From The Nation:
Newly-appointed economic envoy Somkid Jatusripitak vowed Thursday to explain sufficiency economy principle to foreign countries.
Somkid, a former finance minister and deputy prime minister for the Thaksin government was Thursday appointed chairman of a foreign economic relations committee, Deputy PM’s Secretary-General Weerachai Weeramethikul announced… Somkid said after his appointment that he would work to supplement the works of government agencies to get foreign countries understand the principle of sufficiency economy. Somkid said he still had connections with foreign countries so he would use the connections for his works. He would have to make some foreign visits. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Somkid’s appointment had nothing to do with politics. He said Somkid had offered to help explain the idea of sufficiency economy to foreign countries so he appointed him as the economic envoy.
And from Wikipedia:
Somkid has been been called “the man behind Thaksinomics”, and was the mastermind of the populist policies that helped propel the Thai Rak Thai party to a landslide election victory in 2001. The TRT “won by embracing populism on a grand scale,” said the Far Eastern Economic Review. Somkid’s chief policy innovations included the universal healthcare program, 1 million THB development funds for each of Thailand’s 70,000 villages, a 3-year loan freeze for farmers, fast-track privatization of state enterprises, and a national asset management corporation (AMC) to buy up the $20 billion in bad debt carried by Thai banks.
Somkid also pioneered the TRT party’s rural small and medium enterprise (SME) policy. Noting that agriculture remains the most important economic sector, employing 60-70% of the Thai population, the economic challenge was to develop the agricultural sector and link it with the modern sector. This became one of the founding principles of the Thaksin government’s popular One Tambon One Product (OTOP) program.
At the time, The Nation newspaper exclaimed that these policies “amount to a revolution in Thai public policy”.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Srithanonchai // Feb 15, 2007 at 9:15 pm
And from the Bangkok Post…
Analysis: Surprise appointment of Somkid
Veera Prateepchaikul, for Bangkokpost.com
The recruitment of Somkid Jatusripitak represents a win-win situation for both the government and the Council for National Security.
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont’s appointment Thursday of Somkid Jatusripitak, former deputy prime minister and finance minister of the ousted Thaksin regime, as the government’s mouthpiece on the sufficiency economy came as a total surprise to the public.
Not even Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula who is responsible for clarifying the philosophy of sufficiency economy to the foreign community was aware of the appointment in advance.
The prime minister admitted that it was Somkid himself who approached him and voluntarily offered the service for the government. However, several political observers believed it was the government which approached Somkid to solicit his service.
But whoever made the first move did not matter as much as the fact that the choice of Somkid was a plus for the government in several aspects. Given Somkid’s credibility and reputation in the international community, he is in a good position to clarify to the international community, especially foreign media, about sufficiency economy philosophy that it is relevant with globalisation although while serving in the Thaksin regime he often preached capitalism and ”leap forward” economy.
Honest speaking, the Finance Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry have not been successful in clearing up doubts held among foreign businessmen about sufficiency economy.
Politically, Somkid’s recruitment to serve the Surayud government lends credence to the government’s call for national reconciliation. Viewed in a different context, Somkid’s appointment will deal a blow to Thai Rak Thai party which is now breaking up with several factions already jumped ship. Diehard members of the party may have to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to put their political future with the party or to find green pasteur elsewhere.
As far as Somkid is concerned, he is yet to make known his political ambitions although one political faction, the Matchima, which comprises mainly of former Thai Rak Thai MPs, has rolled out a red carpet for him to lead their party which is to be set up in the future.
Last but not least, Somkid’s recruitment to serve the government in the capacity as the government’s spokesman on sufficiency economy with the international community represents a win-win situation for both the Surayud government and the Council for National Security.
It is regarded as shrewd move amounting to ‘’shooting two birds with a single shot”. The only drawback is that Finance Minister Pridiyathorn’s feelings might get hurt because he was not consulted in advance and that he might be seen as failing in his job to clarify the sufficiency economy philosophy.
