When Prayut Chan-o-cha was prime minister, he penned at least ten singles. None, of course, was more famous than his debut with “Returning Happiness to the People,” a song that was endlessly played on the airwaves in the aftermath of the 2014 military coup. 

His other singles garnered relatively little attention. One of those relatively neglected songs was a piece called ‘Saphan’ (“Bridge”), which was apparently inspired by one of Prayut’s favorite songs, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ by Simon & Garfunkel. “I’m ready to be a bridge,” the lyrics go, “so that you can cross over to the endpoint you dreamed of.” 

The endpoint that Prayut was thinking about probably did not quite align with what eventually ended up transpiring. The Prayut era was meant to be the fortification of one particular conservative vision of Thai politics: a new era where the unpredictable pressures of democracy could be guided and channeled towards predetermined paths. One where corrupt politicians could be permanently contained and prevented from ever taking the reins of power. 

The 2023 election results have led to a major rethink of these goals.

Click here to read the full piece at Thai Enquirer.

(Cover image credits: ไทยคู่ฟ้า)