The media circus resulting from Sunisa Lertpakawat’s book Thaksin, where are you? is a farce. She, a beat reporter from army-run television station Channel 5, travelled from Bangkok to London, allegedly at her own expense, on a crazed mission to interview Thaksin, Thailand’s ousted premier, for what looks to be a piece of sensationalist pop culture.
Sunisa’s two seven-hour interviews with Thaksin produced such menial revelations as Thaksin being rich, having a big house, getting his hair cut at Tony ’n’ Guys and being annoyed at having billions of baht in assets frozen. Why did the world need this book? What journalistic point was Sunisa trying to make?
The book, released a week ago, is 200 pages long. If anybody has a copy, I’d be interested to know if it really is as worthless as it has been made out to be.
Sunisa reportedly cried and begged Thaksin to give her an interview, but it’s not clear exactly why she did it. Was it really just to give her publishing house Unusual a kick start? It seems to have stalled already now that the book is out of print, allegedly by order of the Council for National Security. This quote from Sunisa proves that she’s not interested in journalism, her supposed chosen profession:
“I just wrote the book based on the interview, from his own words, without deciding on what was factual or non-factual.”
This might have made a decent article in a glossy mag; but a whole book? Now that’s pushing it a bit. According to The Nation, the most talked-about section of the book is the revelation that Thaksin knows the pop star Lydia. Who Lydia is, I have no idea.
An editorial in The Nation claimed that the book is now a best-seller, despite Sunisa admitting to only having enough money to print 1,000 copies.
For some bizarre reason, Sonthi ordered a disciplinary probe into Sunisa… ummm… being absent without leave? We’ll never forget the image of Sunisa breaking down at a press conference when asked about the military probe into her expedition, but again, I have to wonder, what’s this all for?
"“I just wrote the book based on the interview, from his own words, without deciding on what was factual or non-factual.”"
Wasn't see just following the tried tradition of print media journalism in Thailand? She would probably fit in with most newspapers.
On the face of it what she has done shows ambition and drive although I am sure she would admit to being a little naive. Unless she had something specific in her contract of employment (if she even had one) saying she couldn't do something like this then I can't see the problem. If she did this in her own time and at her own expense then that's something to be applauded.
Based purely on her desire to get a story I would not have any problems employing her as a writer. I can't comment on the story itself as I haven't read it. I wonder if anyone is considering negotiating the English language rights to the book?
I wouldn't bother reading it. The US is rife with this kind of pop culture treatment of serious topics. Fluff pieces about politicians. It simply doesn't interest me a bit.
Now if someone would write a serious book, I'd be happy to read it!
Does anyone know if there is a good book on Thaksin in English?
Peace,
~Chani
http://thailandgal.blogspot.com