I will not change: Samak

Samak was responding to the Thai Journalist Association (TJA)'s statement issued on Saturday. The association alleged that Samak's style was a form of media intimidation.

Marking this year's Word Press Freedom Day, the TJA, issued a damning report against the Samak government, calling the administration a threat to freedom of speech. 

The TJA said its media study concluded Samak's antagonistic discourse with Thai media posts threat to freedom of the press and is counter-productive to the development of democratic society.

It said Samak's crude languages, his abrasive manner, his reluctance to cooperate and his rebuttal to criticisms during press interviews are aimed at discrediting the media and prevent them from scrutinizing the government.

Speaking during his Talk Samak Style broadcast live on NBT channel, Samak appeared unperturbed by the TJA's statement. He said it was fine if the media would boycott him and would not cover his activities.

He said he was not a kind of person to talk sweetly to the media and he had his right to respond to the media that criticised him and he would not change his style.

 "I am like this and I will not change," Samak said.

He said he was not like UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to honour and press the media.

"If Ban Ki-Moon wants to honour the media, it will be his own business," Samak said.

Samak said he would not revive his weekly interview with Government House reporters because of the TJA's statement. He suspended the weekly interview last week.

He said he had his Talk Samak Style programme to communicate with the public.

Before commenting on the TJA's statement, Samak also used his TV programme to further fight with the press.

He cursed newspapers' columnists to be ruined for accusing him of receiving kickbacks from sugar traders by allowing sugar retail price to rise.

He said some columnists made indirect allegations and a columnist straightforwardly alleged that he received Bt500 million from sugar traders.

He said the allegations were not true.

"If the allegations are not true, I would like to curse the columnists to be ruined," Samak said.

He also ended his programme with a parting shot at the media.

"I've never imagined that just one person could prompt the media to hold an exhibition with such big fanfare," Samak ended his programme, smilingly.