Reasons behind the viral popularity of songs about missing Prayut

Thepthai Senpong, a former MP from Nakhon Si Thammarat, on Saturday posted on his Facebook page “Thepthai – Political Talk” a discussion of the online popularity of the song “Missing Uncle Tu”. 

He noted that anyone following social media would see that this song has become a viral sensation, especially on TikTok, where it has been played extensively, along with other songs related to former prime minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, aka Uncle Tu.

Thepthai expressed surprise that the two songs he wrote for Uncle Tu, “Saluting Uncle Tu” and “Proud of Uncle Tu”, which had garnered hundreds of thousands of views and were widely shared several months ago, are being shared again amid the current trend. 

He questioned why people are suddenly reminiscing about Prayut, even though he is now serving as a privy councillor and is no longer involved in politics.

"I think that the main reason for this resurgence is likely public disappointment or sarcasm directed at the performance of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the Pheu Thai Party government. Despite having been in office for a year, they have failed to deliver any substantial policies or achievements, falling short of their campaign promises," Thepthai said.

During Prayut’s tenure as prime minister, public approval was not particularly high, as reflected in the 2023 election results and recent polls, which showed his popularity at just over 10%. However, when compared with Prime Minister Srettha’s performance, people seem to appreciate General Prayut’s achievements more.

"Thaksin Shinawatra’s recent statement claiming that if the Pheu Thai Party cannot solve the economic problems, no other political party can, is seen as mere rhetoric,” Thepthai said. 

He added that Thaksin is out of touch with the current era, perhaps reminiscing about the days when he was prime minister under the Thai Rak Thai Party, a time when social media were not prevalent, and rural people were less informed and more easily influenced.

Today, in the digital age, with widespread access to social media, people are well-informed about the workings of the Pheu Thai Party. Despite Thaksin’s confidence in the Pheu Thai Party regaining its popularity, Thepthai suggested that this might be an unrealistic dream