The straight-talking general also penned lyrics to a patriotic ballad - Return Happiness to Thailand - which is played by radio and television stations around the country.

....................by order.

I have ordered that scripts be written, including plays on reconciliation, on tourism and on Thai culture, Prayuth told reporters.

Presumably not including plays commemorating the Thammasat University massacre. Am I alone in finding this situation is growing increasingly Orwellian, maybe even Jong' ian, as in Kim, not as in Jungian?

But, but, but, but....Thaksin!

I wanted to be the first to offer the standard reply in argument.

Are you not aware the man is a CONVICTED CRIMINAL? Are you not aware he is a FUGITIVE? Please feel free to add your own further rhetorical questions..

Calm down, he got 2 years for a conflict on interest concerning his Mrs buying land in Rachada, Same as Samak got for having a cookery spot on TV, ie he was stitched up.

He wasn't "stitched up" - he knowingly broke the law believing himself to be above the law and untouchable, He got away with things before and assumed he could again. Dangerous when a PM decides some laws are irrelevant or don't apply to him and his family.

Samak - the problem was lying. Something some politicians in Thailand regard as ethical of course.

It's illegal in Thailand to disagree ( or indeed here)

So I won't say anything adverse to ""dear leaders claims"

But now human nature is being reviewed by him.

Let us hope basic formats can be established that satisfy his required tastes

I guess the bigger question is should a man running the country introduce himself into even the world of free television ideas like soap opera scripts.

Does it not sound just a tad intrusive ?

I put that question on twitter and 91% said it did

The real comedy here is the idiot, holier than thou farangs that completely missed the General's point. He is in a position of authority and if you know his style and attitude he gave an order to the writers to clean up their plots. He is quoted as saying, "If you writers cannot do your job, give it to me, I will write them myself."

In this sense it is not a serious declamation that he is going to go into plot writing but merely an elbow in the side jab to the writers to get them to do their job properly with some modicum of societal values taken into consideration. For those of us that had to endure the debacle of royalty bashing with Princess Di in UK and the painful results of other "free-press" trash journalism, I for one am happy that a benevolent dictator is taking on this issue.

One cannot underestimate the power of mass media to influence masses. It cannot hurt to have more positive shows broadcast to improve Thai society and to those that say "ratings, profits..." well welcome to the good side of a benevolent dictatorship.

I think you are saying that the General/PM has the right to give orders to anyone in Thailand and they must obey, and that you are comfortable with that situation. Is that correct?

At last - a job befitting him. His hubris knows no bounds . . .

In the western world you don't have PM's, Presidents, or other leaders threatening to take over the script writing. That's what is going on in Thailand. That's what this topic is about. Do you have an opinion on that?

Here's my opinion..

- you should both get a grip on yourselves and acquire a sense of humour..

..as Prayuth has demonstrated he has

- but you still don't get it

At last - a job befitting him. His hubris knows no bounds . . .

In the western world you don't have PM's, Presidents, or other leaders threatening to take over the script writing. That's what is going on in Thailand. That's what this topic is about. Do you have an opinion on that?

Here's my opinion..

- you should both get a grip on yourselves and acquire a sense of humour..

..as Prayuth has demonstrated he has

- but you still don't get it

Oh, so this is Prayuth being funny! I didn't know that, I thought he was trying to order around Thai society the way an Army General orders around subordinates. Was his now infamous bikini comment another example of his sense of humor?

Music to my ears.

How many times I've complained to the wife of the idiocy we have endured seeing that nonsence.

The last PM to embrace TV and the art(s) - of cooking - was compelled to resign.

Take over government. Check.

Pay farmers. Check.

Straighten out the police. Check. Sort of.

Tackle corruption. Check. Well, not really.

Sit next to Obama, get selfie and autograph. Check.

Appear on cooking show. Pending.

Set up retirement career as soap script writer. Pending.

He's now officially retired from the Army. Soap writer or cooking show. Better decide fast, won't be long before doing the "right thing" has Thais chasing him down the street with pitchforks.