From pillar to polls
Fact-finding trip to Trat, Chanthaburi bears a striking similarity to hitting the campaign trail, writes Patpon Sabpaitoon
Despite being under pressure in the capital and elsewhere, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha seemed to enjoy his “nonelectioneering” trip to Trat and Chanthaburi where he was greeted warmly by people who came out to welcome him.
The mobile cabinet trip to eastern Thailand wrapped up on Tuesday. This leg of the tour which has spanned almost every region in the country saw the PM visit Trat and Chantaburi provinces which nhe is promoting for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
“I love you all. I am the prime minister of every province, but today, I especially love Chantaburi,” he said during his visit.
The phrase “PM of every province” came alongside a plea for the people not to turn against each other and “put past conflicts aside”, accentuating the PM’s efforts to accentuate reconciliation.
The phrase, however, seemed also to fuel speculation by the media and academics that the trip was another attempt to garner popularity for Gen Prayut, a soldier who has admitted to becoming a politician.
Gen Prayut, however, said the trip was not a political campaign but was an opportunity for him and his team to “hear people’s voices and their opinions towards development projects”.
Some of the locals who greeted him in Chantaburi tried their best to make the PM and his entourage welcome. Many of them were elderly.
“I have always liked him and was glad that I finally got to meet him,” said Jiranan Budsakornnin, a 51-year-old owner of a Vietnamese restaurant who also added that she is a proponent of the government’s Damrongtham centre, which she said helped raise her self-esteem and made her feel she was no longer small since no one could oppress her.
Many residing in the Chanthabun riverside village in downtown Chanthaburi, said the government was doing a good job in lifting people’s livelihoods and that they wanted the PM to “stick around longer”.
As with other mobile cabinet trips, this one was an opportunity for local politicians to make their presence felt.
On a previous trip, the prime minister met Chon Buri-based Phalang Chon Party heavyweight Sonthaya Khunpluem and Democrat deputy leader Sathit Pitudecha, sparking rumours of a possible alliance being formed between them. The PM later denied this, saying, “I met with local politicians to clear up misunderstandings and that we did not discuss any political-related issue.”
The Phalang Chon Party leader later said he met Gen Prayut to discuss proposals for a high-tech industrial hub under the EEC project.
While saying he welcomes any one who wants to talk to him, the PM did not forget to take a swipe at unnamed elements which he said cause conflict and are “never willing to talk to anybody”.
While saying so, he may not have known that before his arrival, a man who was initially spotted wearing a red shirt was asked by local officials to change the colour of his shirt. He was politely escorted by police away from where the PM was to walk after a local approached them saying the man looked suspicious.
Potjanee Malayam, 63-year old fruit grower said, “I know he [the PM] wants to help but I also understand that he can’t help everybody. It’s good enough that he has introduced a policy to help growers.”
Ms Potjanee said she had good feelings towards the prime minister and she did not feel he was campaigning for votes since he was going all over Thailand. She thought the trip was to listen to the people rather than electioneering.
“Being a prime minister you have to do it like this, come listen to the people,” she said.
Ms Potjanee also said if Gen Prayut stood in the upcoming election, she would “definitely vote for him”.
Asked about the prospect of Gen Prayut standing in a general election, Chutikarn Kaewsuwan, another Chantaburi fruit grower, said although she liked the PM, she did not know whether she would vote for him because she would have to wait and see who stood with him.
Kanya Panlai, 53-year old fruit grower, also said he didn’t think the PM was electioneering, and that the PM was in Chantaburi to help farmers.
He said although he liked Gen Prayut, he was not sure whether he would vote for him as not all his policies are good. “Time will tell. I don’t even know whether the election is going to happen,” he said.