Spoof ads take digs at PTT, GSB and government spending
 The Nation
December 10 , 2005 - Sondhi dropped another publicity bomb on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the form of cynical TV ads depicting the premier’s family and associates as a coterie of greedy manipulators enriching themselves at taxpayers’ expense.
An ad broadcast during his anti-government show in Lumpini Park yesterday accused Thaksin, Thai Rak Thai Party secretary-general Suriya Jungrungreungkrit, party spokesman Sita Divari, and the premier’s son, Panthongtae, of benefiting from the profits of the state-owned Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) by at least 30 per cent.
Sondhi also ridiculed PTT ads that claim its profits go to public health and other social causes. Sondhi recommended that the firm change the reading of its name from PTT (Public Company) to PTT (Certain People) to better reflect its affiliations.
A second TV ad by Sondhi attacked Thaksin’s message urging Thai children to put their savings in the Government Savings Bank. The ad described the bank as a den of thieves where certain managers were embezzling money from the savings of youngsters. Footage showed an adult pocketing banknotes.
A third political ad entitled “Tang Taek” (Financially Broke) brought up the issue of the government’s expenditures and sarcastically suggested the government borrow from Capital OK, Ltd, a finance company affiliated with Shin Corporation.
The ads also accused the government of frivolous spending that had drained state coffers.
The government had planned to issue Bt1 trillion as part of its plan to increase cash flow for its budget, yet in the end it ended up with a treasure bill of Bt80 billion. |
