Can PM Yingluck Win Over A Foreign Audience?

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Can the PM win over a foreign audience?

The Nation

Doubts expressed over Yingluck's ability to 'think on her feet'

BANGKOK: -- Top bureaucrats are going through some nail-biting moments as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra contemplates an invitation to attend an upcoming summit, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in Qatar later next month.

People in the PM's inner circle have apparently been telling her how good she was at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, just six weeks ago, and suggested that she should take up the invitation from Supachai Panitchpakdi, the secretary-general of UNCTAD.

Perhaps Supachai and her inner circle are just being kind. Lacklustre was an understatement if one was to describe Yingluck's performance in Davos. Some bureaucrats fluent in English went as far as describing the performance as a "disaster".

There is a problem with Thailand's political culture. A leader is supposed to know best and nobody can tell him or her otherwise. Remember the 15th Apec summit in Bangkok hosted by her brother Thaksin, under the theme that described the meeting as a "Force of Unity Under the World of Differences"?

We all knew he meant "diversity", not "differences" but none of his people or the bureaucrats had the courage to correct the then prime minister because the theme had come from the horse's mouth.

Some think the invitation from Supachai was a trap so Yingluck can give the same mediocre performance as in Davos. It was obvious, they said, that the lady is unable to think on her feet. But those who know Supachai think the former Democrat Party executive was not that kind of a man. He was just being courteous, they said.

what's important

It doesn't matter if Thailand has a prime minister who can speak English or not. What is important is that he or she is able to address important issues head on, if not in details then at least in policy terms.

No one in their right mind expects the prime minister to know every little detail about the activities of the government, but nevertheless, his or her opinion matters as it could very well shape national policy.. In other words, a leader must be able to think on his or her feet. If Yingluck can't do it, then she should just stick to prepared statements and speeches.

In Davos, Yingluck mumbled her way through the question-and-answer panel about the role of women in today's world. But to be fair, when you are sitting next to the likes of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sheryl Sandberg, the CEO of Facebook, it would be really hard to stand out and be noticed.

Of course, nobody, especially those in her trusted inner circle, is going to tell her their real feelings about that performance. The fact that nobody boo-ed was good enough for them.

The issue of thinking on her feet resurfaced again just recently following an article in The Wall Street Journal that criticised Yingluck's team for not providing a simultaneous translation to a Japanese audience during her recent visit to Japan.

Wall Street Journal reporter Eleanor Warnock wrote in her recent article headlined "Some Japanese still in the dark over Thailand's flood plan" that Yingluck made her seven-minute speech to the hundred-strong audience without any accompanying translation.

This left many of the attending business leaders wondering what she talked about and "awkwardly scanning their handouts for clues", the report said.

"With a Japanese-language copy of her speech already handed out to an eager audience, Ms Yingluck arrived to make her big pitch - in Thai," the report said, referring to the PM's bid to win back the confidence of Japanese businesses hit by last year's devastating floods.

The report also quoted a representative from a travel company who said it was "a bit weird" that Yingluck's team did not provide a simultaneous translation.

Her recently hired personal spokesman, Suranand Vejjajiva, tried hard to repair the damage, citing a prior agreement that Yingluck would speak Thai and her counterpart speak Japanese. Suranand apparently missed the point here. When your objective is to try to convince Japanese investors to stay and not pack their bags for elsewhere, you want to make sure that they understand your message. If it means simultaneous translation, so be it. If it mean engaging them without a prepared statement, so be it.

-- The Nation 2012-03-19

[Jerrytheyoung]

How to retain the Japanese investors? A lesson from the Asean neighbouring Country;

Less xenophobia, willing to retain high international skills and brains....

"from a Malaysian newspaper: JOHOR BARU: Japanese investors plan to develop Malaysia's first "Little Japan" township in Taman Molek here for high net worth ethnic Japanese keen to relocate and make Malaysia their second home.

Global Asia Assets (M) Sdn Bhd (GAAM), an asset-building consulting company for Japanese investors, which is behind the project, hopes to woo 2,000 wealthy Japanese to live, work or do business here within the next few years.

GAAM chief executive officer Fujimura Masanori said since March last year, some 70 Japanese individuals had already relocated here under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

Additionally, 365 Japanese investors have also acquired high-end residential and commercial properties worth more than RM400mil here since January last year and are expected to also move here permanently soon.

