PM's offbeat humour keeps reporters bemused and guessing v Ex-foreign affairs minister Surin has his eyes on the Bangkok prize v 'Sherlock Holmes' of rice pledging is conspicuously quiet as trial nears end
From general to court jester
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is not exactly known for being humorous. Even when he does make an attempt at humour, it doesn't exactly bring the house down. That, he claims, has left people more concerned with offbeat comments about "gop" (frogs) and "gik" (mistresses) than more substantive policy proclamations.
The trouble, according to a source who is a media specialist, is that Gen Prayut tends to keep a straight face most of the time, especially in front of the cameras. Thus, it hasn't always been easy to tell when his comments have been made in jest.
At times when he managed to speak light-heartedly to reporters when such a tone was warranted, he drew laughter. But other times, his delivery has left audiences at a loss about his true intentions.
The source said that while the premier does not hide it when he is peeved, he has also left the wrong impression when commenting on "unconventional" subjects, such as "the ban" on officials keeping mistresses.
In fact, some people who listened to Gen Prayut at the onset of the mobile cabinet meeting this week in Nakhon Ratchasima could not make out whether the prime minister was being serious when he said there should be a legal prohibition against officials keeping a paramour.
Gen Prayut did not have to wait very long for his comments to make their way into news reports, which only snowballed among commentators and social media users.
The media source said many took the prime minister at his word, believing he'd really go ahead and outlaw adultery among state officials.
Aware that the issue was spinning out of control, Gen Prayut later said his comments had been taken out of context.
He insisted his remarks had been misunderstood, conceding he could not have predicted the stir his statement would cause.
Gen Prayut bemoaned the feeling he had been dealt a double whammy early on in his mobile cabinet trip.
Apart from the media "misconstruing" his comments regarding mistresses, he further felt aggrieved they became fixated on the "frog kissing" episode.
In the latter, widely photographed incident during the mobile cabinet trip, the prime minister was shown talking to a frog which an elderly woman had given him in Nakhon Ratchasima.
He said if the frog were a female and had been kissed by a male frog, it might transform into a human one day.
"I only wanted to share a story," he said, adding the media should have "kept up" with what he was driving at.
"They [the media] couldn't care less about the many policies I have in store for the Northeast. Their interest revolves around 'gop' and 'gik'," Gen Prayut said.
The source said even if Gen Prayut had wanted to start an anti-mistress campaign, it would have been superfluous as state officials are already governed by a code of conduct, under which disciplinary action is meted out to those found to have engaged in adultery.
Surin has trick up his sleeve
Former foreign affairs minister Surin Pitsuwan has been held in high regard internationally for years, with reports recently surfacing that he is looking to capitalise on his political prowess back home.
The former Asean secretary-general said he holds no official position in the country, except as an executive board member of the Pratheepsart School or Ban Tarn Ponoh School in Muang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat -- Mr Surin's native province. He is also president of the education development foundation of the school.
His position at the school may be a far cry from the prominent role he played on the international stage during his tenure as the Asean secretary-general, when he brushed shoulders with global leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as influential religious figures.
But having fewer formal titles has not made Mr Surin any less busy politically. He has been invited to meetings with communities and civic groups in areas which are the traditional bastions of the Democrat Party, to which he has long claimed a strong affiliation.
His obvious attempts to "get close and personal" with people on the ground did not go unnoticed, and observers reckoned Mr Surin could have a plan up his sleeve that might bode well for his political future.
A source in the Democrat Party said Mr Surin has earned his credentials and become an established name on the world stage, but his political profile within the country is not as widely recognised.
Some analysts said Mr Surin needs to "deflate" himself to the level where most people will think he is approachable and accessible.
Although he served as foreign minister from November 1997 to February 2001 under prime minister Chuan Leekpai and was not a stranger to Thai politics, he was not regarded as one of those politicians who was a "phone call away from constituents", according to analysts.
Mr Surin was elected as MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat for the first time in 1986. In that year, he was named secretary to the speaker of the Lower House before he landed the post as assistant secretary to the interior minister two years later.
From 1992-95, he served as foreign affairs deputy minister and two years later, he was appointed the foreign affairs minister -- a post he served in until 2001.
After his term as Asean secretary-general expired and his return to the country, Mr Surin began giving lectures at institutions inside and outside of Thailand.
But he has been seen to be trying to regain a foothold in politics after he reportedly made known his readiness to run in a future Bangkok governor election.
Not forgetting to take advantage of his solid international exposure, Mr Surin has envisioned Bangkok as a global smart city. A governor election bid could be a real possibility once the government gives the green light to local elections.
Mr Surin also said his ambition to run for the governorship was anointed by the Democrat Party.
He said in an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post he has been casually approached by party executives to run in Bangkok's governor race.
But if he continues to receive unwavering political support from the party, there could be a bigger prize for Mr Surin, according to analysts, given his calibre which might qualify him to lead the country's oldest political party in the future.
But how far away that future is depends on his ability to satisfy one key political requisite -- whether he can win the hearts and minds of party members.
Warong holds his peace
The curtain has yet to fall on the rice trial following the ex premier's no-show at the Supreme Court.
However, the closer the rice trial against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra gets to its end, the less is heard from Democrat Party politician Warong Dechgitvigrom, the man instrumental in exposing the alleged irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme.
Hailed as the whistleblower in the controversial scheme, the ex-MP for Phitsanulok spearheaded a no-confidence debate against Ms Yingluck for turning a blind eye to alleged irregularities which led to such massive damages.
Taken down in the campaign was former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom for his role in the government-to-government rice deals -- one of the distribution channels critics believed to be at the root of the alleged corruption.
Dr Warong also lodged a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) initiating an investigation against the former premier for gross negligence of duty.
The inquiry led to the trial in which Dr Warong testified as a key witness in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.
In addition to the criminal charges, his work also played a part in the government's decision to issue an administrative order for Ms Yingluck, Mr Boonsong and the others implicated to pay for damages incurred by the rice-pledging scheme.
In his crusade to expose irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme, Dr Warong did extensive research, including talking to farmers, millers and exporters -- all the sorts of people involved in rice trading -- and visiting warehouses across the country where the pledged rice was supposed to have been stored.
The Democrat politician was heavily involved in investigating the financially crippling scheme.
According to political observers, Dr Warong probably knew how the flagship scheme was run and spoiled, better than anyone else.
But the "Sherlock Holmes of the rice scandal" has been keeping quiet about the trial lately.
Dr Warong was away in South Africa while the entire country was holding its breath for the verdict.
Rumour has it that Dr Warong was lobbied by Democrat heavyweights to keep a low profile to avoid stirring resentment as Ms Yingluck's judgement day was drawing near, before her suspected flight.
According to a source, party members urged Dr Warong to spend time abroad over concerns that he might make comments that the judiciary might perceive to be offensive.
The savannas of Africa were deemed a good place for him to go and visit with his wife and friends.
On his Facebook, the "rice doctor" has been seen enjoying quad biking and archery among other outdoor activities in Sun City.
In a recent media interview, the former MP insisted the trip was not about his safety even though it recently emerged that the Democrat politician had received death threats.
He said that with the trial nearing its conclusion, his involvement in the saga has come to an end.
He decided to take the break that party members had advised.
Dr Warong is not due back from South Africa until the end of this month.
However, distance is not keeping the politician from keeping abreast of the situation back home.
He does not have to be in the country to get real-time information via various online portals.
According to a source close to Dr Warong, the politician was confident that Ms Yingluck and the former commerce minister standing trial for allegedly fake government-to-government rice deals did a poor job in defending themselves in court against the allegations.
