Deconstructing Veera Prateepchaikul: Hypocritical Defense of Somkid's Appointment Part 2

Somkid's selection bold move by Surayud

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's appointment last Thursday of Somkid Jatusripitak, former deputy prime minister and finance minister of the Thaksin regime, as the government's chief communicator to explain the sufficiency economy philosophy to the international community was a big surprise to the public, the media and even his own cabinet. Who knows what Somkid's ex-boss, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, might have thought. He might have scratched his head in puzzlement or maybe fumed in anger the day he heard his former right-hand man had changed sides like a traitor.

A handful of Thai Rak Thai diehards admitted they felt betrayed by Somkid's move to join those responsible for the overthrow of the Thaksin regime.

Plaew Seengern, a well-known columnist at the Thai Post newspaper, suspected Somkid might be Thaksin's Trojan horse in the government and questioned Gen Surayud's wisdom in recruiting the service of the former Thai Rak Thai heavyweight. In his widely-read column last Friday, Plaew doubted Somkid was qualified to spread the message of the sufficiency economy, because while serving with the previous regime he had advocated free-market economics and populist policies.

''Somkid's image has always been an advocate of capitalism and a worshipper of the Money God...,'' Plaew wrote.

Like Thaksin loyalists who felt betrayed by Somkid's ''defection'', some Thaksin critics also felt betrayed by Gen Surayud's decision to solicit the services of Thaksin's former chief economic architect to counter the former premier's media offensive against the government and the Council for National Security (CNS).

Gen Surayud said Somkid volunteered his services to the government to help reduce the gap of misunderstanding about the government's economic policies in the international community. But a well-placed source said that Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda was instrumental in convincing Somkid to give the government a helping hand. It was however the prime minister who had the final say. He took the gamble after weighing the risks involved.

It was a shrewd and pragmatic move which is mutually beneficial to the government and to Somkid himself.

By recruiting Somkid, Gen Surayud has shown himself a pragmatist who does not care about Somkid's background _ to quote the late Chinese supreme leader Deng Xiaoping's famous line ''it does not matter whether a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice'' _ as long as he can perform the task. And with Somkid's economic expertise and overseas connections cultivated while serving under Thaksin, it is believed he will be able to deliver what the government has so far failed.

It does not matter whether the subject that Somkid will, from now on, preach to the international audience is about sufficiency economy rather than the populist policies that he was once involved with.

To be fair, it is too early to judge if Somkid is Thaksin's Trojan horse or proxy, although the former Thai Rak Thai member has not openly severed ties with his ex-boss.

As for Somkid, the new responsibility tasked upon him by the prime minister represents a golden opportunity for him to move from political obscurity into the public limelight. If he does a good job, he will prove to his doubters that he is no longer Thaksin's man, but a man of his own with a sense of mission.

His new job also represents a blessing from the CNS, which has a big say on the political future of Thai Rak Thai executive committee members. Like any shrewd politician, Somkid has refused to commit whether he will play politics in the future. Apparently, he has left his options open, waiting patiently for the right moment.

After all, it is a win-win situation for Somkid. There is nothing to lose and a lot to gain by accepting the new job. As for the government, this is just another round in the protracted war of words with Thaksin. And the government does not appear to be in a defensive mode.

Veera Prateepchaikul is Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Post Publishing Co Ltd.


Have I mentioned yet that Veera Prateepchaikul is a moron. I think I have. And here is even more evidence.

Why the fuck would the international community give two shits about Somkid's interpretation of sufficiency economics? The fucker can't even interpret it for a Thai audience . That is the problem. Nobody can. When Thais talk about sufficiency theory, they sound like idiots.

Further, nobody cares about sufficiency economics--except those in power who want to use it as a royal shield for their idiotic policies and to protect their own economic interests. And to have the Thai intelligentsia go crazy over it just shows what lame ass hypocrites they are, especially when none of them live a sufficiency lifestyle.

Thaksin hasn't misinterpreted anything. He hasn't said anything of importance. There is no propaganda war. The only propaganda war that is going on is in the imaginations of Thai journalists, who believe there is a Thaksin boogey monster under every bed out to get them.

And to send out Somkid, Thaksin's brain, to counter Thaksin's non-existent anti-sufficiency theory propaganda is so ludicrous that only dipshits in the Thai media think that it makes sense.

Amazing how two editorials can sound almost exactly alike.