"In view of the overwhelming response, we are eager to kick start the "Little Japan" project in Taman Molek where Japanese individuals are expected to invest over RM500mil in landed houses and luxury apartments over the next few years," said Fujimura.

[pipo1000]

Imagine Thaksin in this position in Quatar,and there will be no need to think over her feet for Yingluck.

[theblether]

Give her a chance, she has been thrown to the wolves in the past 9 months, an almost impossible task. The amount of character asassination has been appaling and the pressure would crush anybody. Just give her a chance.

[TexasRanger]

She could win me over, all politicians are liers so might as well be lied to by a pretty one.

[sungod]

Give her a chance, she has been thrown to the wolves in the past 9 months, an almost impossible task. The amount of character asassination has been appaling and the pressure would crush anybody. Just give her a chance.

As you say, 9 months already. How long do you think she should be given?

[Soupdragon]

Give her a chance, she has been thrown to the wolves in the past 9 months, an almost impossible task. The amount of character asassination has been appaling and the pressure would crush anybody. Just give her a chance.

Good point, it's unrealistic for the leader of any country to have to demonstrate they are capable of doing the job they were elected to do. Poor dear needs some TLC.

[CalgaryII]

"Can the PM win over a foreign audience?" #1^

No problem, in spite of the opposition's hopes otherwise.

She is where she is legitimately as a democratically elected PM.

Her ability to calm the political waters in Thailand after her election, keeping her electoral base in tack and the Opposition nuetralized, is significant political achievement.

As for the charge she is a proxy for someone else, this doersn't fly either. All circumstances were fully declared and understood by the voters.

As a result she has no difficulties with Foreign audiences. I have seen many instances where significant international figures were only too happy to be photo-opped with the well respected and photogenic Thai Prime Minister.

"Doubts expressed over Yingluck's ability to 'think on her feet'

Only by those who would be advantaged, if such a perception found traction.

Her politiocal support has no such concerns, in fact they don't even think about it.

This is pure Opposition agenda.

"Top bureaucrats are going through some nail-biting moments as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra contemplates an invitation to attend an upcoming summit, the UN Conference on Trade and Development"

Says who?

The bureaucracy better be in line, recognizing their place vis-a-vis the political leadership.

Why not mention a name?....Who is biting his/her nails?

"Some bureaucrats fluent in English went as far as describing the performance as a "disaster".

Who?

Should this be true, this is more an indication of the PTP not cleaning house well enough after their electoral victory.

I have often heard accusations of the PTP electoral victory being followed by the installation of their "cronies'.

Should the above be true, obviously they didn't do enough, leaving some of Mr. Abhisit's cronies in place.

"Some think the invitation from Supachai was a trap so Yingluck can give the same mediocre performance as in Davos"

I have seen this frequently mentioned by the Oppositiuon media. This opinion stated as fact.

A little bit like saying the flood disaster management was not up to par. Another statement projected as fact, with no supporting data.

When compared to other Nations handling similar disasters of similar magnitude, Thailand's handling of it may be deemed exemplary.

When opposition accusations are expressed as fact, raises many red flags.

[AleG]

Give her a chance, she has been thrown to the wolves in the past 9 months, an almost impossible task. The amount of character asassination has been appaling and the pressure would crush anybody. Just give her a chance.

Better to calls for actual assassination in any case.

[hellodolly]

She has proven incompetent at all levels why would she differ for the upcoming conference.

How can any one in their right mind call her handling of the flood a success. All she did was keep Bangkok dry at the expense of all its neighbors.

The tablets for all school kids has been changed to one for some first graders and they can not even agree on the supplier munch less the software. As for people wishing to get there picture taken with her well were they women or men standing in the line.

Now she is stepping in to help Thai airways by routing all there competition through DM. Not sure how she can justify Bangkok air as a low cost carrier.

Give her a chance she asked for six months she has had nine months.

