A day after Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was suspended from his prime ministerial duties, Paiboon Nititawan, deputy leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, was handing out a biography on Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, now acting PM, to reporters.
The 217-page book Pi Pom, Pi Yai, Pi Chai Tee San Dee (Brother Pom, Our Benevolent Brother) charts the trajectory of the biggest brother of the "Three Por" which also comprises Gen Prayut and Gen Anupong Paojinda, the interior minister.
The biography provides little detail about its production. Nothing about who wrote and edited it. Yet, it comes out at a surprising timeline -- the day when Gen Prawit assumed the position of acting prime minister.
Mr Paiboon did not say when the book was produced but gave some reasoning as to why it has been published. "We want society to know more about Gen Prawit, so they will trust that Uncle Pom will steer the country during the transition," Mr Paiboon said.
The book's cover projects Gen Prawit "Pi Pom" in a glowing light. He has a radiant smile and healthy appearance while clad in his black suit and blue tie. It's a huge departure from news media images that show him in frail health with a grumpy face or the widely published image of him wearing a plus 20-million-baht Richard Mille wristwatch that he said was on loan from a friend.
But the mission of this memoir is crystal clear.
"It is a token of our appreciation of your kindness. We hope that readers will understand why Prawit is known as a true friend who never forsakes his amigos and why he is called 'Beloved Brother'," it says.
"Pi Pom stuck [with other students] through thick and thin to become a professional military officer ready to defend the country's sovereignty and sacrifice his flesh and blood for the benefit of the people."
Readers learn about Gen Prawit's "transition" to become "a gentleman" beginning in 1963 when he began attending the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School where he was imbued with the "core values" of discipline, unity, love of the country and loyalty to the monarchy.
The book shows another side of Gen Prawit as a young soldier fighting communist insurgents during the Cold War.
"Na Kae (in Nakhon Phanom province) was a red zone where armed conflicts occurred daily. The government sent in troops, including me. In those days, the route was inaccessible. We slept wherever we arrived. Food was delivered every four days ... We wore a lot of amulets while launching a crackdown on insurgents," Gen Prawit was quoted in the book.
But in countries with a serious literature industry and healthy democracy, respected biographies are well-balanced narratives that show the good and bad of the person featured. It's not about glorification. Such memoirs are often commissioned by commercial publishing houses and penned by professional writers or seasoned journalists.
That is not the case in countries ruled by authoritarian, populist leaders. Such politicians and rulers have used autobiographies penned by commissioned ghostwriters to craft their stories as they see fit. There are biographies and autobiographies about Thai politicians such as Chuan Leekpai, Banharn Silpa-archa, Thaksin Shinawatra, Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Most of these publications are embraced by their supporters. Regardless of their political leanings, these memoirs are all alike in that they are one-sided narratives. Gen Prawit's memoir belongs to this category.
It remains to be seen whether the book can jazz up his image and breathe some life into the withering Palang Pracharath Party. The book also speaks volumes about Gen Prawit as the political talisman who always reinvents himself.
And now, with him as acting PM, the political games are ramping up. Recently he made headlines by calling popular Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt to discuss flood prevention in the capital -- something unthinkable for Gen Prayut, who is known for being aloof to other politicians.
On Tuesday's cabinet meeting, he tactfully left Gen Prayut's seat empty. Shortly after, he signed a new law that empowers him to make all decisions on budget and official promotions, without asking Gen Prayut for approval.
But we should be prepared for more surprises. Reporters at Government House asked him why he looks healthy and walked energetically. The 77-year-old general replied by citing lyrics from the Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre song Chai Jai Bandan Raeng (Using Heart to Boost Energy). "I use my heart to boost energy," he replied. "I did not wait for inspiration to boost my energy."
It is as if in the blink of an eye that Gen Prawit has truly become his own man.
