Retail politics is no longer as relevant and essential in the age of social media. Politicians don't have to appear before the masses at local events or attend press briefings to get their message heard. They can stage their own briefing with a single click, anytime, anywhere. It may be even more cost-effective than traditional approaches.
Harnessing the power of social media platforms to benefit careers, reach the public and spread ideas to a potentially huge audience has never been easier. Deployed effectively, social media can catapult a novice politician to superstardom in no time. A clear example is the fortyish billionaire who leads Thailand's third-largest political party, an organisation that didn't exist two years ago.
But a rocket that soars into the political stratosphere can just as easily come crashing to earth. A few ill-chosen words or a single awkward video and the public can turn against you in seconds.
Reputation has become a very fragile commodity in the social media era. Other than developing a thick skin, politicians need to be social media savvy and well equipped with the tools to capture and hold attention.
However, public attention is a temperamental creature; it needs to be wooed courteously. Social media fame is a siren song of instant gratification in the form of likes and shares. Play it carefully, and you can bask in the glow of adulation. Use it carelessly and the music will stop.
As the coronavirus pandemic spread last week, many people believed they were about to witness a zombie apocalypse. Wild rumours took flight. In the face of rising panic, the government's main task is to reassure the public. But many senior politicians continue to bluster and stumble, making the public more nervous and angry.
Standing out from the pack has been the public health minister. Instead of using the power of his platform to reassure citizens or offer factual information to clear up misconceptions, Anutin Charnvirakul chose to pour scorn on the public on Facebook for criticising the government's handling of the pandemic.
(Mr Anutin was at it again last Friday morning, lashing out at ai farang for not accepting the face masks he was handing out, and suggesting they "should be expelled" from the country. He quickly apologised. "I slipped," he wrote on Facebook.)
There was a time, back in the pre-internet era, when a hot-blooded politician might find it useful to let fly with a controversial statement in order to get noticed. But doing that too often in this day and age will expose you to catastrophe.
Those hoping to thrive in politics these days need a holistic approach. Communications and public relations matter. If you don't have the expertise, hire someone who can help you.
Bad communication hurts more than just the person whose name and face are attached to the statement. It can also sabotage the good work of people behind the scenes -- in this case the civil servants and talented public health professionals who have worked tirelessly to deal with the impact of the pandemic in our country.
The repercussions of a minister's careless comments also cause the public to doubt the credibility of the government as a whole. When credibility is lacking, people stop listening, and that makes dealing with a serious emergency much harder.
Communications is clearly a weakness of this government, especially among those at the top who have spent their careers in uniform, accustomed to giving orders that are never questioned. They perceive the media as their enemy and the people as obstacles to "officials" getting things done.
When you work for the public, you are living on taxpayers' money. Therefore, it is your duty to keep the public informed about important issues, to calm their nerves in times of crisis; you cannot keep them in the dark. For leaders, it is important to control the narrative. Because if you don't, others will do it for you. And that could get ugly, since the messages could get twisted along the way.
The government needs to do communications right. Because in a democratic country, the crucial constituent of power is the people. Don't take that power -- or the people who bestowed it on you -- for granted.
As much as credibility comes from a proven track record, it also comes from effective communications. Without credibility, your voice lacks weight and people ceases to believe you, and that's when everything else starts to crumble.