How far will almost five tonnes of sticky rice and mango go in assuring Chinese tourists that it's now safe to travel to Thailand and that one of the country's top ministers has adopted a more respectful attitude towards them?
A party is often a good idea, but when it comes to serious issues such as tourist safety or widespread anger among the populace in one country caused by insensitive remarks made by an official of another, it is probably not enough.
Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon on Sunday presided over a feast for 10,000 Chinese tourists. The banquet featured as a highlight almost five tonnes of sticky rice and mango, a favourite Thai dessert among Chinese.
The event was titled "We Care About You", as it was apparently held to assure Chinese tourists, many of whom have expressed concern about their safety while travelling in Thailand after the Phoenix tour boat accident, which killed 47 of their compatriots last July.
The event was apparently meant to appease those who felt insulted by insensitive remarks about the Phuket boat accident made by none other than Gen Prawit. Following the tragedy, Gen Prawit told media members that it was a case of "Chinese doing it to Chinese", as the tour boat was operated by a Chinese firm.
His comment, which made it look as if he was trying to put all the blame on Chinese tour operators, sparked outrage among social media users in China.
Gen Prawit later apologised for the remarks but Chinese arrivals, which have become a major contributor to Thailand's tourism growth, fell 6.7% month-on-month in August and plunged more than 25% in September before bouncing back in November.
How about the Kenyans? Would they like some sticky rice and mango too? Or it does not matter because there are far fewer Kenyan arrivals to Thailand compared to the millions of Chinese per year?
In terms of callousness, what Gen Prawit said about the terrorist attack at the DusitD2 hotel complex in Kenya is arguably worse than his comment about the tour boat accident.
What he said about the boat accident was insensitive but his remarks, that it was "good enough" that no Thais died in the attack, which killed 21 people, and that the terrorists could have been enticed to the Thai-owned hotel because of the delicious food, were plainly in bad taste.
After being criticised strongly for treating the deadly attack as a joke both by local and international media, Gen Prawit has kept silent. He has not issued an apology although Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the foreign minister offered their condolences to the victims and their families.
The affronts to the Kenyans and Chinese are not the only slights that Gen Prawit has made. Remember what he had to say about the military cadet who died in suspicious circumstances after being subject to corporal punishment? As Defence Minister, instead of vowing a thorough investigation, Gen Prawit seemed more bent on defending the academy involved to the point of saying he went through the same treatment and made it out alive.
What is troublesome is that it's likely that Gen Prawit keeps making inappropriate comments because his attitude is out of sync with the times.
Like other members of the ultra-conservative establishment, Gen Prawit is imbued with narrow-minded nationalism and an authoritarian view of the world. While others may be sleek enough to hide qualities now viewed as the mark of a backward mentality when speaking to the public, Gen Prawit apparently flaunts them.
He does not hide the fact that he mainly concerns himself with local matters, probably because he is indeed out of touch as a global citizen.
It's possible as well that he believes sincerely that a big banquet with tonnes of the country's favourite dessert being handed out for free will suffice in assuaging the Chinese tourists' feelings as it should be seen as a conciliatory gesture from him, a high-ranking figure of authority.
It remains to be seen whether the sticky rice and mango diplomacy will succeed in sending a goodwill message from Gen Prawit to the Chinese tourists he insulted, and whether enough of them will arrive in Thailand soon to boost the national income and sagging economy.
What should be clear, however, is that no matter how much goodwill a big banquet can generate, it's never enough when it comes to tourist safety or a respectful attitude. Can authorities assure tourists that all the boats are up to standard now, not like the Phoenix? More importantly, can what the authorities say, or allow to operate, be trusted?
The situation seems slightly trickier for Gen Prawit. He either has to fix his attitude or remain tight-lipped for a very long time.
