• 
• 

Published on April 29, 2008

He loves to see his face on television screens so much he has instructed the ministry to invite three television stations to the upcoming Unesco meetings in Paris, as well as to the Thailand Fair in Japan.

Needless to say, this is a break in tradition. In the past, it was just one station but on the condition that th e footage would be provided to other stations. Hats off to the taxpayers for their complete trust in leaders who make no distinction between personal and national interest.

There have been times when Noppodon would conduct three press conferences in one day. Is this the case of a minister who takes public accountability so seriously, or is it his way of maintaining relevancy in Thailand's cut-throat politics? If the latter is to be believed, one can safely assum that Noppodon has been taking the recent rumour mills around Bangkok too seriously.

There have been whispers there that Noppadon may be leaving the ministry and replaced by PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair, dubbed a "young man in a hurry" by those who knew him when he was still wet behind the ears which, by the way, wasn't that long ago.

Jakrapob left the foreign ministry some years ago to enter the media industry. He was never really considered a hard-hitting journalist because of his closeness to the political establishment.

And if the people in the "smart building" think they have been having a bad day with Noppadon being too nit-picking, just wait until Mr Slick Hairdo return to the castle. It could be payback time. After all, Jakrapob didn't get to where he is without bashing some heads. Slick Hairdo, it has been said, knows the exact identity of the top official who called him "the day-before-yesterday boy".

But in this circle of mediocrity that we call politics, sticking one's face on television could very well do the job. That's how some politicians climbed up the slippery ladder anyway.

Indeed, there is a long understanding among media experts and spin doctors that "people hear what they see". In other words, it doesn't matter what men like Jakrapob or Noppadon have to say. If they present themselves well, that's all that matters. Sounds superficial? Yes it does, like it or not. Who's to blame? Look in the mirror.