Thai Prime Minister Says Soap Operas Dividing The Country, Orders Them Rewritten

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, ordered television soap opera writers to write less of what he calls divisive stories and instead more positive stories about Thai culture, according to Al-Jazeera. Chan-ocha rose to power in a May military coup that overthrew the popularly elected government following months of protests and unrest.

“I have ordered that scripts be written, including plays on reconciliation, on tourism and on Thai culture,” he said. “They are writing plots at the moment and if they can’t finish it I will write it myself.”

The military, led by Chan-ocha in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, overthrew Yingluck Shinawatra’s government on May 22 and established a military junta called the National Council for Peace and Order to govern the country. Chan-ocha was unanimously voted prime minister in the days following the coup.

The military-led government has sought to calm tensions by silencing debate and promoting political reconciliation. “I have ordered that scripts be written. One plot will be two foreign families come to visit Thailand, they meet each other and come to love each other,” Chan-ocha said.

Thailand has been affected by slower-than-expected economic growth, and diminished tourist activity in wake of the coup and a brutal murder of two British tourists in a popular Thai vacationing area.