Casey's: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's public address today, outlining her government's achievements over the past three months, appears to be a move to shore up a faltering communication strategy after a series of recent missteps. The question is whether such a one-way presentation will achieve its purpose. The national briefing, entitled "2025 Empowering Thais: A Real Possibility", is promoted as a major event, to be attended by around 500 high-level officials including cabinet ministers, heads of government agencies and armed forces leaders. It will also be broadcast live on the state-run NBT2HD TV and its social media channels. If this all sounds familiar, it probably is. In September, during her policy address to parliament, Ms Paetongtarn laid out a 10-point plan to "empower" Thais. The plan focuses on creating economic opportunities and tackling challenges, including soaring household debt, the narcotics crisis, technological disruption, and an ageing population. The proposed initiatives include comprehensive debt restructuring and measures to reduce energy prices and utility fees. The PM also pledged to promote precision agriculture and food technology to increase farmers' incomes, supporting the government's "Thai Kitchen to the World" vision. Additionally, she vowed to eradicate drugs and combat online crime, especially the growing menace of call-centre scams. Ms Paetongtarn can keep reciting these plans and showcasing what she believes to be her government's achievements, but such self-promotion is unlikely to increase public confidence in her administration. A more detailed and multi-pronged communication strategy is needed to keep the public informed and engaged about what the government is doing and the obstacles it faces. The current reactive approach -- where the PM and ministers merely respond to questions of the day -- has failed to provide a comprehensive picture of the government's performance. Worse still, it has yet to engage the public meaningfully beyond fuelling political debates and deepening divisions. Recent communication controversies -- such as the PM's remark about her husband being a Southerner when questioned about the Southern floods or the perceived policy inconsistency regarding a VAT hike -- are glaring examples of the government's incoherent communication strategy. A more professional communication team would have prepared how to handle such a crucial and sensitive issue as the VAT hike before announcing it to the public -- if the issue is indeed under consideration. The spectacle of the finance minister floating the VAT hike idea only to have the PM dismiss it shortly afterwards is embarrassing and raises doubts about the administration's competence and coordination. The same is true of the PM's reply about her personal life when asked about the flooding disaster in the South. If her communication team were doing its job correctly, the press should have received regular, timely, and relevant updates about the flooding and other important issues, thus eliminating the need for ambush questions. Ultimately, Ms Paetongtarn's resorting to the TV address for policy updates underscores how her team is out of step with the demands of modern government communication. The PM needs to overhaul her communication team to stay relevant and effective in fostering public understanding of the government's work.
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