Thai politicians are known for their gesture politics which was in full display during the first day of parliamentary debate on the Srettha government’s policy statement on Monday.

They took turns to cast doubts and pour scorns on the policy statement which they claimed did not match the election promises made by the political parties in the new ruling coalition government.

While Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin believed he was introducing a policy that would bring the country out of the economic doldrums and shape a better future for Thailand, his critics in the chamber dismissed it as nothing more than a wish list and a deception.

Sirikanya Tansakul, an outspoken MP of Move Forward Party, blasted the policy statement as being “nothing more than a wish list” that lacks specifics and offers no commitment.

“You are applying steroids instead of medicine to cure the economic ills,” she said.

She also compared the policy statement to “the malfunctioning GPS” that would bring the country to nowhere.

Jurin Laksanawisit, the acting leader of the Democrat Party, also took aim at what he described as a lack of direction in the policy statement.

He said it was superfluous and directionless. “It’s a stark contrast to the preview,” he said of the election promises made by Pheu Thai which were not manifested in the policy statement.

Jurin said its contents falls far short of people’s expectations.  “It doesn’t even match Khun Sretth’s height,” Jurin said, referring to the prime minister’s towering figure, standing at 192 cm.

Another senior Democrat MP, Ong-art Klampaibul, also took a swipe at the policy statement, describing it as being “sub-standard”. “It’s worse that those of Thaksin and Yingluck governments,” he said.

Mincing no words, Rangsiman Rome of the Move Forward Party described the policy statement as “wobbling, deceiving and aimless.”  He recalled that they were exactly the same descriptions given to the Prayut government’s policy statement more than four years back.

“And they perfectly apply to the Srettha government’s policy,” he said.