• 
• 

Published on April 10, 2008

PM Samak was obviously mad when Varin Buaviratlert, a well-known astrologer, predicted that he might be ousted in May and that Gen Anupong Paochinda, the current Army chief, may take over the premiership "if he makes more merit".

Samak didn't find it amusing when the 51-year-old seer said the premier and Anupong were close because in a previous life they had worked together in the palace during the reign of the late King Rama IV or King Rama V of the present Chakri dynasty. The astrologer said in that previous life, Samak had served as a senior official while Gen Anupong was a military officer to the Monarch.

Since they had worked closely with each other in that previous life, that's why they got along well in the present, the astrologer said.

What's not amusing for the premier, of course, is the astrologer's prediction that chaos - which may lead to bloodshed - may erupt at the end of April or beginning of May.

What really irked Samak was probably the fortune-teller's analysis that while the current premier is on friendly terms with some of the military top brass, he lacks political support in Parliament. And that could spell an imminent end to Samak's term. The government could go under this year.

May will be the toughest month. The country could lose a well-known senior figure, the astrologer claimed.

Now, when you are a prime minister, whatever your astrological inclinations, you aren't supposed to lend credence to such wild predictions, whether they are positive or otherwise. The most effective way to ward off any negative interpretations is to simply ignore them with a shrug - and go on to show that your precious time is better spent on solving real issues, like the urgent economic problems that are plaguing the people.

But Samak chose to use his weekly television programme to vent his personal anger at the astrologer, thereby giving the seer even more prominence. And that underscores Samak's deep sense of insecurity in the wake of speculation that his support within the ruling People Power Party is eroding rapidly.

What makes it even worse is the PM's inability to distinguish between astrology and political science.

After hitting out at the astrologer, Samak proceeded to wrap up his one-man-show outburst with a personal attack on Theerayuth Boonmee, one of the country's most respected academics. 

Theerayuth had earlier in the week warned of further polarisation in Thai society because of the growing divisiveness. The "five deteriorating factors" he cited as warning signs of worse things to come were well-argued and compatible with ongoing political discussions. But Samak, instead of explaining why he disagreed with what he considered to be an excessively negative presentation, chose to turn it into a personal confrontation.

"I suspect that he [without naming Theerayuth] doesn't have a mirror at home," Samak intoned, suggesting that Theerayuth should look into the mirror to see his own faults before seeking to criticise the prime minister.

Samak insisted that it's "my style" to hit back at any criticism. "This is not a television programme for the prime minister to explain what he is doing. It's called 'Samak's Style of Talk' for a reason," he said. "This is me and I will hit back at every critic whom I think is against me…." the prime minister declared.

But that doesn't necessarily mean the premier doesn't believe in fortune-telling. It simply confirms that he doesn't like it when astrologers make grim predictions about his political future or the lack thereof.

It's really scary when a prime minister makes no distinction between a fortune-teller's utterances and a respected academic's analysis.

(Share your views in my blog at http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ThaiTalk)      

Suthichai Yoon