It would be comical if it was not true. Last Sunday, government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd blasted the media for spreading supposedly "false news" that the cabinet had approved a bonus for 600 National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) officials.
He said the cabinet only acknowledged the proposal but asked the requester -- the NCPO -- to clarify its criteria for it.
After that, however, the spokesman quoted Gen Prayut Prayut Chan-o-cha as saying the officials deserved it as they have worked diligently for the military regime. They performed their job with dedication and their performances have been outstanding.
Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist, Bangkok Post.
So, the proposed reward has not been approved? From what the government spokesman said, it would seem only an official stamp of approval is needed but in theory the PM has already endorsed it.
Wait a minute. Lt Gen Sansern said the proposal must be revised by the NCPO, whose leader is Gen Prayut, and resubmitted to the government, headed by -- Gen Prayut.
And since Gen Prayut the NCPO chief has expressed his more than enthusiastic support for the proposed reward, does it mean Gen Prayut the prime minister would approve it?
The situation would be funnier than it is now if Gen Prayut the PM started criticising the proposal made by Gen Prayut as the NCPO chief. Would it make sense for the PM to question a proposal submitted by the NCPO chief when they are one and the same person?
The image that comes to mind is that of a man slapping himself. It definitely would be slapstick if it happened.
That does not mean what is going on now is not comical. As usual, Lt Gen Sansern and his boss blasted the media for wrongly claiming the government had approved the bonus, saying they presented inaccurate news with the aim of discrediting the government.
The spokesman went on to list what he described were extraordinary achievements by both state officials and ordinary citizens who have helped the military regime. According to Lt Gen Sansern, these 600 people were outstanding in several areas including maintaining peace and order, implementing social reorganisation programmes, handling complaints and reaching out to people in distress as well as promoting national reconciliation.
Some have also served as key drivers of government policies tackling critical problems such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human trafficking and corruption. According to Lt Gen Sansern, the PM also praised them for taking on added workload.
"That is why they deserve an appropriate reward. This is to boost the morale of those who have worked with dedication, who have made personal sacrifices to ensure that the job gets done and shown outstanding performance," the PM was quoted as saying.
Does this equate as an endorsement of the proposed reward? It is true the cabinet has not yet given official approval, but listening to what the PM and his spokesman had to say about it, would anyone think the motion will be vetoed? No, it does not look like the special raise will be beaten back, although some details of how the money will be divided and handed out need to be sorted out.
As the government spokesman noted, the bonus must be considered based on the existing budget. The criteria must also be carefully designed to make sure the budget is well spent.
In short, it's how much and to whom that must be considered, not whether the reward should be handed out.
So this is not an approval? Making it official seems a formality. What is perplexing is why did the government have to slam the media for reporting "fake" news and make a schizophrenic fool of itself in the process? To call others liars when everything the government has said seems to confirm their reports is bizarre.
What is less funny is the nepotistic nature of this reward and by extension an increasing lack of accountability on the part of the government and its almost twin entity the NCPO.
In essence, the NCPO has proposed to reward itself. It gave itself an A grade. It said results of its excellent performances have been evident.
People who have read about students eating pathetic lunches of plain noodles with fish sauce because of alleged graft by the school director, about Thailand being a haven for toxic waste or how some court officials seem to have moved into the controversial Doi Suthep housing estate despite the PM's order to keep out, may wonder if NCPO officials have done an excellent job as claimed. But what can they do? A self-serving act is obviously at play.