Turn down the lights. This one’s for the ladies. Well … the voters. Yes, junta leader, unelected prime minister and pop hitmakerPrayuth’s Chan-o-cha has done it again.
“Looking forward to a new day that will be imprinted in Thai history. To the path of democracy for all Thai brother and sisters,” begins the just-released single with lyrics ostensibly penned by Prayuth.
The PM’s latest song — yes, he’s done this before — premiered to a crowd of about 2,000 people this morning at the Thailand’s Investment Year – What’s New? seminar taking place in the Royal Jubilee Ballroom of the IMPACT Arena Exhibition and Convention Center, reported Workpoint.
In all its cheesy pop glory, the new song promises that Thailand will soon see a “new day that we’ve been dreaming of” but only if citizens unite and “fix the wrongs of yesterday.”
“Thailand’s new day will be brilliant when everyone proudly performs their duty. This is our land, our home. We must be patriotic,” declares the awfully dogmatic lyrics.
The junta leader shared the full song, complete with a music video, on his Facebook page just a couple hours ago.
This is Prayuth’s eighth single. His first, the irrepressible toe-tapper Return Happiness to Thailand (perhaps inspiration for a certain Donald Trump slogan?) was released after he seized power with a coup in 2014.
You know, because nothing is more rock ‘n’ roll than a coup.
The cover version of Happiness, sung by rock singer Asanee Chotikul, actually topped the 2014 Thai music charts after being played 19,647 times, about 2,500 more times than the original.
If, God help you, you want to catch up with the trend, here’s a sing-along video, with lyrics spelled out phonetically for English speakers.
Some of Prayuth’s other memorable songs include Because You Are Thailand, which includes such choice lyrics as “If we join hands … the day we hope for is not far away” and “Because you are Thailand, you will not let anyone destroy you.”
The ballad Diamond Heart inexplicably fell flat on Valentine’s Day last year despite such lyrical gems as “No matter how tired and difficult, let’s hold hands.”
And then, of course, there’s Thailand 4.0, the “rap” single (please note the scare quotes) that was most likely the government’s response to the viral anti-junta track “Prathet Ku Mee” (What My F**king Country’s Got) by the “Rap Against Dictatorship” collective.
We’d say “don’t give up your day job,” but that’s something for voters can decide for themselves in the upcoming March 24 election.
Prayuth isn’t the only politician in the region dropping singles, by the way. At the end of last month, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, he of the tawdry 1MDB scandal, also released a single, part of his effort to endear himself to the Malaysian public as he faces multiple criminal charges.
Guess this just goes to show politics, much like celebrity, is all about reinvention.
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