Chula to perform psychoanalysis on Thaksin, Oh! man. Options

[AnAttA]

A group of Chulalongkorn University academics will invite a psychiatrist to perform a psychoanalysis on caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra

more

[yokie]

Thaksin psychoanalyzed at seminar

By Jutarat Tongpiam 24 August 2006


Amid the current political tensions in Thailand that led to the violent confrontation between pro-and anti-Thaksin groups at Bangkok’s Central World Plaza on Monday, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra decided to firmly declare that he will remain in politics.

The premier’s declaration was the topic of a seminar held yesterday at Chulalongkorn University entitled “Is Thaksin just bad or mad?”

“To diagnose whether an individual is bad or mad, one needs to see beyond his actions. For some, we can detect merely from their behavior. But currently we can see that one person can have both qualities in combination,” said Dr Kasem Tantiphlachiva, pictured, consultant psychiatrist at the Somdej Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry.

Kasem said that he had never previously psychoanalyzed anyone in public because of medical ethics.

“But, I have to disregard my concern for ethics a bit for the sake of our country and because the subject himself is quite poor in ethics,” he said.

Kasem said that Thaksin is possibly the only government leader in the world to be diagnosed as possessing a psychological abnormality.

“Confused, lunatic, insane, paranoid…split personality disorder, manic-depressive, we have heard those before. Thaksin even told us that he was suffering from a spiritual disease.”

Kasem said that confusion usually overcomes a person who is only semi-aware, while a lunatic is usually unaware of his mental abnormality, but both could be used to describe the caretaker premier’s state of mind.

Thaksin could also be described as suffering from megalomania.

A split-personality disorder may not be appropriate in this case, but perhaps “two-faced personality disorder (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggthumpup.gif) ” is more suitable for a person who keeps changing his personality, the psychiatrist said.

Kasem also said that Thaksin’s mental disorders include paranoia, due to his extreme concern for his safety, and moodiness, for his changing statements about his future in politics.

Regarding Thaksin’s personality, the psychiatrist said that his habits, his relationships with others and his responsibility to the public are the main indicators.

“Lacking concern for others, lying, looking down on others, and making sarcastic comments are all abnormal. Well, those habits are usually unseen among top politicians in developed countries,” he said.

Kasem said that a person’s actions and personality usually reflect their childhood. A poor childhood often drives a person to be honest, patient, helpful and sympathetic to others.

“But some become bitter and feel inferior later in life, feelings that drive him to be an opportunist or to be vengeful. This kind of person is very dangerous,” Kasem said.