While Canada gets self-proclaimed feminist Justin Trudeau, this is who Thailand is dealing with.
In the latest off-script blunder by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the junta chief scoffed at gender equality and said the country would deteriorate if women and men were equal.
Yes, really.
In a video published by Prachatai, the prime minister, who has frequently put his foot in his mouth, revealed an interesting insight into his family life on Friday when he totally went off-script and talked about his views on women during his opening speech of an event promoting vocational education at Impact Arena.
“Everyone says we must create equality — men and women deserve the same rights and can do the same good and bad things. Oh, if you all think so, the Thai society will deteriorate!” Prayuth said, shaking his head.
After all, women are just babymakers, according to our dear leader.
“Women are the gender of motherhood, the gender of giving birth. When you come home… who’s got a wife here? Does your wife take care of you when you come home? When you’re at home she’s the authority, isn’t she?”
“But out of the house, we’re the boss at work. We have a lot of authorities, but when we go home, we must be quiet… because she is taking care of everything at home and the kids. Since I got married, I never have to do anything. She does it all herself. That’s why I have this brain to think aimlessly,” Prayuth said, pointing his index finger at his temple.
“I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to pick the kids up, none of that, because I work away from home, out at the border. That’s the only difference! But all the bad things I’ve done to her have benefited others. That’s what I think.”
Prayuth’s speech was supposed to convince the youth out there, boys and girls, that vocational education would help build the country.
As embarrassing and hopeless as it is to have a leader who doesn’t believe an entire half of its population deserves the same rights as the other half, this is not the first time Prayuth has made a sexist remark in public.
Another famous Prayuth comment that went down like a lead balloon was when he joked two years ago that tourists in bikinis were not safe unless they were ugly, while he was addressing the murders of two Britons on Koh Tao.
“There are always problems with tourist safety. They think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere,” Prayuth told government officials. “But can they be safe in bikinis… unless they are not beautiful?”
Let’s hope he doesn’t say any more stupid things as Thais pray for an election to come soon.
Related:
Leave the bikini alone: Feminism fire lit in Bangkok by UN Women’s film fest
Prayuth: Women in bikinis may not be safe – unless they’re ugly
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