Thinking of buffalos

PPT has ignored the soft power nonsense that has flowed from the Puea Thai-led coalition. The idea is shallow and the suggestions for what constitutes soft power in Thailand have often been banal. The notion was filched for Thailand by Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She’s the chairwoman of the national committee on soft power development.

In any case, the main problem for Thailand’s people is hard power wielded by the rich and powerful using the military and police.

We are prompted to comment because a report in the Bangkok Post takes the cake (soft, sponge cake) for banality.

How high?

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin – who seems more a follower rather than a leader on this soft power buffalo manure – “sees the phlegmatic water buffalo as a form of Thai ‘soft power’, to be used in international promotions and with the potential to increase national income.”

How they could be used is kind of explained. There’s a vague comment about tourism and “giant buffalo.” Ever keen to attract hordes of tourists, especially the Chinese, The prime minister “ordered the government spokesman and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to work out a programme to show Thai buffaloes in China in May.” He added added that if “giant buffaloes take part in roadshows in China and Vietnam, their value will rise abruptly…”.

Srettha also mentioned that “he foresaw the development of related products such as buffalo milk and buffalo placenta and grassland farming, which would all produce income for farmers – possibly three times as much as growing rice.” We are not sure if such industry requires giant buffalo or just standard ones.

One sharp individual did observe that “Water buffaloes were not aggressive and they liked water…”. We wonder if that is why they are called water buffalo?

The FAO reports that the number of water buffalo in Thailand declined precipitously in the late 1990s and since.