Thai PM Prayuth uses holy water and feng shui to ward off the occult
Prayuth Chan-ocha has used holy water and feng shui to ward off any occult challenge
As he prepared to move in to Bangkok's Government House, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha went to great lengths to sweep away any occult challenge.
Prayuth, 60, has left nothing to chance since leading a military coup to topple a democratically elected government on May 22. After a meticulously planned power grab, he has systematically snuffed out dissent.
That meticulousness is being carried through to his government. Like many politicians and generals before him, Prayuth believes in spiritualism and divination and on Monday members of his entourage were seen carrying Buddha statues and religious idols thought to bring luck in to Government House.
The tones in the building will mostly be green, as this is the army’s colour
But his beliefs go beyond conventional religion, and last week, Prayuth told an audience of dousing himself from head to toe in holy water, because his enemies had tried to curse him.
Army officials say his views on the spirit world and rituals to ward off evil are unlikely to influence government policy.
"Like most Thais, General Prayuth has a deep respect for the spirit world, but his policies will be determined by urgency, practicality and the needs of the people," said Veerachon Sukhontapatipak, deputy spokesman for the army.
The timing of yesterday's move into the prime ministerial offices was minutely planned.
Prayuth's cabinet started work at 9am on September 9, nine being an auspicious number in a country where numbers mean everything. Pronounced "Gaow" in Thai, it sounds like the Thai word "Gaow-Nah", which means to progress.