Dec. 11 2009
While the government has told us that they will wage a war against Thaksin using the state media (see here, here, and here) but also the government is also spending money to promote itself and its policies.
According to Matichon Weekly, October 16-22, page 8, we can see an increase in the advertising budget PM Office's and Defence Ministry. From January-September 2008,
the PM's Office spent 534 Million baht, but this increased to 734 Million Baht for the same period in 2009. You also have an increase for the Defence Ministry as between January-September 2008, 148 Million baht was spent, but this was increased to 209 Million Baht for the same period in 2009.*
BP: Now, all governments use public funds to promote themselves and the overall amount is small, but with a poor economy the question must be asked, should the government be increasing the money it spends promoting itself?
Is this the best use of the government resources now? Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva often appears in the advertisements himself and at times, his face is literally everywhere.
the PM's Office spent 534 Million baht, but this increased to 734 Million Baht for the same period in 2009. You also have an increase for the Defence Ministry as between January-September 2008, 148 Million baht was spent, but this was increased to 209 Million Baht for the same period in 2009.*
BP: Now, all governments use public funds to promote themselves and the overall amount is small, but with a poor economy the question must be asked, should the government be increasing the money it spends promoting itself?
Is this the best use of the government resources now? Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva often appears in the advertisements himself and at times, his face is literally everywhere.
*There is no breakdown on the Defence advertising budget, but as noted here, they have basically promoting the government and Abhisit fronts the commercials. As Pravit wrote about at the time:But this is Thailand,
a country where writing about this or that general makes for best-selling books and where the Army runs a fat campaign to educate the populace about democracy - despite its checkered record of staging one coup after the other.
The latest campaign, which is very visible, involved wrapping a huge campaign sticker in orange, black and white on one whole BTS Skytrain, on the inside and outside of carriages.
The campaign was dubbed "Sustainable Thinking" by the Army and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) and involved a guideline on mental "immunity"
which involves: accessing news with mindfulness, spending money reasonably, |carrying out your profession |with perseverance and making one's family sufficiently |happy.
"Mindfulness + reason = immunity" was its main motto.
Alright, maybe those messages - which also appeared on at least two large billboards along Bangkok's expressways - may not be the worst messages to convey. But is that really the job of the Army and Isoc?
Earlier this year, the Army was paid by Cabinet to go to rural areas - mostly regions where ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is popular - to educate people about "democracy". Sounds like a bad joke doesn't it?
See More
a country where writing about this or that general makes for best-selling books and where the Army runs a fat campaign to educate the populace about democracy - despite its checkered record of staging one coup after the other.
The latest campaign, which is very visible, involved wrapping a huge campaign sticker in orange, black and white on one whole BTS Skytrain, on the inside and outside of carriages.
The campaign was dubbed "Sustainable Thinking" by the Army and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) and involved a guideline on mental "immunity"
which involves: accessing news with mindfulness, spending money reasonably, |carrying out your profession |with perseverance and making one's family sufficiently |happy.
"Mindfulness + reason = immunity" was its main motto.
Alright, maybe those messages - which also appeared on at least two large billboards along Bangkok's expressways - may not be the worst messages to convey. But is that really the job of the Army and Isoc?
Earlier this year, the Army was paid by Cabinet to go to rural areas - mostly regions where ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is popular - to educate people about "democracy". Sounds like a bad joke doesn't it?
See More
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