Criticized for ignoring the humanitarian crisis in Thailand’s northeast, where thousands of families have been displaced by flooding, the prime minister today will visit the hard-hit province of Ubon Ratchathani.
A government spokeswoman this morning announced that former junta leader Prayuth Chan-o-cha on Thursday afternoon will visit the province’s Warin Chamrap district, where storms drove the worst flooding earlier this month, to visit affected residents.
“The suffering of our people is my suffering,” Narumon Pinyosinwat wrote with a photo tweeted of Prayuth stooping to hug a woman. Prayuth first visited Ubon Ratchathani last week to visit residents and meet with local authorities providing relief.
“ความทุกข์ของพี่น้องประชาชน คือความทุกข์ของผม”
บ่ายวันนี้ ท่านนายกฯ จะไปเยี่ยมและให้กำลังใจพี่น้องชาวอุบลฯ อีกครั้งนะคะ pic.twitter.com/hehX11T4X7
— Professor Narumon Pinyosinwat (@DrNarumonP) September 19, 2019
That was quickly overshadowed by photographs of Prayuth posing for light-hearted photos with political cronies in the south while the crisis continued. The optics took a turn for the worse when the scorn he drew for not increasing disaster relief was contrasted with praise for an aging actor slogging through the floodwaters to help people and raising THB231 million (US$7.5 million) for direct relief.
Online, where Thai netizens were just catching their breath after calling for his ouster, news of the trip wasn’t received warmly.
“Visiting is not necessary. It’s just ceremonious and will put a burden on other officials. If you have money, go buy people floating toilets, otherwise there may be an outbreak of diseases if residents are going to the bathroom straight into the flood water. Tell the prime minister to move his ass. Why don’t you use the emergency budget, or are you waiting for more people to die first?” Twitter user @Roong79255778 replied to the spokeswoman’s status this morning.
“This is so fake,” multiple comments including @Wins_eng also commented.
Among the negative comments were a few signs of support for the PM’s efforts.
“Sending encouragement to the prime minister and his spokeswoman, krub,” @DUppathump tweeted.
Up in Ubon, a monk was going viral after photos of him providing food for a flood-displaced doggo was shared on Facebook.
“Every life matters,” Tong Kattapunyo, the monk, wrote along with the photos posted Tuesday.
Four Northeastern provinces – Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon, Roi Et and Si Sa Ket – still remain flooded as a result of two tropical storms that rocked Thailand beginning at the end of last month.
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