Back in October, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin argued that he does not merely want people to see him as a prime minister, but as a businessman. “I’m a salesman. I have to sell Thailand’s great products and build investors’ confidence. It’s my duty and mission as the No 1 salesman of the country,” he told a forum hosted by Krungthep Turakij.
The “national salesman” personal branding is not necessarily a new concept. Indeed, it was most recently used by former commerce minister Jurin Laksanawisit in the previous government. What does feel new, of course, is the intense focus that any prime minister has given on being the salesman. Former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was temperamentally unsuited to the role, and in the past nine years he did not make his presence on the international stage felt. Srettha’s proclivity towards being a national salesman is something that can be welcomed.
It is unfortunate, then, that in this early stage of his tenure, Srettha has already seemingly made one mistake that has damaged his ability to be an effective national salesman.
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