BANGKOK – Thailand returned to the forefront of the World Economic Forum (WEF) after a 12-year absence, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s participation from January 15 to 18, 2024, in Switzerland.
The leadership labels him as the striker of the ‘Thai team’, but there is still criticism at home.
A Senate recently tabled a motion for a general debate to assess the government’s performance after four months in office. This is the first time in 9 years that a Senate, which was handpicked by the coup, is leading a general debate on the government’s performance.
Srettha mentioned that the Senate has the right according to the constitutional law. As for the propriety, he left the answer to the public.
The digital wallet is delayed
There are also political complications, as the National Anti-Corruption Commission does not approve of the digital wallet project. The leak warns of possible constitutional violations and corruption if the government goes ahead with the project.
The leak before the planned meeting led to the unplanned postponement. Finance Deputy Minister Julapun Amornvivat expressed fears for the first time that obstacles could delay the launch of the project in May.
Srettha did not immediately address these issues during his participation in the Davos meeting. Instead, he expressed his condolences to the victims of the bombing incident in Suphanburi province and instructed officials to take care of the injured and all affected people.
Mr. Salesman in 19 meetings
As a businessman turned prime minister, Srettha focused heavily on economic matters and negotiations. Notably, he discussed trade and investment with global leaders in a total of 19 meetings, including Bill Gates of Microsoft, Gautam Adani of Adani, and executives from Dubai World, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Telenor, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch International, DP World, Standard Chartered, and Google.
Srettha presented the “Thailand Landbridge: Connecting ASEAN with the World” project and participated in discussions such as “Learning from ASEAN” and negotiations with political leaders from Belgium, Switzerland, and the European Union. He also spoke with Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, about climate change and human development.
WEF founder Klaus Schwab also thanked Thailand’s participation after a 12-year absence and saw it as a positive sign for the economy. Somsak emphasized the government’s focus on trade and investment.
Political Football Enthusiast
As a passionate soccer fan, Srettha also supported the Thai national soccer team at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. He expressed his joy at Thailand’s victory over Kyrgyzstan on January 16.
In a lighthearted moment, Srettha, who is a Liverpool fan, jokingly asked Avram Glazer, the owner of English football club Manchester United F.C., “When a leading soccer club like Manchester United will sign a good striker to join one of the most globally acclaimed teams in the world’”.
In his response to the well-known columnist’s criticism that referred to the Bank of Thailand as a goalkeeper, Srettha agreed that a goalkeeper plays an important role in economic stability, but asserted that goalkeepers must also contribute to the offense.
“Goalkeepers and strikers can help each other,” said Srettha, after the relationship between this government and the central bank has not been so good.
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