Time to ease 'I'm the boss' attitude

Time to ease 'I'm the boss' attitude

Various designs for the proposed Bangkok 'Observatory' have been seen for months, such as this mockup posted last year at Skyscraper City's website.
Various designs for the proposed Bangkok 'Observatory' have been seen for months, such as this mockup posted last year at Skyscraper City's website.

Waking up on Tuesday for most Thais was just another day but by evening there was a whole lot of social media buzz on a decision by the cabinet passed earlier in the day -- the decision to build a Bangkok Observatory.

The 459-metre-high structure that will be built on Treasury Department land in the Klong San area of Thon Buri will house many attractions and, if one is to believe what the government says, it will bring more than one million tourists annually into the country while generating 47 billion baht over the 30-year lease term.

The state-of-the-art structure will take three years to complete and will be Thailand and Asean's tallest structure, the fourth tallest in Asia, which would translate into a lot of tourists coming to see the skyline of Bangkok.

Umesh Pandey is Editor, Bangkok Post.

There is no doubt that this 4.6-billion-baht structure will be one of the most attractive destination for tourists in Thailand and will surely add to the attractiveness of Bangkok, which until recently has been a transit point for many tourists who prefer to go to Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui as they feel Bangkok is yet another mega city that does not offer anything that stands out apart from temples.

The Bangkok Observatory could be one of the many things this city needs, but one wonders why such positive news has become a public relations nightmare for the government. After all, the Treasury Department will earn 70 million baht from the leasing of the 4.2 rai of land that has no access from any main road.

Instead of being praised for its foresight in building a structure that could be considered iconic in its own right, similar to the Bird's Nest stadium in China or even the MahaNakhon building in Bangkok, the government has come under fire from the public. What went so wrong could be a case study for this government, which has been shrouded with controversies over many of its moves.

A look back over the past six months will show that the government has made many mistakes in the way it has been governing the country. Its heavy-handed approach is evident from the fact that most, if not all, its projects have been approved in a non-transparent manner.

The procurement of three submarines from China costing US$1.1 billion, 10 battle tanks from China for 2 billion baht with more in the pipeline, and 34 armoured vehicles from China for more than 2 billion baht, not to mention the use of the all-powerful Section 44 to speed up the 179 billion baht rail project and now the Bangkok Observatory, have all been done in the same way the coup was undertaken on May 22, 2014, by order of the dear leader without caring for what the general public is feeling.

The feeling of "I don't care" seems to be the only way this government is operating and this kind of attitude only adds fuel to the fire.

The government of coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha needs to take into consideration the general feeling of people, especially at a time when its popularity is already deteriorating as the grassroots economy continues to feel the pain, affecting overall consumption in the country.

The emphasis of this government has been more focused on the macroeconomic picture, whereas the micro level has been suffering big time. Consumption has been in decline, household debt is among the highest in the world, and consumer spending is not picking up, with purchases via credit cards also witnessing a decline, which means even the working class who can afford to own credit cards are feeling the pinch of an impending economic crunch.

Moves by Gen Prayut's government seems to reflect a carefree "I am the boss" attitude that would have been met by street protests had they been carried out by any elected government from the Pheu Thai or Democrat parties. Had any of these governments made the moves that Gen Prayut is undertaking, cases would have been filed in the courts and many projects would have been put on indefinite hold.

So what Gen Prayut could do is to use his powers to forge a better understanding between his administration and the people. Have a good public relations team that conveys the message in the right tone. Don't just order things and prepare all the information that is needed before announcing policies. This would shore up the government's popularity and also avoid the need to douse the small fires that keep breaking out.

Umesh Pandey

Bangkok Post Editor

Umesh Pandey is Editor, Bangkok Post.

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