That Time I Photographed a Prime Minister After a Coup de tête
Well, This Visit is Off to a Good Start!
On February 23, 1991, just ten days after arriving in Thailand for the first time, a military Coup de tête took place in the Kingdom, and I was terrified. I had never been out of the United States before, other than Canada and Mexico and had been looking forward to starting a peaceful existence as an expat. “I’d better get the hell out of here,” I told my new best Thai friend Gim. “I bet they’re going to round up all the foreigners and shoot them after robbing and torturing them.”
Gim howled with laughter until he had tears running down his face. “You’ve got a lot to learn!” he managed to say in between outbursts of laughter.
My New Home
At the time I was staying with a wealthy Thai-Chinese family in the business district of Silom. I walked downstairs where the four generations of family that lived in the huge shophouse were gathered around the TV set. A tall lanky man with a 10 am glass of Hennessy Cognac in his hand, raised the glass in my direction and declared, “No work today!” It was the first time I’d seen some of the family members and I was introduced to them one-by-one, trying to nod politely and remember a dozen or so one-syllable nicknames. It brought no comfort to me to see everyone so relaxed and I beat a hasty retreat to my bedroom as soon as I could. Once inside I locked the door and sat on the bed with memories of war movies rolling through my mind.
Practically Kidnaped, I tell You!
I was getting ready for sleep around 9 pm, thinking that at least my mind would get some relief, when there was a loud knock on my door. My heart leaped and I was already trying to squeeze under the bed, when I recognized the voice of Gim.
“Come on, man. What are you doing? You know we’re going out to the pub tonight.”
“What about the coup? is it over? What about the curfew? I think we’d better stay put.” I said opening the door carefully in case it was a trick. Gim wouldn’t take no for an answer and after hiding $100 bills and copies of my documents wherever I could on my body, I reluctantly headed out the door with him.
Curfew Be Damned; A Boy Has Got to Get His Party On!
As we got closer to the entertainment area, the traffic grew heavy. Once arriving at the venue, Gim calmly parked his Land Cruiser on the sidewalk in front of the establishment. Sure enough, the place was packed, a great band was playing, and everyone seemed oblivious to the situation outside. The traditional shoulder and neck massage I received while standing at the urinal in the men’s room did little to alleviate my stress.
“Don’t forget to tip him,” Gim said with a wry smile as he washed his hands. I was still wide awake as we left the pub in the early hours of the morning, stopping in Chinatown at 3 am for a snack before returning home.
Was I in Danger?
I mention all of this, not only to frame my story but to let you know that if you happen to find yourself in Thailand during times of political unrest, there is little need to panic. Typical of Thainess and Thai hospitality, during the last coup soldiers posed with tourists for selfies and enthusiastically practiced their English. If you avoid the hotbeds of trouble which are usually well publicized, you’ll not only be safe but will have a unique experience and build memories to last a lifetime.
Enter Khun Anand
A wealthy, highly esteemed and successful businessman, Mr. Anand Panyarachun became the new prime minister. Previously, Khun Anand, as Thais affectionately call him, had been the Vice-Chairman of the Saha-Union Group in 1979 and the Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1991. Interestingly enough, a close friend of mine, let’s call her Ann to protect her privacy, had been his personal assistant at Saha-Union. He chose her along with some other staff to work with him at the Government House. I had mentioned to her that I wanted to make a portrait of the Prime Minister at his office but didn’t pursue the matter knowing that he had his hands full, as the political unrest continued to smolder.
The Call
Months went by and homesickness led me to make preparations to move back to the States. One morning, just days before I was due to leave for America, I received a call from Ann. “The Prime Minister will allow you to photograph him at the Government House tomorrow at 11 am. We’ll send a car to pick you up at 9 am,” she said matter-of-factly. I managed to pull myself together to thank and assure her that I’d be ready. She ended the call and my excitement boiled over. The rest of the day was spent unpacking my suit and preparing my lighting equipment.
Me, Nervous?
The car arrived promptly at nine, and the ride to the Government House was mostly uneventful. At the gate, a guard smiled at me when he saw me in the back seat and handed me a red, black, and gold laminate which I clipped to my suit jacket. I won’t lie to you, I was nervous as hell! My previous experience had been photographing Playboy Playmates and glamour models for the Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogs and calendars. An enviable gig no doubt, but hardly a preparation for photographing an important statesman.
Showtime
I set up my lights and attached my Hasselblad to my trusty tripod and waited in the hallway. Just after eleven, the door to the PM’s office opened and out came Khun Anand, smiling warmly and greeting me like an old friend. As quickly as possible, I moved my equipment into his office, made a test polaroid (as we did in those days), and started taking photos. At one point I glanced out the window and saw tanks on patrol, rolling back and forth just outside the front gate.
Just One More?
After I finished the 12-shot roll of film, he picked up a photo of he and George Bush from his desk. “This photograph of your president and I was taken in the White Room where I greet foreign dignitaries,” he said proudly.
“C-C-Can we take a few photos in that room?” I stammered. He let out an almost inaudible sigh, then picked up my tripod and led the charge down the hall to the aforementioned room. I grabbed the rest of my equipment and followed.
After a few more photos, a nervous looking staff member entered the room and told the PM that there was an urgent phone call for him. For the first time, his face showed concern as he politely excused himself and bade me good-bye. The whole mood of the office workers changed into one of concern and I quickly gathered up my camera gear and headed out to the waiting car.
Epilogue
The photos turned out excellent, but sadly I gave them all the film and proofs since I knew that he would want to see everything and I had to return to the US in a few days. I heard that he was pleased with the photos and his PR department used them on several occasions. I never saw any of them and to this day they haven’t appeared in searches on the internet. Sadly, I even lost the test polaroid. One silver lining, as I was unpacking my equipment back home in Los Angeles, I found the security laminate in my camera case. In my rush to pack it must have fallen off my suit. Today it’s proudly on display in my office.
Please, Mr. Prime Minister?
I’m hoping for a chance to photograph the current Thai Prime Minister, H.E. Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, with my fisheye lens. I have lots of experience using this lens to make portraits and know I can make a powerful and handsome photo of him. Sadly, I have no leads in this direction, but when I mailed him a copy of our THAILAND 180º book, he graciously sent us two beautiful appointment books embossed with the Seal of the Prime Minister’s Office and his official calling card. I’m halfway there, ey?
BFN…My phone is ringing!
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Blog : English by George Edward Giunca
About the Authors
Photographer George Edward Giunca, and his Thai wife, Apisatha, have traveled around Thailand armed with a circular fisheye lens to create a photo essay on the rich cultural diversity, and abundant natural beauty of the Kingdom of Thailand. Fleeing from angry water buffaloes, slapping huge mosquitoes, watching exotic festivals and religious rituals, gorging on delicious spicy food, applying aloe vera cream to sunburned skin, wading through rice paddies, getting drenched to the bone by heavy monsoon rains, and gawking at breath-taking scenery; made it a journey of epic proportions! The result is the book, THAILAND 180º. Later, they traveled extensively through Myanmar, Malaysia, and India, gathering a massive collections of 180º photos.
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In Thailand —>>>http://www.thailand180.com/thaiorder.html
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Not Familiar with Our Book???
This show details the origin of 180 Books, a series of art/travel books illustrated with a circular fisheye lens. By using infographics, pictures from our THAILAND 180º book, and never seen before images from our vault, we’ll demonstrate this unique lens and present our unique books.
Also, because there’s nothing to watch on TV, here’s a trailer about our book, “THAILAND 180”
