Our prime minister and the rest of the world: The odd couple

If promotion of Thailand's interests and its foreign policy means speaking in defence of the Burmese junta, attending national day receptions and visiting morning markets throughout Asean during official visits, Samak has done an excellent job. Furthermore, he must be considered one of the best Thai prime ministers for excelling in diplomatic overtures to the Burmese junta, which is dreaded by the international community. The only problem is, everything he has done diplomatically has been for all the wrong reasons.

Indeed, within the Bangkok diplomatic community, Samak is a figure of make-believe. He is an average man on the street who happens to be a prime minister. Over the past four decades he has been through all the hiccups and processes of the Thai political scene. But Samak treats his premiership with great seriousness. During the parliamentary debates, he constantly reminded the TV audience at home that he is the prime minister and is the protector of Thai democracy. Without him, he said, with a deadpan expression, the country would be in chaos.

During his six months as PM, he has done the most incredible job by attending all those national day receptions. He seldom misses these events because he truly believes that attending is the best way to honour (hai kiart) the host country. Last week he abruptly cancelled a plan to attend the reception for Kazakhstan's national day only because he had to fly off to Hua Hin to have an audience with His Majesty the King.

During his first month in office, Samak created headlines with his crude manner in response to questions posed by a woman journalist from a 24-hour TV news network. The prime minister has since then tried to correct his image and has tried to hold press conferences in English. At a recent meeting with the press, he even quoted from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to impress the foreign correspondents in attendance.

Interviews with government officials at Government House and the Foreign Ministry have revealed an easy-going nature and a quick grip of what is going on.

"He speaks with confidence, even though sometimes he does not make sense," said an official who has been at several bilateral meetings attended by Samak. He asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Samak loves to include his own interpretations of situations, which often brings undesirable consequences. During his first visit to Burma in March, he returned with much praise for the Burmese junta leader, General Than Shwe, saying he is a Buddhist who practises mediation and that Burma at least has peace and order.

Bangkok-based diplomats are often perplexed by his comments on Burma. But he is not disturbed as he often confides to his aides that he speaks the truth. At a recent meeting with the UN special envoy for Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, Samak lashed out at the West for supporting the detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Without her, Samak ventured to say, the political situation in Burma would be far better. Such comments are often made easily without Samak pondering the deeper meanings and the impact on the country's diplomatic standing, particularly in sensitive negotiations.

Samak is also very excited about the leadership role he will play in the upcoming Asean summit in December. If he stays on as prime minister, he will have to chair at least eight high-powered summit meetings among Asean leaders and those from Japan, China and South Korea. The Foreign Ministry has kept him abreast of Asean affairs. He has also personally pledged to Asean secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuwan that the Thai government will quickly ratify the Asean Charter. The plan has been further delayed because of a last-minute hitch over procedural matters.

At a national day reception for a Latin American country at the end of July, Samak dropped by briefly and was immediately surrounded by diplomats and guests. He repeatedly identified himself as "prime minister of Thailand" in his conversations. At the same reception, a deputy prime minister and foreign minister were also present.

When President George W Bush called Samak to congratulate him after his appointment in February, Samak began by saying that he was the prime minister of Thailand before he started the conversation proper. There was apparently a brief sigh from the other end of the line, then the simple response: "That is why I am calling you."