Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra kickstarted a bid to strengthen her government's popularity with her first TV address to the nation last week.
The programme, Okat Thai Kap Nayok Paetongtarn (Opportunities for Thailand with Prime Minister Paetongtarn), is to inform the public of her government's policies; what she has done and in some cases achieved. The programme will be broadcast on the first Sunday of every month on the state-controlled NBT HD2 channel.
Making her debut last Sunday, she highlighted several issues, starting with the upgrades to the universal healthcare scheme that enable patients to use medical services anywhere in Thailand; the One District One Scholarship programme -- a reincarnation of the Thai Rak Thai government's policy from the early 2000s; and the marriage equality law.
On the subject of the PM2.5 dust problem, she explained extensively the government's enthusiasm to take action against air pollution, then went on to talk about her trip to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum which she claimed was a success on her part as she met several world leaders.
Other topics were the "Ban Pheu Khon Thai" (Homes for Thais) project, which she said has gained much attention from prospective homebuyers. Next on her agenda was the 10,000 baht cash handout scheme which she proudly dubbed one of her government's key achievements. The second phase was doled out in January -- before Chinese New Year and the local elections. She promised the scheme would be extended to include a third phase.
The prime minister also did not forget to mention, albeit light-heartedly, the recent criticism of her attire, and shrugged off the disapproval, saying she would wear those outfits "to work and make people happy".
Ms Paetongtarn is not the first leader to opt for a TV address to communicate government policies and their implementation to the public. Civilian and junta governments alike have made use of the same one-way communication strategy, in the hope of better connecting with the people. The difference is that PM Paetongtarn is less formal, using more casual language and physical expressions like her two thumbs-up before the camera. The Feb 2 broadcast lasted about 20 minutes, which was short by her predecessors' standards.
Some may see the programme as an effort to connect with the public and erase the public impression of her as an inexperienced premier. At the same time, she may want to stand out from the shadow of her father, Thaksin, who over the past months has acted as if he was prime minister. Yet it was not to trace the influence of Thaksin, as much of what she said echoed comments her father had made previously.
If anything, the TV programme, which is much like a talk show, is another attestation of Ms Paetongtarn's preference for one-way communication. Before this, she made her first public address on Dec 12 at a forum, "2025 Empowering Thais: A Real Possibility", also broadcast live on NBT 2HD. The programme was attended by several cabinet ministers and 500 senior government officials and military leaders.
In fact, it may be a communication strategy born out of necessity given her continuing absence from parliament. Indeed, MPs have constantly asked the prime minister to answer questions in Lower House sessions, without response.
Aside from her policy declaration, which is mandatory after taking office, she has shunned calls from the opposition that she attend House interpellations in person.
Now, it remains a question of when the PM will attend her maiden parliamentary session to field MPs questions like her predecessors.
Okat Thai Kap Nayok Paetongtarn may become the de facto communication model between the prime minister and public. But will such a "talk show" strategy work? It seems unlikely. Take the issue of PM2.5 dust.
While she tried to convince viewers that she was serious about the problem and has worked on it since she took office as PM, and had "instructed ministers involved to stay alert and fight it", dust is still everywhere. From her presentation, it is also obvious Ms Paetongtarn has no idea why several measures have failed.
Sooner or later, her audience will let her know that there is no place for empty talk, and words alone will not suffice.