[Unkomoncents]

Yingluck should not speak in front of international audiences. I love that this article addresses the obvious problem of the "face-saving"/reinforcement issue. Thais bring a whole new meaning to the term "lackey", but that's more of an aside. Yingluck's administration demonstrated clearly that she is NOT in control when the floods happened. There were so many mouths spewing incomprehensible nonsense that government incompetence became as much a concern for the public as actual flooding. But there have been other instances as well, such as when Yingluck tried to tell the public that she wasn't aware of her own Foreign Ministry's plans to provide her brother with a passport (even if that's a bold-faced lie, it just shows how stupid they think the public is/how stupid they think they can be and get away with it). The fact is that successive Thai governments don't stand up to international scrutiny at all. This isn't just Yingluck; it's the entire system and it's been this way for a decade, at least. Thailand has essentially disconnected from global economic and political progress and integration. Thais are scrambling to prepare for the 2015 ASEAN integration because the citizens of other ASEAN nations have shown themselves to be much more aggressive and willing to learn. Bold, adventurous, confident, well-educated ASEAN investors will likely trounce their Thai equivalents in the global race towards prosperity. Thai academics and officials already know this and there have been numerous articles touching on the issue. Ultimately, Thai cultural pride (they were not colonized, something they really, really want everyone to know) and complacency have left the country with a government that reflects it's populace: oblivious and unskilled. Most Thais, it's been demonstrated, cannot find their own country on a map.

The Thai government is chock-full of proxies, puppets and known criminals. The international community knows this. Take a look at Yingluck's meetings with foreign officials in Davos: she met with no one of importance. It's very easy to see why. No serious government official, with little time and huge challenges before him or her, would sit down with someone who so clearly doesn't have her cards in order. There is every reason to believe that her brother would have to rubber stamp anything she happened to agree upon. She is so clearly incapable of leading a country and government (and that's not completely her fault; Thai political culture isn't merely a topic for study, it's a disaster) that it wouldn't truly make sense to spend any time discussing anything with her. When I stand her up next to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Indonesian PM; great interview with Charlie Rose), Barack Obama, Wen Jintao, Angela Merkel, or even Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, I can immediately make sense of the fact that Yingluck attracts little attention from foreign diplomats at major international political gatherings. She isn't a PM/President like any of them are (they all are leaders and are truly looking out for the long-term health of their respective countries). She can barely manage things in her own language, let alone in English.

[Jingthing]

Give her a chance, she has been thrown to the wolves in the past 9 months, an almost impossible task. The amount of character asassination has been appaling and the pressure would crush anybody. Just give her a chance.

She has had her chance. You can't get blood out of a stone. She simply doesn't have the skills. Is that so hard to understand? If the Thais feel the need to have a Thaksin puppet in power, that's their thing, but surely there is one person in Thailand who is actually fully competent to perform all the expected roles of the PM role as well?

Yes, her performances on the international stage ARE an embarrassment to the nation of Thailand. That is obvious. So continue with this farce, don't let her "perform" or choose someone who gives the country more face. Their choice.

(I imagine Americans would be in the same boat if we ever got stuck with someone like Sarah Palin. Not because she's a woman, of course. Because of what she doesn't know and badly acts like she does.)

Edited March 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[OzMick]

Think on her feet - she couldn't walk while chewing gum!

But if she wants practice, she could give parliament a try.

[softgeorge]

We have all heard the lies, dribble and cover ups that pour out of the mouths of these Thai politicians and so many have made themselves look just a little foolish. Can any Thai politician win over a foreign audience? I seriously doubt it even tho these Thai politicians think that farangs are stupid and gullible and will eat up anything a Thai tells them. They will be trying to win over educated worldly politicians and not the mushrooms (kept in dark and fed B/<deleted>) they cultivate back home.

[Buchholz]

Give her a chance, she has been thrown to the wolves in the past 9 months, an almost impossible task.

Her brother threw her to the wolves when he called her his clone 11 months ago.

.

[jonclark]

.

"Some think the invitation from Supachai was a trap so Yingluck can give the same mediocre performance as in Davos"

I have seen this frequently mentioned by the Oppositiuon media. This opinion stated as fact.

If the opposition media claimed that the PM gave an amazing performance at Davos - Wouldn't that also be opinion expressed as fact? And would you be as keen to shoot that opinion down??

