Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday gave his new poem to government heads whom he met today as a reminder of their connection with the people and their purpose to serve them.

Without a title, the poem delves into problems the country has encountered, as if it was passing through the “fierce tides of streams”.

However, with the force of the people – and unity – any problems the country faces can be overcome, and the people can eventually walk across the fierce streams together. Civil servants, he went on, should not hurt the people’s feelings but abide by the rule of law, as everyone, regardless of their social status, are all Thais who they have to take care of.

The words “Thai people” always sound great and with that the country can overcome everything, he wrote in the poem.

PM Prayut acknowledged that his poem was not perfect in terms of rhyming. But he said it was written with the pure intention to “improve” public understanding of the government’s performance.

“I tried every channel, but people still don’t understand us,” Prayut said, half-jokingly.

“I talked. I wrote songs. I did it all. Maybe next time I have to make the government spokesperson sing likay [Thai local folk theatre style], or else people won’t get to eventually understand us. That would just prolong the conflicts,” he added, philosophically.

With the premier taking the literary route, it’s a tough act to follow for the spokespersons’ team.