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Released February 12, 2018, Composed by Port Faiyen; Arranged by Khoontong, Port, and Jom; Music by Faiyen; Produced by Faiyen
This song is hilarious! In December, Thailand’s Deputy Dictator Prawit Wongsuwan raised his hand in a photo shoot to shield his eyes from the sun, revealing a $100,000 watch and a gleaming ring. Thais went back through photos of the deputy dictator, finding him wearing a collection of 25 ultra-expensive, undeclared watches, collectively valued at $1.25 dollars. People assume these are kickbacks for the many favors he gets to hand out as deputy dictator. Prawit said “a friend” loaned them to him. There is an actual official investigation, which is proceeding VERY SLOWLY. The junta took power in part to “wipe out corruption” so the pro-democracy activists are gleefully saying “I told you so!” and demanding an end to the junta and no more postponement of elections.
The song also references a separate scandal: the callous remarks Deputy Dictator Prawit Wonsuwan made regarding the death of military cadet Pakapong “May” Tanyakan, who most people believe died of physical abuse suffered at the academy, though the official explanation has been “heart failure.”
*แหวนแม่ แหวนแม่ นาฬิกาเพื่อน
[My] mother’s ring. [My] mother’s ring. [My] friend’s watch
จะมีกี่เรือน ก็เป็นของเพื่อน
However many watches there will be, they all belong to friends
ไม่ใช่ของเรา จะเอามาล้อทำไม
Not mine! Why do you bring [them] to tease?
ผมเป็นทหารคนหนึ่ง เคยเรียนอยู่เตรียมทหาร
I am a soldier. I have studied at a military prep school
โดนซ้อมจนสลบ แต่ผมไม่ตาย
I trained until I fainted, but I didn’t die**
ส่วนคนที่ตาย ไม่ใช่โดนซ้อม เขาตกบันได
As for people who did die, it wasn’t from training. They fell down the stairs**
ผมมาดำรงตำแหน่ง เพื่อชาติ และศาสนา
I came to hold this position for country and religion.
พระมหากษัตริย์ ไม่ใช่เพื่อตัวเอง
For the great king. Not for myself!
ถ้าไม่เข้าใจ เดี๋ยวผมจะไป เชิญคุณมาคุยกัน
If you don’t understand, shortly I will be going.* Please, you come and let’s talk about it.
*แหวนแม่ แหวนแม่ นาฬิกาเพื่อน
[My] mother’s ring. [My] mother’s ring. [My] friend’s watch
จะมีกี่เรือน ก็เป็นของเพื่อน
However many watches there will be, they all belong to friends
ไม่ใช่ของเรา จะเอามาล้อทำไม
Not mine! Why do you bring [them] to tease?
หยุดคุ้ย ไม่เข้าท่า เรื่องนาฬิกากับแหวน
Stop digging. It’s inappropriate. [Stop digging into] the matter of the watches and the ring
ผมได้ชี้แจงไปแล้ว ว่าเป็นของเพื่อน
I’ve already clarified that they belong to friends
เพิ่มงบประมาณ อาวุธครบครัน เพื่อชาติของเรา
Fully increase the budget for weapons . . . for our nation.
*แหวนแม่ แหวนแม่ นาฬิกาเพื่อน
[My] mother’s ring. [My] mother’s ring. [My] friend’s watch
จะมีกี่เรือน ก็เป็นของเพื่อน
However many watches there will be, they all belong to friends
ไม่ใช่ของเรา จะเอามาล้อทำไม
Not mine! Why do you bring [them] to tease?
แค่คุณเข้าใจ เดี๋ยวผมจะไป ยืมเพื่อนอีกเรือน
If you would just understand! Shortly I will go* . . . borrow another watch from a friend.
*January 31, 2018, Prawit said “If the people don’t want me, I am ready to leave.” For instance as reported in this Washington Times article: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/1/prawit-wongsuwan-thai-wristwatch-general-offers-to/
** The official explanation for military cadet Pakapong Tanyakan’s death was that he had died of heart failure after a series of exercises as punishment for not saying thank you to a superior, and that all the suspicious wounds to his body came from accidentally falling down the stairs prior to that. Prawit accidentally revealed that he thought the cadet had died of physical punishment when he stated that physical discipline is normal in military school, that he himself has suffered it, “But I didn’t die.” He went on to say that all the suspicious deaths in the Thai military (there are about 3 notorious cases a year plus the ones that don’t hit the news) are fully investigated (we can see they are almost always covered up). When the reporter asked Prawit what could be done to prevent further tragedies, he advised, “Don’t sign up then. Don’t become a soldier. We only want people who are fully willing.” The reporter pursued, “So punishment is part of the military.” Prawit answered, “Oh yes, of course.” Read about it at by Kaosod English: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2017/11/22/army-admits-keeping-dead-cadets-organs/