PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has said he does not see any money-making potential in the pair of rubber figurines depicting him on display at a rubber product and utility exhibition at Government House yesterday.
“Did the figures look good? I haven’t seen them yet,” Prayut joked during a weekly press briefing. “[The manufacturer] might be able to make then just once. They will lose [money] for sure if they try to sell them.”
Supap Nakphongphan, owner of the rubber-dough company JJ Model which made the figurines, said he didn’t plan on marketing the rubber models, but would give them to the premier after the exhibition ended.
Each of the figures portrays the blue-suited, softly-smiling PM in a different likeness, Supap said. The 10-centimetre-high likeness depicted Prayut in a humorous, cartoonish way, while the 30cm model showed the premier in a more formal light, with his right hand holding a roll of black rubber sheets.
The rubber sheets symbolised how the premier is handling the controversial rubber price issue, he said.
The figures, made a few days before the exhibition started, were finished quickly so Prayut would have a chance to see them, Supap said. He added that there were no plans for the company to model other political or notable figures, as its usual production was of rubber dough modelling food, medical products and cartoons.
Regarding the exhibition, which aimed to offer a platform for the government and private sector to discuss how to facilitate more rubber purchases from farmers, Supap said that he was satisfied with the event as he was able to speak with government officials about further cooperation and opportunities.
“Officers from tourism and sports ministries said that our Thai food models could be good souvenirs as they reflect Thai culture well,” he said. “Officers from the commerce ministry also saw an export opportunity for my products.”
With the moulding dough consisting of only 7 to 8 per cent rubber, Supap said his business was not greatly affected by the drop in rubber prices. “Still, we have chosen to be present here because I think we represent product development. We also contribute to [the] stimulation of rubber products in markets, as we produce rubber dough as raw materials for other companies to use.”