Politics is all opinion. I think the current government is rubbish. That is my opinion, and to me its true or factually correct based on my experiences (rising food prices, raising oil prices, increased levels of crime, a lowering level of environmental quality). I may not have the facts to support this but I know it is true as i have experienced it.

So perhaps experienced bureaucrats expressed this opinion, as they are experienced enough to recognize the level of performance she attained. No doubt you were there at Davos and your opinion differs greatly. That is your prerogative, but it doesn't make it fact!!

[jayboy]

Yingluck should not speak in front of international audiences. I love that this article addresses the obvious problem of the "face-saving"/reinforcement issue. Thais bring a whole new meaning to the term "lackey", but that's more of an aside. Yingluck's administration demonstrated clearly that she is NOT in control when the floods happened. There were so many mouths spewing incomprehensible nonsense that government incompetence became as much a concern for the public as actual flooding. But there have been other instances as well, such as when Yingluck tried to tell the public that she wasn't aware of her own Foreign Ministry's plans to provide her brother with a passport (even if that's a bold-faced lie, it just shows how stupid they think the public is/how stupid they think they can be and get away with it). The fact is that successive Thai governments don't stand up to international scrutiny at all. This isn't just Yingluck; it's the entire system and it's been this way for a decade, at least. Thailand has essentially disconnected from global economic and political progress and integration. Thais are scrambling to prepare for the 2015 ASEAN integration because the citizens of other ASEAN nations have shown themselves to be much more aggressive and willing to learn. Bold, adventurous, confident, well-educated ASEAN investors will likely trounce their Thai equivalents in the global race towards prosperity. Thai academics and officials already know this and there have been numerous articles touching on the issue. Ultimately, Thai cultural pride (they were not colonized, something they really, really want everyone to know) and complacency have left the country with a government that reflects it's populace: oblivious and unskilled. Most Thais, it's been demonstrated, cannot find their own country on a map.

The Thai government is chock-full of proxies, puppets and known criminals. The international community knows this. Take a look at Yingluck's meetings with foreign officials in Davos: she met with no one of importance. It's very easy to see why. No serious government official, with little time and huge challenges before him or her, would sit down with someone who so clearly doesn't have her cards in order. There is every reason to believe that her brother would have to rubber stamp anything she happened to agree upon. She is so clearly incapable of leading a country and government (and that's not completely her fault; Thai political culture isn't merely a topic for study, it's a disaster) that it wouldn't truly make sense to spend any time discussing anything with her. When I stand her up next to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Indonesian PM; great interview with Charlie Rose), Barack Obama, Wen Jintao, Angela Merkel, or even Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, I can immediately make sense of the fact that Yingluck attracts little attention from foreign diplomats at major international political gatherings. She isn't a PM/President like any of them are (they all are leaders and are truly looking out for the long-term health of their respective countries). She can barely manage things in her own language, let alone in English.

I'm not sure about the last sentence other than a Thai social distinction (sophisticated urban as opposed to unsophisticated provincial).But overall this was an intelligent, well informed and rather devastating post obviously with some clear hits that someone like myself who is broadly sympathetic to Yingluck would have to consider very carefully.The small band of haters who are always in evidence to make witless remarks (and sometimes offensively sexist) remarks about the PM could learn something from this more incisive approach which is much more effective.

I have two comments about Yingluck's foreign reception.She has an advantage in the way she presents herself - well mannered, courteous and sympathetic.Secondly and much more importantly she unlike Abhisit has a clear electoral mandate.I understand what is said about the second tier people she saw in Switzerland, but I don't think this will be an ongoing issue.

[Misterwhisper]

I am sometimes wondering how she managed to get a degree from a U.S. university. I mean, with her even now English-language non-proficiency, how was she able to follow lectures, read - let alone comprehend - teaching materials or sit through and successfully complete exams? Let's be frank, she even has trouble reading prepared speeches in her own language without starting to stutter and losing the thread.

[Jingthing]

I am sometimes wondering how she managed to get a degree from a U.S. university. I mean, with her even now English-language non-proficiency, how was she able to follow lectures, read - let alone comprehend - teaching materials or sit through and successfully complete exams? Let's be frank, she even has trouble reading prepared speeches in her own language without starting to stutter and losing the thread.

