Deconstructing Thongbai: Why so in Love with Somkid?

COMMENTARY

"There are some Thai adages that teach people how the environment can shape men, such as ``Befriend a thief and be brought to ill, befriend a guru and be brought to good''.

"The purpose of the adages is to urge people to stay away from evil and bad men because they can influence you and turn you into a bad guy yourself. Unfortunately, we hardly hear adults or teachers today teach children these valuable lessons."

Thongbai Thongpao November, 2002 Bangkok Post

I guess these adages don't apply to Somkid


Unfortunate resignation

By Thongbai Thongpao

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont caused jaws to drop last week with the appointment of Somkid Chatusripitak as chairman of a panel to clarify the sufficiency-economy principles to foreigners. The decision turned out to be unilateral. Gen Surayud had not consulted with, or even told, anyone, not even the chairman of the Council for National Security, who appointed him, or his own cabinet ministers. Finance Minister M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula reportedly said he was shocked to learn of the decision.

He is not alone in feeling this way. The decision caused controversy because Dr Somkid is the engineer of the so-called Thaksinomics, having served as a deputy prime minister and finance minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra-led government. He is also implicated in certain projects under probe by the Asset Scrutiny Committee. His appointment by Gen Surayud was disapproved not only by opposition parties but also by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which spearheaded the opposition to Thaksinomics.

Not surprisingly, the PAD was up in arms against the appointment, demanding that Dr Somkid resign and confess to the "sin" of having helped Mr Thaksin implement populist policies.

Faced with such strong opposition, Dr Somkid resigned during a press conference this week.

Gen Surayud, a man of few words, talked even less than usual, saying only that with the resignation of Dr Somkid, whom he found well-suited to chair the panel, the body would have to be dissolved.

"Khun Somkid met me on Feb 20 and said he would like to end this trouble and asked to resign. I have to respect his decision," the prime minister said.

On the same issue, M.R. Pridiyathorn said the resignation of Dr Somkid had nothing to do with him or Kosit Panpiemrat (a deputy prime minister in charge of the economy). "Khun Kosit and I are working on this issue. We've always been successful. There's no need to appoint anyone else," he said.

The PAD, although happy with Dr Somkid's decision, demanded that he "confess his sins."

But judging from Dr Somkid's position and role in the past few years, I feel there is nothing else that he could have said.

As far as the position and duty that Dr Somkid has just given up, the country could have had a lot to gain and little to lose from his service. As a key man in the previous government, Dr Somkid has a profound understanding of Thaksinomics. At the same time, as a Thai loyal to His Majesty the King, he also upholds the sufficiency economy. He is thus suitable for the job of comparing the differences between the two approaches. The fact that he is well known and well accepted abroad could not have hurt either.

Huh? One of the reasons for the coup was Thaksinomics. And now the coup brings in the brain behind Thaksinomics to sell sufficiency theory, which is supposed to represent everything that Thaksin doesn't represent. Like somebody wrote elsewhere, why not just bring Thakin back?


It was just a few short weeks ago the Thai media was in hysterics about how much the foreign media loved his Thaksinomics. I'm sure he could find synergy with his own policies and sufficiency theory. Why hired Somkid when you can get the real thing?

And have yet to see one piece of evidence anywhere that the foreign community admires and respects Somkid. Please, anyone, send me some evidence for this.

Dr Somkid is a man of principle and independence, even back in the days when he worked for Mr Thaksin, so much so that during his last days in power, Mr Thaksin appeared to have lost trust in him.

What? What is the evidence for this? Somkid carried Thaksin's water all the way to the end.

Although many may beg to differ, I personally feel sorry to see someone so knowledgeable, experienced and competent banished from serving the country. After all, the position given to him was not a policy-making one. In other words, he would have merely served on the outside. True, there are many competent people and cabinet ministers who can do the job effectively, as claimed by M.R. Pridiyathorn. Yet, the finance minister and the deputy prime minister have so much on their hands already. Wouldn't it have been easier on them to have someone share the workload?

Again, what is the evidence of his experience, competency and erudition? He was the brains behind Thaksinomics and a key player of Thai Rak Thai--both have been discredited. If Somkid was a marketing genius, Thaksin would be still on top and his party would be in power.

I commend the sacrifice and courage of Dr Somkid, who obviously really cares for reconciliation and resigned to avoid creating more rancour.

He is a political opportunist of the worst kind. He is a hypocrite with no anchor--politically, economically, or ideologically.

I also believe him when he said his style and Mr Thaksin's were different. "Our styles clashed not after the coup, but several years before," he said.

I don't believe a word of it. I guarantee he knows where all the bodies are buried. He should be indicted instead of being rewarded. And he could have always left. He could have always established an alternative faction to Thaksin and ousted him. He and Sudarat and all the others stuck by Thaksin when they should have been urging him to back off or retire.

I may not have the most profound understanding of politics but I believe that the love of the nation and democracy and loyalty to His Majesty is something that we Thais share. It is not monopolised by anyone or any group. We should give other people a chance to express their love and loyalty.

I don't believe this at all. I don't think most Thais have a respect and love for the nation, for democracy and for King Bumibol. I think it is all lip service. Just look at the state of Thailand today. What are the results? Is there love and respect there for king and country? Absolutely not. One only need to look at how the environment and the public space is treated to know that that Thai love for their nation isn't true. 17 coups? No love for democracy there. And King Bumibol has been giving wise advice for years. Has anybody listened? Nope. In one ear and out the other. Wearing a yellow shirt and buying a Khun Thongdaeng book tells me nothing about love. When Thais start fulfilling their boon koon obligations to his majesty the king by being good citizens, then I might be convinced they love him.

Although this incident is water under the bridge, we can still control what happens today and in the future. If someone capable of serving the country is willing to do so, we should let him.

There are many capable good Thais outside of politics who could do the jobs necessary to put Thailand on track. Unfortunately, the system is so totally corrupted, they do their own thing and don't want to be a part of it. The thing about corruption is that it only regenerates bad people and keeps the good people from risking their lives in trying to reform it.