Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha clearly reached the end of his tether yesterday after being bombarded all day with questions from the press on the election, causing him to lose it in spectacular fashion during the afternoon press conference.
The junta chief’s bad mood had started in the morning when he visited exhibition stands outside Government House, where he wanted to discuss research on the “stubborn” tuberculosis disease by the National Research Council of Thailand. But instead, he was hounded by the press with questions about the draft constitution, which was released on Friday.
“Those stubborn diseases. Those with stubborn intentions!” Prayuth exclaimed as he picked up a medicine box and looked at it.
“You ask me every day like… will the election be in 2017? That’s all you do! Just go have an election tomorrow. Go vote for someone! And what if you get a crappy one. What are you gonna do?”
He continued: “If the country goes down, don’t blame me. Everything I say makes sense because I read. Do you ever read? Have you read anything about how this government does good for the country? Answer me!”
Then Prayuth asked for someone to hand him his phone, apperently intending to show something on the screen to the press, although it was unclear what it was.
“You read?” he asked, waving his phone. “Let’s see. You say ‘Why do you send me this? What would I do with it?’ If you think so, don’t be a reporter, be something else.”
The media then asked him what he was referring to, but he was in no mood to clarify his words.
“If you’re an idiot, then go look it up yourself!” he retorted.
The draft has raised fears it will be rejected in a July referendum and delay the election, which has been pushed back yet gain to 2017, Reuters reported.
Later that day, Prayuth held a press conference and continued ranting, saying that no one defended him when he was criticized.
“Has your right as media increased?” the PM asked as he pointed to a reporter in the crowd.
“If you wanna write something badly about me, go ahead. The foreign media say ‘Thailand censors media’. How have I censored media? Which publication have I censored?”
“They criticize me and no one helps me. I have democratic rights too. You don’t defend me, but you defend those bastards?”
“You don’t want the constitution to pass, do you? It’s my business. I’ll do it myself.”
“That’s why I’m here for you! You want me back again?” He slammed on the podium as glasses flew off. “If you don’t want the Constitution Court of Thailand….Who do you want then? Justice Bao court?”
Oh dear. Maybe a cup of camomile and a lie down is in order, eh?
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