Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's 10 months in office have proven to be full of optimism, entertainment and drama. His non-stop whirlwind trips to lure investors including Microsoft, Tesla, Formula One, Tomorrowland and Art Basel to Thailand earned him the image of the salesman on a Time magazine cover. With the government's 10-month report card out and future plans in discussion, there has been both applause and confusion.
With the return of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former fugitive prime minister who made a miraculous recovery after a few months in police hospital instead of state prison, Thailand is bubbling with excitement as he has defied the law, and the Pheu Thai Party is now surging ahead to boost the morale of the people. Thaksin is making headlines with every move and the sparkling optimism has overshadowed Srettha and ambitious campaigns such as the digital wallet scheme (coming soon) and land bridge (coming later). The Pheu Thai Party's plan to apply a quick fix to raise GDP and rescue the country's struggling economy via soft power is also in question as there have been claims it is a PR campaign to make Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn, leader of Pheu Thai Party and chairwoman of the Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA), the next prime minister.
Until now, there has been big talk but little to show. What has gone wrong, or rather what has not gone right? Forming THACCA and making soft power a part of its election campaign to lure votes from the youth and creati.