Indeed. It points to a kind of corruption at these D-list U.S. schools offering these foreigner track programs for foreigners prepared to pay the fees. Maybe the Nation should send an investigative reporter to her U.S. school and dig for the truth of it. Edited March 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[Thai at Heart]

She will never get past the fact she thaksins proxy. Throw in the flood and addressing foreign arenas only in thai or poor english and out is inevitable people will ask what is the point in talking to her.

where is the boss? Is an inevitable retort?

[Jingthing]

She will never get past the fact she thaksins proxy. Throw in the flood and addressing foreign arenas only in thai or poor english and out is inevitable people will ask what is the point in talking to her.

where is the boss? Is an inevitable retort?

True, she can't get past it. However, I can imagine a more sophisticated puppet choice that at least could put on a good show of possessing the actual skills needed to be a credible PM. There are many examples in world history of leaders being both competent AND puppets. Edited March 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[Unkomoncents]

Yingluck should not speak in front of international audiences. I love that this article addresses the obvious problem of the "face-saving"/reinforcement issue. Thais bring a whole new meaning to the term "lackey", but that's more of an aside. Yingluck's administration demonstrated clearly that she is NOT in control when the floods happened. There were so many mouths spewing incomprehensible nonsense that government incompetence became as much a concern for the public as actual flooding. But there have been other instances as well, such as when Yingluck tried to tell the public that she wasn't aware of her own Foreign Ministry's plans to provide her brother with a passport (even if that's a bold-faced lie, it just shows how stupid they think the public is/how stupid they think they can be and get away with it). The fact is that successive Thai governments don't stand up to international scrutiny at all. This isn't just Yingluck; it's the entire system and it's been this way for a decade, at least. Thailand has essentially disconnected from global economic and political progress and integration. Thais are scrambling to prepare for the 2015 ASEAN integration because the citizens of other ASEAN nations have shown themselves to be much more aggressive and willing to learn. Bold, adventurous, confident, well-educated ASEAN investors will likely trounce their Thai equivalents in the global race towards prosperity. Thai academics and officials already know this and there have been numerous articles touching on the issue. Ultimately, Thai cultural pride (they were not colonized, something they really, really want everyone to know) and complacency have left the country with a government that reflects it's populace: oblivious and unskilled. Most Thais, it's been demonstrated, cannot find their own country on a map.

The Thai government is chock-full of proxies, puppets and known criminals. The international community knows this. Take a look at Yingluck's meetings with foreign officials in Davos: she met with no one of importance. It's very easy to see why. No serious government official, with little time and huge challenges before him or her, would sit down with someone who so clearly doesn't have her cards in order. There is every reason to believe that her brother would have to rubber stamp anything she happened to agree upon. She is so clearly incapable of leading a country and government (and that's not completely her fault; Thai political culture isn't merely a topic for study, it's a disaster) that it wouldn't truly make sense to spend any time discussing anything with her. When I stand her up next to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Indonesian PM; great interview with Charlie Rose), Barack Obama, Wen Jintao, Angela Merkel, or even Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, I can immediately make sense of the fact that Yingluck attracts little attention from foreign diplomats at major international political gatherings. She isn't a PM/President like any of them are (they all are leaders and are truly looking out for the long-term health of their respective countries). She can barely manage things in her own language, let alone in English.

I'm not sure about the last sentence other than a Thai social distinction (sophisticated urban as opposed to unsophisticated provincial).But overall this was an intelligent, well informed and rather devastating post obviously with some clear hits that someone like myself who is broadly sympathetic to Yingluck would have to consider very carefully.The small band of haters who are always in evidence to make witless remarks (and sometimes offensively sexist) remarks about the PM could learn something from this more incisive approach which is much more effective.

I have two comments about Yingluck's foreign reception.She has an advantage in the way she presents herself - well mannered, courteous and sympathetic.Secondly and much more importantly she unlike Abhisit has a clear electoral mandate.I understand what is said about the second tier people she saw in Switzerland, but I don't think this will be an ongoing issue.

The last sentence might have been a little unclear. I didn't mean it in regards to her Thai language abilities but rather her public administration skills (irregardless of whether she's managing in Thai or English). I hope you're right about this not being an ongoing issue. I would truly love to see some forward-thinking, eloquent politicians in Thailand. God knows the Kingdom needs them now more than ever.

