Thailand! What’s up with Sonthi Boonyaratglin?
Sonthi Boonyaratglin: head of the Royal Thai Army and leader of the Council for National Security; Kom Chad Luek’s man of the year 2006; Thailand’s savior and all-round nice guy; the man who said, “There is nobody who wants to stage a coup,” and then staged a coup; and the guy who stated that “political troubles should be resolved by politicians”, and less than 18 months later he is gearing up to enter politics after his military retirement.
From today’s Nation:
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, chairman of the Council for National Security, may become a deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs in the Surayud Cabinet after his retirement as army chief, Defense Minister Boonrawd Somtas said Thursday.
Boonrawd said the chance was high for Sonthi to be appointed as a deputy prime minister after his retirement from the military service.
Sonthi is known for being close with HMtK, and yet he’s always appeared to be a bit of a bungler. Sonthi once claimed that officials had attempted to bribe him to gain promotion. He was so outraged that he publicly slammed such actions, stating that they must have occurred frequently when Thaksin was in power… he forgot to charge the culprits with any wrongdoing though.
This is a man who everybody was sure had no political aspirations, and yet here he is, refusing to deny that he could become prime minister. When asked if he would become PM earlier this year, he replied, “I’m a Thai, and a patriot. If I can do anything to help strengthen the country, I will do it.”
He is a master of confusion. Remember when he had his picture taken with the Assembly of Isaan People, who handed him a petition calling for Prime Minister Surayud to be removed? He was, apparently, outwitted by the group into accepting them into his office and chatting amiably.
The man with two wives has never stated outright that he will not become prime minister. I have a hard time deciphering Thai politics as it is, but this man has me scratching my head on an almost daily basis.
So, what’s up with Sonthi Boonyaratglin?
