In just a few days, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has taken a tonne of ridicule about new regulations for media coverage. A 14-point set of so-called guidelines was issued to the press on Friday, especially for photographers. They order news snappers to get prior approval for every set of photos, try to completely ban certain pictures, and even decree that those behind cameras dress better than at present. Some of the orders are more unethical than the actions they seek to regulate.
Because these rules were unnecessary, obviously ill-considered and in at least one case offensive, Gen Prayut's initial reaction deserves notice. For one thing, it is crystal clear that they did not come from the prime minister himself. The issuance of the 14 rules did not go down at all well. He commented within a day that he had seen these "new" regulations three years ago, and that he had no idea why police Special Branch had re-issued and emphasised them on Friday.
There are strong clues, however, on the "why" of this matter. It seems it is no coincidence that the list of 14 rules was handed to media outlets and to photographers almost immediately after a short, testy exchange between reporters and the prime minister at the opening of the Thailand Social Expo 2018 at Impact Muang Thong. Gen Prayut walked away from the gathered press gaggle when they asked him about an inflammatory commentary in The Jakarta Post.
