Bangkok, July 20, 2026 (AFP): Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul serenaded Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a formal lunch in Beijing on Monday, the latest example of his musical diplomacy.
Footage released by Anutin's office showed the Thai leader sitting alongside Li on a long table, holding a microphone and singing a classic hit by Taiwanese star Teresa Teng.
Li and other assembled guests, who sat in front of Thai and Chinese flags, clapped alongside as a piano was heard in the background.
Earlier this month, Anutin performed a rendition of "My Way", the song popularised by Frank Sinatra, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim -- the Thai leader this time on the saxophone, as his counterpart sang.
And on a visit to Hanoi last month, Anutin played a Vietnamese instrument with local musicians in front of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.
Anutin, who took office in September before winning February elections, is a scion of a construction dynasty but presents himself as a man of the people.
A hobbyist jet pilot, he also plays the piano and the Thai flute.
At the same time he is seen as loyal to Thailand's traditional social order -- a stance that resonates with many in a still largely conservative society.
In recent weeks Anutin has also performed with a Thai teenager who went viral with a rocking performance on TV show America's Got Talent. -- AFP
