Thai junta using women to soften image; troops told to smile

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand's new junta is trying to soften its image, using a former beauty queen to make announcements, assigning female troops to help keep the peace in Bangkok and telling its soldiers to smile.

The public-relations push follows criticism by Western governments and human-rights groups of last week's overthrow, particularly after military leaders began restricting freedom of assembly and speech. Even some Thais who initially welcomed the bloodless coup are growing concerned about the military's ultimate goals.

"The Thai military is not media savvy so they're having to learn a lot of things quickly," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. "Hence, the smiles. Hence, the beauty queens."

Thawinan Khongkran, who wore the Miss Asia crown in 1987, had a low-profile public-relations job at army-owned Channel 5 for several years. Since the coup she personally has been making announcements for the military.

"I consider it an honor," she told The Associated Press.

"They are trying to tone down their messages," said Karuna Buakamsri, an anchor for public Channel 11. "By using a woman instead of an old guy, they hope to soften their image."

On Friday, the council instructed soldiers to be friendly and cheerful toward the public, announcing the order on army radio.

Mark David, 32, a British tourist, says that now, every time he approaches a guard, there's a "big grin" on the soldier's face.

"They're all positively beaming," David said.

Eric Martinez, an Australian visitor to Thailand, said some soldiers seemed to be overdoing it.

"I have seen guards putting 3-year-olds on tanks for their mommies to click pictures," he said. "I even saw a couple of soldiers allowing visitors to hold their rifles."

Last Tuesday's coup came as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York attending the U.N. General Assembly.

No shots were fired in the coup, no blood was spilled and initially it seemed Thais welcomed the change.

Since then, tanks and troops have been stationed at strategic points around Bangkok, instantly becoming a must-have photograph for many Thais and tourists.

Over the weekend, female guards were brought out to patrol prominent sites such as Government House. Army Capt. Pitakpol Choosri said about 10 women were added to the mostly male patrols in central Bangkok because "women are softer and can handle children better," he said.

But critics call the public-relations campaign crude and said restoring civil liberties would do far more for the military's image.

"The real issue is not having basic freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press," said Ji Ungpakorn, who helped form the Network Against the Coup d'Etat. "We don't have basic human rights. They can parade a hundred beauty queens but without these freedoms, we don't have anything."

The military is ruling under martial law and public gatherings of more than five people are banned.

The authorities have blocked cable TV transmission of stories about Thailand on international news channels such as CNN and the BBC. They even blacked out a sketch about the coup on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

In an embarrassing stumble Tuesday, it announced the appointment of several dozen prominent civilians as advisers on economics, foreign affairs and other matters, but several of those named said they had not been contacted.