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Thai PM pats reporter on head, tugs his ear
Thailandâs military-installed prime minister, known for scolding journalists, is trying a new tack: patting their heads and tugging their ears
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hailand's military-installed prime minister, known forscolding journalists, is trying a new tack: patting their heads and tuggingtheir ears.
A video posted on Facebook by Bangkok Post reporter Wassana Nanuam shows Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha chatting Wednesday with reporters in the northeastern city of Khon Kaen. Some journalists kneeled in front of him to allow cameras a clear view.
Prayuth patted the baseball cap-clad head of a journalist directly in front of him, then nonchalantly tugged and twisted the man's ear as he took questions.
Deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Thursday the gesture was good-natured teasing of reporters with whom he has become familiar.
'It came across as cute. He was smiling. They were also smiling,' he said. 'It's not weird for him to be playful with them.'
Wassana's Facebook comments suggested that while the reporters did not appear to take offense, some Thai people might be put off, since the head is traditionally considered a semi-sacred part of the body that strangers should not touch.
It was the second glimpse that day of an apparently kinder, gentler Prayuth. Earlier, he smiled from a podium when five university students wearing T-shirts saying 'Don't Want a Coup' stood up and gave a three-fingered salute, a symbol of protest against the May 22 military takeover that Prayuth led as army commander.
