Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was set to conclude his overseas trips to France, Italy and Japan on Friday amid questions, if not criticism, over the real benefits they will bring the country. Mr Srettha, who unreservedly projects himself as “a salesman”, has tried to justify his overseas trips as raising the scope of foreign investment while boosting the nation’s soft power, which are top priorities of his government. He already called the trips “fruitful”.
But have they been? His love of travelling abroad is almost palpable. After only 10 months in office, he has already visited 14 countries and Hong Kong. According to a government spokesman, more trips are planned for the last quarter of the year, with destinations including India, Africa — where the government hopes to sell its controversial, 10-year-old rice — and Turkey.
But the latest trip that began on May 15 is a typical one for Thai leaders given its long duration. This is the longest trip Mr Srettha has taken so far as PM. Of the three destinations, Japan — where he attended the Nikkei Forum Future of Asia in Tokyo and bumped into counterparts like Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s prime minister — is more easily justifiable.
But a week in France and Italy are less so. To put it bluntly, some of the programmes, like paying a visit to fashion houses such as Versace and Luigi Einaudi, not to mention the country’s F1 race track, are peculiar. While Mr Srettha showed off pictures of himself shaking hands.
