Prayut to public: 'Listen up'

With dozens of channels to choose from, not many viewers tune in to the prime minister on Friday nights. His message to people who complain that they don't know what the government is doing: Pay attention.

Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha has vented his frustration over apparent public indifference to his government's attempts to promote its work.

Observing that people seemed to be more interested in soap operas and music, Gen Prayut also took aim at media outlets that fail to carry news from government agencies and insist on hearing it from him personally.

He made the comments on his Returning Happiness to Thai People programme, which has been running on mainstream free-TV channels every Friday night for the past 10 months.

Each week he goes into exhaustive detail about the activities of various state bodies, in addresses that run to 9,000 words or more and take between 50 and 80 minutes to deliver. The broadcasts would run even longer if he did not speak so quickly, addressing his audience in the brusque, clipped style of a soldier.

Even though people know where to tune in if they want to find out what the government is doing, they seem to have other preferences, Gen Prayut lamented.

"They never seem to be updated enough or listen up," he said, adding that he was trying to adjust his own style to communicate better with people.

"Please listen," he said. "Don't just watch television or listen to the radio for the soap operas and for music. Take in other content as well, because you are also involved.

"Some people do not take in any content and then go on to say that nothing has been done."

The Returning Happiness programme has received a lukewarm reaction from viewers since it was launched last year as it cuts into prime-time soap opera series. But Gen Prayut has defended the need to be on TV, saying it was the only way to directly deliver an accurate message from the government to people.

The Prime Minister's Office has tweaked the programme to make it more attractive by changing the backdrop and allowing Gen Prayut to sit casually at Government House.

In any case, the prime minister acknowledged that the government could use many communication channels more effectively to create awareness.

He also said new ways were needed to deliver essential information to the public. For farmers, he said a mobile application was being developed that would deliver real-time information on water and electricity availability, weather, soil conditions and more.

Gen Prayut also used his address to defended his economic team from criticism that it had failed to revitalise the sagging economy since coming to power after the coup in May last year. Gen Chatchai Sirakalya, the commerce minister, has been singled out in opinion polls as a big disappointment.

"Many of the shortcomings experienced in the economy are not limited to Thailand. They are also present in Asean and in the global community," he said. "Nonetheless, the government is aware that prevailing problems have produced the effects being felt at present."

The prime minister on Tuesday dismissed calls for a cabinet reshuffle, saying he would stick with his ministers. He reiterated the position on Friday and also said that officials should be punished if they fail to turn the policy into practice.

"All ministries are working very hard, but you don't understand what they have to go through," he said. "If tasks fail, I will not punish heads of the ministries, but instead, reprimand the working committees.

"Civil servants must be committed to their duties and work fast," he added.

He ended his 68-minute address with a plea to viewers to do more to keep themselves informed.

"Please be more patient about things and listen more. That is all I ask of you. If you understand me, I promise I will talk less," he said.