Thaksin Shinawatra: [My election victory in 2001] was the first time in Thai history that one party won half of parliament's seats. We won a landslide — half of parliament's seats — and we formed a coalition government. And it was the first time in Thai history we stayed for a four-year term without the House being dissolved. And it's the first time in Thai history that the prime minister was re-elected for a second term. And the first time in Thai history that we won 377 seats so that we could form a government without needing a coalition — 76 per cent of the parliament's seats at that time.

That became my problem — because I was too popular, being loved by the people too much. That's where my problem comes from.

I was told by some of my people that the media would start to attack me – because the opposition is so weak so the media would become the opposition. I didn't believe that at that time. And finally I saw the media attack me with unreasonable things. One day I came across the son of the owner of a daily newspaper. I asked him: ‘Ask your dad, why does your newspaper attack me unreasonably?' He said, 'Uncle [a general term of respect], there's nothing I can do because my father has been lobbied by two Privy Councillors. They came to have dinner with my father and they said the King doesn't want you anymore.’ I said I don't believe that — His Majesty never wants to become involved in politics. Maybe it's because of their own prejudice against me.

Why are they prejudiced against you?

They spread rumours that I wanted to turn Thailand into a republic and that I wanted to be president, which is something I never thought. I'm very loyal to the monarchy. You know, when I first became prime minister I went to an audience with His Majesty. I said, ‘Your Majesty, I'm very loyal to you. I'm the first prime minister born in your reign. I'm humbly saying – not that I consider myself as your child – but my age is about the age of your children. So please consider me and teach me as though I'm your children's age, even though I'm prime minister. Your Majesty has been reigning for three generations – the generation of my grandfather, the generation of my father and then my generation. So I very much respect Your Majesty. Whatever I need to do properly, please teach me.’ This is how I present myself. And, ‘Your Majesty has been working hard for the Thai people for many years and you may be tired and you're getting old. Please use me. I will shoulder all the burdens and I will work hard for you to solve the problems of your citizens.’ That is the very first thing … I told His Majesty.

And I worked hard until I got more and more popular, and the popularity became my problem. The opposition Democrats are very good at alleging things about people. They start rumours and attacking me. Even when they are in power, they still allege that I want to be president. This is a very sensitive issue for Thai people because Thais love His Majesty, and Thais will not allow anyone who dare to topple the monarchy…

Was it because people thought you were more popular than the King?

When you have a son, he loves the wife and he loves the mother … It's a different kind of love. The people love me because they can touch me. They can use me to improve their well-being. But the King, they respect him very much like God. It's a different kind of love. But the people are trying to make it the same love. That's really the whole problem.

In Thai politics the King is one of the most powerful people. Is that a good thing?

The King is the most respected person. He's become god in the feelings of the Thai people. Thais don't obey one another. They need someone they really respect – that is the King. But the people who surround the King and the Queen, what I call the palace circle, they try to make influence.

Most privy councillors are retired government officials… they have their subordinates so they want to have some kind of influence. Let's say like General Prem [Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council] – he wants someone to be army commander-in-chief. But if you appoint someone else he may not be happy. That is the exercise of power without the intention or anything of the monarch. It's the palace circle who are playing the games.

So General Prem and people like him are manipulating the King?

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