The prime minister completed the lyrics two months ago and passed it on to the Royal Thai Army’s Band Department for musical composition and production, according to government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
The spokesman refused to explain what message Prayut was trying to convey with the latest song, which was released on Wednesday,
“Hope and Faith” is the third piece composed by the junta head since the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) staged its coup in May 2014. The lyrics contain a message encouraging Thai people to live in harmony and have faith in order to achieve their goals.
The song is available on the official YouTube channel of the Government Public Relations Department.
“Returning Happiness to Thailand” was Prayut’s first single and was released shortly after the coup.
Its release followed months of political turmoil that partially paralysed the capital, and the song sent a message that the coup would restore peace and order, and in the process “return happiness” to the people.
The second single, “Because You Are Thailand”, came in 2015 – a year after the power seizure. By that time the NCPO was constantly being criticised both at home and abroad regarding the depressed economy and human rights violations. The lyrics expressed the regime’s exhaustion while insisting on the generals’ good intentions and calling for the people to cooperate for the good of the country.
“Because You Are Thailand” is believed to have replaced “Returning Happiness to Thailand” as the junta’s theme song, as the initial single has been mocked widely because of the lyric “We will keep our promise; just give us some time”.
Critics have repeatedly joked that the junta has been in power far longer than it originally promised in 2014.