[Nickymaster]

"Can the PM win over a foreign audience?" #1^

No problem, in spite of the opposition's hopes otherwise.

She is where she is legitimately as a democratically elected PM.

Her ability to calm the political waters in Thailand after her election, keeping her electoral base in tack and the Opposition nuetralized, is significant political achievement.

As for the charge she is a proxy for someone else, this doersn't fly either. All circumstances were fully declared and understood by the voters.

As a result she has no difficulties with Foreign audiences. I have seen many instances where significant international figures were only too happy to be photo-opped with the well respected and photogenic Thai Prime Minister.

"Doubts expressed over Yingluck's ability to 'think on her feet'

Only by those who would be advantaged, if such a perception found traction.

Her politiocal support has no such concerns, in fact they don't even think about it.

This is pure Opposition agenda.

"Top bureaucrats are going through some nail-biting moments as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra contemplates an invitation to attend an upcoming summit, the UN Conference on Trade and Development"

Says who?

The bureaucracy better be in line, recognizing their place vis-a-vis the political leadership.

Why not mention a name?....Who is biting his/her nails?

"Some bureaucrats fluent in English went as far as describing the performance as a "disaster".

Who?

Should this be true, this is more an indication of the PTP not cleaning house well enough after their electoral victory.

I have often heard accusations of the PTP electoral victory being followed by the installation of their "cronies'.

Should the above be true, obviously they didn't do enough, leaving some of Mr. Abhisit's cronies in place.

"Some think the invitation from Supachai was a trap so Yingluck can give the same mediocre performance as in Davos"

I have seen this frequently mentioned by the Oppositiuon media. This opinion stated as fact.

A little bit like saying the flood disaster management was not up to par. Another statement projected as fact, with no supporting data.

When compared to other Nations handling similar disasters of similar magnitude, Thailand's handling of it may be deemed exemplary.

When opposition accusations are expressed as fact, raises many red flags.

The same messages again....

-She is democratically elected so whatever she does is good.

-It's the opposition's fault

-It's the court's fault

-It's the military's fault

-It's .......fault

You talk like a red shirt leader.

[yoshiwara]

Yingluck should not speak in front of international audiences. I love that this article addresses the obvious problem of the "face-saving"/reinforcement issue. Thais bring a whole new meaning to the term "lackey", but that's more of an aside. Yingluck's administration demonstrated clearly that she is NOT in control when the floods happened. There were so many mouths spewing incomprehensible nonsense that government incompetence became as much a concern for the public as actual flooding. But there have been other instances as well, such as when Yingluck tried to tell the public that she wasn't aware of her own Foreign Ministry's plans to provide her brother with a passport (even if that's a bold-faced lie, it just shows how stupid they think the public is/how stupid they think they can be and get away with it). The fact is that successive Thai governments don't stand up to international scrutiny at all. This isn't just Yingluck; it's the entire system and it's been this way for a decade, at least. Thailand has essentially disconnected from global economic and political progress and integration. Thais are scrambling to prepare for the 2015 ASEAN integration because the citizens of other ASEAN nations have shown themselves to be much more aggressive and willing to learn. Bold, adventurous, confident, well-educated ASEAN investors will likely trounce their Thai equivalents in the global race towards prosperity. Thai academics and officials already know this and there have been numerous articles touching on the issue. Ultimately, Thai cultural pride (they were not colonized, something they really, really want everyone to know) and complacency have left the country with a government that reflects it's populace: oblivious and unskilled. Most Thais, it's been demonstrated, cannot find their own country on a map.

The Thai government is chock-full of proxies, puppets and known criminals. The international community knows this. Take a look at Yingluck's meetings with foreign officials in Davos: she met with no one of importance. It's very easy to see why. No serious government official, with little time and huge challenges before him or her, would sit down with someone who so clearly doesn't have her cards in order. There is every reason to believe that her brother would have to rubber stamp anything she happened to agree upon. She is so clearly incapable of leading a country and government (and that's not completely her fault; Thai political culture isn't merely a topic for study, it's a disaster) that it wouldn't truly make sense to spend any time discussing anything with her. When I stand her up next to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Indonesian PM; great interview with Charlie Rose), Barack Obama, Wen Jintao, Angela Merkel, or even Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, I can immediately make sense of the fact that Yingluck attracts little attention from foreign diplomats at major international political gatherings. She isn't a PM/President like any of them are (they all are leaders and are truly looking out for the long-term health of their respective countries). She can barely manage things in her own language, let alone in English.

