‘If I were a woman I will fall in love with his excellency’: Thai general admits man crush on China’s foreign minister Wang Yi

As relations with western nations cool, Thailand’s generals have visibly cosied up to China since seizing power in a coup last year.

 But one Thai general appears to be especially enamoured.

 At a joint press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn made a surprise declaration while standing on a podium with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

 “If I were a woman I will fall in love with his excellency,” he told reporters in English, much to the surprise of China’s top foreign envoy who appeared somewhat unsure how to respond.

 The foreign ministers are currently attending a regional security meeting in Malaysia hosted by the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

 General Tanasak, a close confidant of coup leader and now Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha, made his remarks in response to a reporter’s question on Thailand’s diplomatic relations with China.

 “At this moment we believe this is the best time for our relationship. Especially for my personal contact with minister Wang Yi who is a very nice and polite person,” he said.