His latest move has a bluntness that Donald Trump, who must contend with reporters on more regular basis as part of his job in the US, could only dream of.

Though Trump seems to relish in clashing with the press, declaring that reporters are purveyors of “fake news” and welcoming chants of “CNN sucks” at his rallies, he seems loathe to ignore them all together. Trump has notably kept a shorter public schedule in the past few weeks, going so far as to send a video message to be played at a daily briefing for White House correspondents, even though he had been at the White House that same day.

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen as he delivers a message during the daily briefing hosted by U.S. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the White House on Jan. 4.
U.S. President Donald Trump is seen as he delivers a message during the daily briefing hosted by U.S. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the White House on Jan. 4.
Image: Reuters/Carlos Barria

Trump, who has conducted a few free-wheeling news conferences, has preferred to offer interviews to favored outlets and keep a measure of message control by making impromptu comments to the traveling press corps. During his presidential campaign, he frequently opted to call into news programs, as opposed to sitting down for interviews in person.

Now Prayuth has taken that to a whole new level.

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