Decades ago, Thaksin Shinawatra liked to talk about his vision of Thailand as a CEO-state. “A company is a country, a country is a company,” he said in 1997. As As Pasuk Pongpaichit and Chris Baker described it, he “claimed the methods of business management were superior to the traditional practice of bureaucracy or government. He lectured the Cabinet on the latest management theory.” He was not just a businessman who became premier; he was the CEO prime minister.

Not since Thaksin’s fall from power until now has such a prominent businessman taken the role of prime minister. Srettha Thavisin should theoretically also feel like he is another CEO prime minister, hailing as he does from Sansiri. But no one thinks of Srettha along those lines. 

Most importantly, people are not sure if he is in charge. “I am in control,” he insisted to TIME in an interview, after it was suggested that he was a mere puppet for Thaksin. Few leaders who are in control feel the need to proclaim that fact to the world.

Click here to read the full piece at Thai Enquirer.

(Cover image credits)