I'm not sure about the last sentence other than a Thai social distinction (sophisticated urban as opposed to unsophisticated provincial).But overall this was an intelligent, well informed and rather devastating post obviously with some clear hits that someone like myself who is broadly sympathetic to Yingluck would have to consider very carefully.The small band of haters who are always in evidence to make witless remarks (and sometimes offensively sexist) remarks about the PM could learn something from this more incisive approach which is much more effective.

I have two comments about Yingluck's foreign reception.She has an advantage in the way she presents herself - well mannered, courteous and sympathetic.Secondly and much more importantly she unlike Abhisit has a clear electoral mandate.I understand what is said about the second tier people she saw in Switzerland, but I don't think this will be an ongoing issue.

The Japanese are more than happy to be entertained by a geisha. They will be more focussed on what are the government's detailed plans for flood prevention matters.

[Thai at Heart]

She will never get past the fact she thaksins proxy. Throw in the flood and addressing foreign arenas only in thai or poor english and out is inevitable people will ask what is the point in talking to her.

where is the boss? Is an inevitable retort?

True, she can't get past it. However, I can imagine a more sophisticated puppet choice that at least could put on a good show of possessing the actual skills needed to be a credible PM. There are many examples in world history of leaders being both competent AND puppets.

I found it extremely funny(and a little sad) to watch the mess that ensued during the floods. It wasn't so much to do with Yingluck's competence or not, but more to do with how very badly everyone around her acted when making public statements. It really was a case of everyone fighting to get in front of the a microphone to have their 2 minutes in the limelight as a pooyai in the know.

There was no respect at all for "the system" by which I mean, that the need for true and accurate information was so obvious, and meanwhile there was plodpladiv running around with his boats, there was governer actively going against what the government stated, there was the emergency group moving here and there in chaos. It really was like watching a bunch of people who had absolutely no understanding of running an organisation, and who had obviously all been brought up to believe they were the top of the pile. Not one thought for the greater good, keeping the public informed properly about what was going on. It was a turf war between a bunch of useless pooyais who believed they all knew better than any experts around.

Now you can say that Yingluck should have banged the table and got them all to shut up and get behind a single organisation to manage the mess, but it was steadfastly refused. I doubt anyone could have managed to get these people to shut their mouths for the greater good. So yes, it is a mess, and yes, I admit I said give her a chance, but having her as a puppet maybe would have worked but the flood removed any real hope she had of any credibility, at least in my eyes. I fear she could be the most competent and popular "PM/proxy/manager" in the world, but I don't think anyone could keep this bunch behind her in line.

The fact that she isn't any of the above means that political chaos will ensue.

Edited March 19, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[Gotogezr]

Yingluck in Davos

Talks a lot, but what the hell she is talking about?

[WackySomchai]

"Can the PM win over a foreign audience?" #1^

No problem, in spite of the opposition's hopes otherwise.

She is where she is legitimately as a democratically elected PM.

Her ability to calm the political waters in Thailand after her election, keeping her electoral base in tack and the Opposition nuetralized, is significant political achievement.

As for the charge she is a proxy for someone else, this doersn't fly either. All circumstances were fully declared and understood by the voters.

As a result she has no difficulties with Foreign audiences. I have seen many instances where significant international figures were only too happy to be photo-opped with the well respected and photogenic Thai Prime Minister.

"Doubts expressed over Yingluck's ability to 'think on her feet'

Only by those who would be advantaged, if such a perception found traction.

Her politiocal support has no such concerns, in fact they don't even think about it.

This is pure Opposition agenda.

"Top bureaucrats are going through some nail-biting moments as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra contemplates an invitation to attend an upcoming summit, the UN Conference on Trade and Development"

Says who?

The bureaucracy better be in line, recognizing their place vis-a-vis the political leadership.

Why not mention a name?....Who is biting his/her nails?

"Some bureaucrats fluent in English went as far as describing the performance as a "disaster".

Who?

