Thai PM’s odd suggestions cause quite a stir

[webfact]

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggested that Thai people should learn how to swim, exercise and study two languages during his visit to the southern province of Krabi to attend a mobile cabinet meeting, among other duties.

 

While Prayut and other ministers were at an opening ceremony for Krabi’s Hat Nopparat Thara-Mu Koh Phi National Park, the prime minister met with some locals, saying that today is the day when Thailand “is being transformed”, and the most important thing is to maintain the country’s stability. Without it there would be chaos and many countries are keeping an eye on Thailand, he added.

 

Toward the end of his remarks, he asked people who cannot swim to learn, claiming that he has taught children how to swim. He said that, if you know how to float on water, you will never drown and people will help you, but “if you drown you will die”. He also suggested that Thai people should exercise and study two languages to survive.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-pms-odd-suggestions-cause-quite-a-stir/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-11-16

 

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[Thaiwrath]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

today is the day when Thailand “is being transformed”

The day that Thailand  was transformed was 22nd May 2014 , and it has gone downhill ever since !

[mtls2005]

Not much odder than "...there will not be coup"?

 

 

[tomacht8]

Is that for real? Or has it got lost in the translation? It reads like having interviewed an 8 year old.

[keith101]

He is Military and knows nothing about the real people and their lives and just thinks it makes him look good for re election .

[steven100]

actually he is correct in that every child should learn to swim, it should be mandatory ....  as for the language I have always said schools MUST make english a requirement.  A child that can speak English has a far better opportunity to travel and advance in life through career prospects, than one that can't. 

[bankruatsteve]

One way to nurture stability would be to ease up on trying to squeeze money out of expats.  We have kept this country from imploding.  How about reducing the ridiculous import tax on our cigarettes and wine/spirits.  That is a direct attack on us.

[JoePai]

Don't you just want to slap that supercilious grinning face......

[Taboo2]

He is right,,..start studying Chinese....

[tomacht8]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

actually he is correct in that every child should learn to swim, it should be mandatory ....  as for the language I have always said schools MUST make english a requirement.  A child that can speak English has a far better opportunity to travel and advance in life through career prospects, than one that can't. 

In terms of content, everything is correct. And the fact that you should cut your toenails regularly, eat well and sleep well every day would also be right. But what relevance does it have for the current economic, political, social and health situation in Thailand?

[Geoffggi]

9 minutes ago, steven100 said:

actually he is correct in that every child should learn to swim, it should be mandatory ....  as for the language I have always said schools MUST make english a requirement.  A child that can speak English has a far better opportunity to travel and advance in life through career prospects, than one that can't. 

Unfortunately I think what he really means is - Bangkok is sinking so best learn to swim

& secondly learn Chinese as you will in the not too distant future be speaking it ..............

[david555]

11 minutes ago, steven100 said:

actually he is correct in that every child should learn to swim, it should be mandatory ....  as for the language I have always said schools MUST make english a requirement.  A child that can speak English has a far better opportunity to travel and advance in life through career prospects, than one that can't. 

Did he mentioned English in that2 languages quote ? ????

Are you sure it was not Mandarin and Cantonese he was aiming for ....? ????

[tracker1]

No mention of road carnage

[Thailand]

15 minutes ago, steven100 said:

actually he is correct in that every child should learn to swim, it should be mandatory ....  as for the language I have always said schools MUST make english a requirement.  A child that can speak English has a far better opportunity to travel and advance in life through career prospects, than one that can't. 

Learning a language whilst swimming, now that would be the way to go.

As for the pm, he is a little odd anyway.

[anchadian]

He should have studied the English language when he went to school.

 

Shame.

 

 

[HappyExpat57]

I'm taken back to those 6:00 p.m. national diatribes he would give (remember how he promised to write some soap operas?). Absolute diarrhea of the mouth.

 

Engage mouth, switch off brain.

[CANSIAM]

"If you drown you will die" well said along with that confident grin.........

[bkk6060]

13 minutes ago, tracker1 said:

No mention of road carnage

Yes, saying they should learn how to drive would be good advice

[dinsdale]

Drowning deaths are a problem globally so yes children should learn how to swim. What of course is needed for this is .... yep you guessed it, water and somewhere big enough to put it. This is called a swimming pool so lots and lots of them. Also needed are people to teach the little ones swimming and from what I've seen from Thais swimming efforts these will be be few and far between. 

[Karma80]

Thailand could be incredible, if the potential were realised. Instead it's a clown car thanks to the current governance. It's quite sad.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thai people should learn how to swim, exercise and study two languages

Lao and Central Thai seem popular choices for the two languages.

As for learning to swim, it's a bit hard as the government has closed all the swimming pools.

[ezzra]

I swear that this man likes to hear himself talking because he never stops talking and most of it frivolous nonsense... can HE BE any more detached from what is going on with his people? the country is in dire straits and he's lecturing people to learn to swim and learn languages ( Chinese no doubt)... 

[Gecko123]

I'm by no means a fan, but some here could probably find a way to criticize him if he recommended people ate more fruits and vegetables, quit smoking, and looked both ways before crossing the street.

[Eric Loh]

Don’t seem odd to me. Odd will be alluding that exercise like a battery with finite amount of energy. 

[Gottfrid]

It´s not an odd comment at all. The fact is that there are too many people that can´t swim in Thailand. He´s perfectly right in saying it could save your life. It is also a fact that Thai people need to learn English as a second language. Both due to better work in the tourism sector as well as the world is moving towards internet and online business, where English is a required language to be successful.

As some poster mentions, that he sounds like a child when explaining to people. That might be true, but that is probably only to come down to a level where everyone can understand.

[Captain Monday]

Learning to swim and speak two languages assumed normal from 5 years old.

 

[ThailandRyan]

Learn 2 languages, Learn to swim and exercise.....is he insinuating that they will need the exercise to paddle that rowboat, and then learn to swim, so they can get ashore from the ocean where they anchor the rowboat.  Then once on land they will be able use the second language they have learned to blend in as a local after they have escaped from the insane asylum called Thailand.  The man is quite funny at times. Why doesn't he just candy-coat things and use a phrase from Pink Floyd "If you don't eat your meat you can't have any pudding"

[petermik]

7 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I'm taken back to those 6:00 p.m. national diatribes he would give (remember how he promised to write some soap operas?). Absolute diarrhea of the mouth.

 

Engage mouth, switch off brain.

I,m not sure he has one........

[Enzian]

3 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Because it all about the hookers right?

 

At what point reading this thread did it occur to you that the best way forward was letting us all know that paid sex was your primary hobby?

It was a joke, I don't see bar girls and I'm in a relationship, but I'm getting burned out by TP and I guess I need a break. But it is true that a great many Thai women do not believe in exercise. I say with compassion, lighten up.

[n00dle]

1 minute ago, Enzian said:

It was a joke, I don't see bar girls and I'm in a relationship, but I'm getting burned out by TP and I guess I need a break. But it is true that a great many Thai women do not believe in exercise. I say with compassion, lighten up.

Sorry, where i come from jokes are funny.