CityNews – April 1st 2016, The Prime Minister announced that he will begin a thirty day excursion around Thailand on a hot air balloon in order to “effectively observe the country as never seen before by a policy maker.” The tour kicks off from Parliament House in Bangkok on April 9th.
His tour will cover many of the Thai islands, which he feels need more attention from the Thai government. “I will personally land my hot air balloon on Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi and Patong, Phuket in order to observe the lifestyle of the people and decide what additional amenities the government should supply,” the Prime Minister said in a released statement.
Other officials feel that this is an all expense paid vacation for the Prime Minister. “He’s going to be travelling the country, attending a Full Moon Party on Koh Phi Phi, staying at a fine resort in Phuket, all on the government’s dime. Meanwhile we’ll be sweating it out in the office during the hottest month of the year,” Secretary of Higher Education, General Sorptok Tuktee, said.
The Prime Minister assured people that this is strictly a business trip. “It is important to understand the tourism industry and how farangs interact with Thai culture in order to build up our nation’s economy. I will also travel to Isaan and other parts of Thailand to observe them from above as well for agricultural purposes.”
Unfortunately, because of limited time and the slow mode of transportation, the Prime Minister will not be able to hover above Chiang Mai during his hot air balloon travels. “We initially planned to do a stint in the north in order to measure the air pollution levels, but, honestly, there won’t be all that much to see with the smog. Besides, the Prime Minister only has this 30-day vacation, er, I mean research trip. He wants to have the most fun, whoops, I mean gather the most information possible,” a member of the entourage accompanying the Prime Minister on his epic journey told Citylife.
Still others feel as though the Prime Minister is going on this trip in order to gain Instagram followers. “The Prime Minister was reportedly bragging about how he’s going to get the best Insta’s from the hot air balloon,” said a government employee. At the end of his press conference the Prime Minister did say, “In order to stay in contact with me for official business, follow me on Instagram @SuperAwesomeCoolPM.” A spokesperson told Citylife, “He’s also picked some hashtags for his photos including #FullOfHotAir #GoodThaimes #SoaringOverThailand #FullMoonFun and #Nature. We haven’t confirmed an official filter yet.”