BP, 15 February 2007, web edition
2 fall // Feb 16, 2007 at 12:27 pm
A very, very smart move by the junta.
Put Somkid up in front, at a position to take the fall, but not have the ability to steer the ship.
Fail to bring in investor confidence, and it’s Somkid incompetent and personal bias.
Succeed to bring in investor confidence, and it’s Pridi’s and junta’s Sufficiency Supremecy.
All the while, Thai media would play out Somkid’s move as anti-Thaksin/Thaisinomic and foreign media would bound to interview Somkid(who duty bound to support Sufficiency).
It’s a win-win for Junta today. Very smart move.
3 Srithanonchai // Feb 16, 2007 at 6:30 pm
And Somkid’s old pal, Sonthi Limthongkul, is also back with the government. This time as its propaganda mouth piece. Needless to say, Chermsak Pinthong also got his TV program back. But don’t hold your breath that the same will happen with Samak Suntharavej and Dusit Siriwan…
Surayud defends Sondhi’s controversial TV programme
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont Friday defend the controversial TV programme of media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul as a proactive public relations campaign of the government.
Surayud said he thought there was nothing wrong with the Yam Phao Paen Din programme broadcast on Channel 11.
When asked to comment on rising criticism against the TV programme, Surayud replied: “We were criticized when we were not proactive but when we did it, we were criticised again.”
When asked whether Sondhi’s programme was proactive PR campaigns to retaliate against media blitz of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Surayud said: “A proactive PR campaign does not need to a retaliation”.
The Nation, February 16, 2007 (web version)
4 Bystander // Feb 16, 2007 at 6:52 pm
The Old Soldier still knows a trick or two.
Coup de grace, perhaps.
5 New Mandala » In sufficient clothing // Feb 18, 2007 at 8:43 pm
[...] cultural spokeswoman for the Surayud-CNS government. Rumous had been sparked by the appointment of Thaksinomic guru Somkid Jatusripitak as regime spokesman on sufficiency economy. A regime insider allegedly told New Mandala: “if [...]
6 Srithanonchai // Feb 20, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Thitinan Pongsudhirak rides an attack on Surayud’s decision re Somkid (BP, 20 Fer., p. 8):
The Surayud govt’s moral setback
The appointment of the chief architect of Thaksinomics as a spokesman for the sufficiency economy philosophy does not bode well for the government
By THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK
Notwithstanding the whitewash operation now being conducted behind the scenes, the Surayud government’s appointment of Somkid Jatusripitak, the former economic policy chief of the deposed government of Thaksin Shinawatra, as chairman of the committee to explain the philosophy of sufficiency economy, is a perversion of the military coup that took place on Sept 19, 2006.
For the first time since he came to power, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has lost the moral high ground on a key issue that has divided Thailand for the past year.
If Mr Thaksin’s regime was so corrupt and abusive that it warranted the military intervention, the appointment of Mr Somkid significantly robs the government of its moral authority. It also undermines the legitimacy of the Council for National Security.
Many will see Mr Somkid’s political resurrection as a betrayal of the coup and the ongoing efforts to extirpate the rot and damage that Mr Thaksin left behind.
The conspicuous spin from Government House and the CNS is that they need to hit Mr Thaksin where it hurts the most by flipping the mastermind of his policy-making machinery into a government spokesman.
….
The paradigmatic shift from Thaksinomics to sufficiency economy is attributable to everything Mr Somkid stood for under the Thaksin regime. His appointed role as Thailand’s spokesman for sufficiency economy is nauseous to those who have followed Mr Somkid’s track record as a Thaksin loyalist through-and-through to the bitter end. He could have pulled out of the Thaksin regime anytime before Sept 19, but he did not.
For the full text see http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Feb2007_news21.php
7 New Mandala » Somkid, sandwiches and sufficiency // Feb 21, 2007 at 5:10 pm
[...] puppet envoy on sufficiency economy Somkid Jatusripitak has cut his strings and resigned. But he still wants to serve his country. Perhaps he could join the [...]
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