Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra defended former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra against accusations that he made racist remarks during a campaign rally in Chiang Rai, stating that her father did not intend to make such comments.
“I am confident that he had no intention of making racist remarks,” Ms. Paetongtarn stated.
“He actually meant to say that he did not want Thai women to undergo surgery; instead, they should be encouraged to maintain their natural beauty and participate in beauty contests,” she explained.
“There is no way he is racist… People in other countries are beautiful in their own ways,” she added.
Thaksin Shinawatra, widely recognized as the unofficial leader of the Pheu Thai Party, which is currently led by his daughter Ms. Paetongtarn, encountered significant criticism after delivering a speech at a campaign rally in Chiang Rai this past Sunday.
In his address, he enthusiastically promoted the entertainment industry as a viable and promising career path for Thai citizens, advocating for more participation and recognition in this sector.
However, in his speech, he made unfavorable remarks about African models.
“People from Africa, who have black skin and flat noses that allegedly make it difficult to breathe, are hired for millions of baht to be models. Thai people look much better. There’s no need for our people to get nose, jaw, or breast augmentations,” Thaksin said.
“It’s time to encourage more Thais, including those from ethnic groups like the Karen, who possess natural beauty, to become international models,” he concluded.
