Itsy bitsy teenie weenie bikini commentary

However, just because he can say anything he likes doesn’t mean he’s enjoying a trouble-free reign. Thai politics is an intriguing melting pot that brings together enemies, frenemies, fanatics, back-stabbers, zealots, self-proclaimed centrists and mistaken pragmatists. Right now they are watching one another closely, with varying degrees of patience or restlessness. The main focus, of course, is the man who vowed to make them coexist peacefully but whose plea for faith and trust is on the brink of disappearing down the drain.

Forget the bikini remark and how he sings. Prayut’s real problem is not his mouth, but the tightrope that seems to stretch forever in front of him. Due to the diversity of Thailand’s volatile politics, he will have to navigate contrasting demands, clashing interests and conflicting ideologies. Here are the groups that he ignores at his peril, many of which are next to impossible to please:

The “right” extremists. They are indifferent to the bikini comment, but that is that. Prayut can be rude or even obscene in public for all they care, as long as he cracks down on those they want him to crack down on.

Which they think he has not done. Worse still, this camp is obsessed with conspiracy theories, and their suspicion that he has made some sort of arrangement with the Shinawatras is getting stronger with each passing day. Reform ideas advocated by Prayut will be seen as part of a “secret deal” and deemed “too soft”.

The “left” extremists. They take the bikini comment too seriously. It doesn’t matter that the late Samak Sundaravej was ruder and blunter in public statements, because the former prime minister took power with an election. This camp has not trusted Prayut from Day One and has often greeted whatever measure he has introduced with an outcry. Reform ideas advocated by Prayut will be seen as intended to silence the voice of the majority and deemed democratically unacceptable.

The “Bikini what?” group. They don’t know the story and wouldn’t have cared if they did. Many still can’t remember the names of his key Cabinet members. They have probably thanked Prayuth for nullifying the threat of civil war and are enjoying the temporary political peace. To spur them into political activism, they need something bigger than a leader’s sexist comment – like a corruption scandal.

The “So what? (but just for now)” camp. They are pretty much like the “Bikini what?” group but are checking him out more constantly and with keener eyes. As of now, the “bikini” remark is an isolated case, coming from a man who’s not used to speaking pleasant words like traditional politicians. This camp, however, is like a woman who keeps a checklist on her boyfriend. If Prayut makes further mistakes, his “bikini” slip could be brought up again and become the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

The “So what? We don’t like you anyway” army. They don’t overreact to the “bikini” remark, maybe because they understand Thai society so well. But they like Thaksin Shinawatra and/or hate the coup and therefore think Prayut is not the person to lead this country. They are gritting their teeth and bearing his temporary rule, but they are in effect lying in wait. The “bikini” slip is not yet part of their calculations.

The “Oh, how cute” fan club. The Prayut admirers simply can’t get enough of his Friday “lectures” and love the way he’s “speaking his heart”. Politicians would have said it better but look where they left us, this camp says. Like giddy teenagers, they share the clip of Prayut singing his post-coup song, and all indications are that all he has to do to keep their loyalty is avoid kicking a stray dog in public. Seriously, though, they are head-over-heels because they unconditionally dislike you-know-who, so the only way for Prayut to break their hearts is to prove that the “right” extremists’ conspiracy theories about you-know-who are not a fantasy after all.

Friendly and supportive as they seem, the fan club can hurt Prayut as much as, if not more than, the others. They won’t scream “Betrayal!!!” like the right extremists, or hand out leaflets like the left extremists, or burn effigies like both extremists will likely do, but if and when his admirers become silent, the general had better watch out.

A difficult life, right? Sometimes it’s easier to be politically correct than be yourself. Prayut has shown he doesn’t care that much what others think, but the time will come when what others think really matters, or when he simply has no idea if he’s trying to be himself or be politically correct. The “bikini” uproar is just the merest glimpse of what’s waiting for the “interim” prime minister in the future.