Anutin Has a TikTok Account and Of Course it’s Wacky

Photos: Nituna1966 / TikTok

BANGKOK — If you’re wondering whatever happened to Thailand’s health minister after he went radio silence on social media, look no further than TikTok. 

Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appeared to be active on the video-sharing site, having posted two videos there under his handle @nituna1966 (That’s Anutin backwards with his birth year). 

In his first clip posted May 29, he lip syncs audio by TikTok toddler @Phuriwat.M. “People watching aren’t giving me hearts. I’ll spank you,” he mouths.

In the second clip posted May 31, he posts a video of a plane taking off to “Come Fly With Me” sung by Steven Davis.

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Anutin, 53, seems to be the first major Thai politician to have a presence on TikTok, and quite the exception of its audience. According to TikTok Thailand, those aged 45 to 55 make up only 1 percent of the app’s users, about half of which are 18 to 24 year olds, and more than a third are 13 to 17 year olds. 

TikTok is perhaps Anutin’s latest social media foray after he deleted his Twitter in March for posting discriminatory comments about Western tourists being “dirty” and more likely to spread coronavirus than Asians. Anutin’s Instagram is also set to private.

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