Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva briefs the foreign media – 29 May 2010
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva briefs the foreign media at Government House, Bangkok – 29 May 2010. The national media often has little bite here and the prime minister commands great respect from the station of his office, but the foreign press are less forgiving and the questions fly sharp and fast. Abhisit’s wholly capable of the task though, he swats away the difficult questions with relative ease, answering a question with another question as is a politician’s trademark, he’s well rehearsed and well prepared, today he won’t be flying down any blind alleyways. Behind the immaculate suit, the jet-black hair and the dark eyes, he looks tired, the last few months would have taken their toll on anyone and in fractious Thailand he has had to fight fires on all sides. The Reds swept into the city demanding nothing less than his removal from the country’s top job, his “softly softly” strategy was roundly criticised by the right, they demanded decisive action to clear the protestors’ camps and if he couldn’t offer it they suggested he go, while the approach of giving more and more rope at the same time made the Red Shirts feel more and more invincible. His relationship with the soon-to-retire Army Chief Anupong Paochinda was difficult, laid bare by the awkward body language seen between these two key players in one TV appearance, while he is fighting on yet another front as his Democrat Party could face dissolution after a severe ruling by the Electoral Commission …
