PM Prayut breaks the rules to get up close and personal with BNK48

[webfact]

PM breaks the rules to get up close and personal with BNK48

By WASAMON AUDJARINT 
THE NATION

 

 

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha swapped his stern demeanour for smiles yesterday as he chatted cheerfully with eight members of pop-star idols BNK48, who visited Government House.

 

The girls, together with child star Taichi Ponthanan, dropped by to help with the launch of Happy Family Radio FM 105.

 

 

“He looks just like he does on television, only bigger and kinder,” said the group’s Cherprang Areekul after an hour-long meeting with the junta premier. “He told us to develop ourselves, be role models for young people and be determined in what we do.”

 

“We would also wanted to encourage him because he works very hard for Thailand’s progress,” the group added. “We believe what the PM does is good and will bring positive changes.”

 

 

Prayut’s meeting with the country’s most popular girl group, whose Facebook page has attracted over 417,000 likes, has been talked about since the plan emerged last week.

 

With the government’s invitation to the stars of period TV drama “BuppheSanNivas” earlier this month, the junta’s PR moves are being viewed as part of a plan to boost |its popularity as its 4th anniversary in unelected power looms next month.

 

They are being carried out in tandem with what appears to be a new and more compromising attitude towards politicians from Prayut, especially toward local, influential figures, ahead of the election now set for next February.

 

 

Like its sister brand AKB48, from Japan, BNK48 has adopted an open and easily accessible imaged by engaging with social media and making numerous appearances at public events. But “getting close” to the young idols can mean different things.

 

Despite their cute, down-to-earth personalities, any touching – even of their hands – is normally out of the question for fans. Those wishing to do so have to pay for merchandise and wait in long lines for the chance of a quick handshake with their favourite girls.

 

 

As such Prayut’s lingering handshakes with the eight girls and lengthy chats raised eyebrows among social media users, especially the “ota” or die-hard fans.

 

“He broke the constitution before so why can’t he break such a small rule?” one Twitter user said sarcastically.

 

 

It was later revealed, however, that the group’s manager was the one who stage-managed the handshake.

 

The PM could count himself lucky: usually any physical contact from fans is discouraged to prevent possible harassment of the singers.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343871

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-25

[bluesofa]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

“He looks just like he does on television, only bigger and kinder,” said the group’s Cherprang Areekul"

[Samui Bodoh]

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

“We would also wanted to encourage him because he works very hard for Thailand’s progress,” the group added. “We believe what the PM does is good and will bring positive changes.”

This is actually embarrassing.

 

How low Thailand has fallen...

 

[Thailand]

And definitely no populist policies, trust me.

[colinneil]

All he is trying to do is make himself popular, look at me i am in touch with the people.

Silly bugger just makes himself look more ridiculous and out of touch with the real world.

[akirasan]

What a bunch of airheads. At least they got to meet some cute singers.

[mok199]

compared to Canada's Justin Tredeau this man is a Genius..

Edited April 24, 2018 by mok199
speliings

[Eric Loh]

He has time for all these trivialities? 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

He has time for all these trivialities? 

Give him a break, he needs a rest after a hard day song-writing.

 

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“We believe what the PM does is good and will bring positive changes.”

based on what ? sounds like some religious tenets: don't reason, just believe

[Darcula]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Those wishing to do so have to pay for merchandise and wait in long lines for the chance of a quick handshake with their favourite girls.

 

Not every fan gets a free happy ending.

 

 

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“We believe what the PM does is good and will bring positive changes.”

based on what ? sounds like some religious tenets: don't reason, just believe

He is the new messiah.

[coulson]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“He looks just like he does on television, only bigger and kinder,” said the group’s Cherprang Areekul after an hour-long meeting with the junta premier

Amazing how a group of fine ladies can perk a man up.

 

The lingering handshake must have been awkward.

 

Another PR fail.

[NCC1701A]

" He told us to develop ourselves..."

 

I bet he did.

[bluesofa]

33 minutes ago, Darcula said:

Not every fan gets a free happy ending.

Quite true, most people have to pay extra for that service.

 

[sammieuk1]

Looks like a very hard day at the office.

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

He has time for all these trivialities? 

The election campaign race is not a trivial matter. He has officially started and jumped out of the blocks while he keeps the rest of the competitors securely locked up in the dressing room.

Cheating in any form is OK for juntas who make up the race rules as they go along.

[anon467848]

Looks like the campaign trail has started in full swing. Next PR exercise will be see him going around your local Tesco or Big C, mingling with shoppers, kissing babies showing everybody what a nice guy he is....

[JonnyF]

Khun Prayut breaking rules? Surely not. He seems such an honest chap.

[RichardColeman]

Looks like a political 'orgy' to me !

[yellowboat]

These young ladies probably are or wish to be part of a more privileged class of people.  They are just gold diggers advancing their career.  Their civic awareness is probably limited to what they are told to believe to keep earning a pay check.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“He broke the constitution before so why can’t he break such a small rule?”

Ask these young ladies if the read the constitution for what they think of appointed MP's.  This article just shows the junta's banality. 

[klauskunkel]

he just bagged the vote of every 5-year-old in the country... which is actually the majority already.

[Anak Nakal]

Creepy.

Old man play with young girl.

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

he just bagged the vote of every 5-year-old in the country... which is actually the majority already.

You've just revealed his cunning plan Baldrick. making everyone wait until those five-year-olds can vote before holding an election.

 

[baboon]

39 minutes ago, merlin2002 said:

Looks like the campaign trail has started in full swing. Next PR exercise will be see him going around your local Tesco or Big C, mingling with shoppers, kissing babies showing everybody what a nice guy he is....

He doesn't have the stamina. A tricky question or a student activist showing up and he would quickly lose his rag. Besides, people keep being murdered in my local Tesco...

 

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, Anak Nakal said:

Creepy.

Old man play with young girl.

I take it this didn't take place in Patpong, where the 'old man play with young girl' normally happens.

If it had, then no one would have looked twice, making the photo opportunity pointless.

 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, baboon said:

47 minutes ago, merlin2002 said:

Looks like the campaign trail has started in full swing. Next PR exercise will be see him going around your local Tesco or Big C, mingling with shoppers, kissing babies showing everybody what a nice guy he is....

He doesn't have the stamina. A tricky question or a student activist showing up and he would quickly lose his rag. Besides, people keep being murdered in my local Tesco...

 

Careful now, you'll be accused of giving people ideas.

 

[klauskunkel]

37 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

he just bagged the vote of every 5-year-old in the country... which is actually the majority already.

 

30 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

You've just revealed his cunning plan Baldrick. making everyone wait until those five-year-olds can vote before holding an election.

 

it's a mental thing, not physical, Dodo

Edited April 25, 2018 by klauskunkel

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“We would also wanted to encourage him because he works very hard for Thailand’s progress,”

How do you know that? Oh, he told in his latest song, did he?

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“We would also wanted to encourage him because he works very hard for Thailand’s progress,”

How do you know that? Oh, he told in his latest song, did he?

 

They're a pop group, they must have been thinking of the Donna Summer song: She Works Hard for the Money.