Should this be true, this is more an indication of the PTP not cleaning house well enough after their electoral victory.

I have often heard accusations of the PTP electoral victory being followed by the installation of their "cronies'.

Should the above be true, obviously they didn't do enough, leaving some of Mr. Abhisit's cronies in place.

"Some think the invitation from Supachai was a trap so Yingluck can give the same mediocre performance as in Davos"

I have seen this frequently mentioned by the Oppositiuon media. This opinion stated as fact.

A little bit like saying the flood disaster management was not up to par. Another statement projected as fact, with no supporting data.

When compared to other Nations handling similar disasters of similar magnitude, Thailand's handling of it may be deemed exemplary.

When opposition accusations are expressed as fact, raises many red flags.

The same messages again....

-She is democratically elected so whatever she does is good.

-It's the opposition's fault

-It's the court's fault

-It's the military's fault

-It's .......fault

You talk like a red shirt leader.

He is a trolling red shirt leader so don't waste your time ...

[Siripon]

You have to have the required knowledge to be able to 'think on your feet',sadly I think in many areas Yingluk simply doesn't know what to say, unlike Apisit who always comes across as well informed and articulate.

[Buchholz]

I found it extremely funny(and a little sad) to watch the mess that ensued during the floods. It wasn't so much to do with Yingluck's competence or not, but more to do with how very badly everyone around her acted when making public statements. It really was a case of everyone fighting to get in front of the a microphone to have their 2 minutes in the limelight as a pooyai in the know.

There was no respect at all for "the system" by which I mean, that the need for true and accurate information was so obvious, and meanwhile there was plodpladiv running around with his boats, there was governer actively going against what the government stated, there was the emergency group moving here and there in chaos. It really was like watching a bunch of people who had absolutely no understanding of running an organisation, and who had obviously all been brought up to believe they were the top of the pile. Not one thought for the greater good, keeping the public informed properly about what was going on. It was a turf war between a bunch of useless pooyais who believed they all knew better than any experts around.

It was pretty much a "flood" of BS for 2 months running...

Didn't they already say a few weeks ago that the flooding would be gone by the end of November? If I'm not mistaken, they even gave a date.

There's been a whole lot of Cabinet Minister's pronouncements going back 56 days...

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October 16th

Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut assured Bangkok residents living along the Chao Phraya River that the worst is over

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4769911

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October 30th

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday urged Bangkok residents to be patient as the worst flood crisis in more than five decades was expected to pass soon.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4806830

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November 7th

Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat expressed confidence that the floodwater flowing in from the north will recede within two weeks

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4829267

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November 8th

Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan said the flood crisis in Bangkok is likely to drag on for another month

http://www.whbf.com/...s-to-last-month

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November 25th

Defense Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa expects the flood situation to normalize before December 5.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4871569

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December 3rd

Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong said more than 90 per cent of the plants within and outside the seven submerged industrial estates will resume operation before the end of December

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4887586

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[jayboy]

The last sentence might have been a little unclear. I didn't mean it in regards to her Thai language abilities but rather her public administration skills (irregardless of whether she's managing in Thai or English). I hope you're right about this not being an ongoing issue. I would truly love to see some forward-thinking, eloquent politicians in Thailand. God knows the Kingdom needs them now more than ever.

Oddly enough Yingluck's Thai as well as her English speaking ability is the subject of much frenzied discussion, usually hate filled, on the social media by the unpleasanter end of urbanite Bangkok.An educated native English speaker can often draw wry satisfaction that these diatribes are often riddled with errors in spelling, grammar and syntax.Rather akin to the infamous yellow shirt placard "REDS ARE NOT EDUCATE PEEPLE".I think critics of Yingluck's Thai speaking ability -though typically they are usually not very precise about it - are referring to her provincial mannerisms not her capability (since she is obviously a native speaker).If they were logical they would apply the same criticism to Chuan whose English is worse than that of Yingluck and is even more of a provincial.

Having said all that Yingluck is obviously not a long term prospect and lacks the qualities really needed for an effective PM (though easily superior to an old incompetent codger like Surayud).At the moment I can't see a leader of quality on either side.I had hopes of Korn (still do actually) but his record in opposition is patchy and there is a whiff of the Mitt Romney about him (along with a political extremist wife).