taxi operators roaming around airports and scam artists hanging around major hotels in Bangkok, waiting to lure foreigners to whatever trap they have set up for them.
If Thai authorities and law enforcement officers can’t deal with the more obvious problems clearly within sight, why would anyone think they can crack down on crime and criminals in not-so-visible places?
In many respects Thailand faces a crisis of confidence. The new PM’s advisers should remember, he does not need to comment on everything. There is much to be done. And in the end, action speaks louder than words.
