Thailand’s Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, finished his weekly news conference by spraying alcohol disinfectant on the front row of journalists. He walked away from lectern after evading a question about a possible cabinet reshuffle.
Key points:
- Mr. Prayuth is under fire after three of his ministers were jailed last week.
- He became annoyed when reporters asked him about vacant cabinet posts.
- He left the podium and was filmed walking in front of reporters, spraying them hand sanitizer.
- Last week three of his ministers were jailed for insurrection during 2014 protests.
- It is not the first time that the former military general has raised eyebrows for his unpredictable or quick-tempered behavior with the media.
- Prayuth previously fondled a reporter’s ear, and unleashed a banana peel at a camera crew.
- He once even used a life-size cutout of himself for the media to defer to, telling them to “Ask this guy” before he walked off.
Thailand has witnessed pro-democracy and anti-monarchy protests led mainly by younger generations since last year. The main demands of protesters in Thailand include the removal of the prime minister, a reduction in the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and a new constitution that has a proper emphasis on civil rights and freedoms.