Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has downplayed criticism that she appeared unconcerned by social strife by taking her children out to play on the lawn of Government House lawn amid a farmers' protest.
Ms Paetongtarn was chastised for watching her son and daughter play while farmers from 19 provinces dumped truckloads of blackchin tilapia not far from the Government House fence on Tuesday.
The protesters said they abhorred the government’s slow progress in eliminating the invasive fish, which have had a disastrous impact on local ecosystems.
The premier denied she was indifferent, saying the issue was being dealt with by the Fisheries Department.
“Being close to my children doesn’t interfere with my work,” she said on Wednesday. “It’s a matter of … being able to multi-task. It doesn’t follow that when one is occupied with one activity, they can’t pursue another.”
Ms Paetongtarn and her husband, Pitaka Suksawat, have a 4-year-old daughter, Thitara, while their son Phrutthasin will turn 2 on May 1.