Political Discourses of Trust: Stance-taking Acts in the Thai PM's Weekly TV Addresses

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the Thai PM Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha's use of stance expressions to construe trust, comprising attitudinal stance, epistemic stance and modality, in his weekly addresses broadcast on national television from March to December, 2017. The linguistic investigation incorporating Critical Discourse Analysis and trust frameworks shows that the three main aspects of trust are pursued. Integrity is however predominantly constructed through the use of a modal verb kʰᴐ̌ː 'would like' and an attitudinal verb jà:k 'want'. Interestingly, a relatively small number of stance markers are found to project competency and benevolence. The results have led to the conclusion that the PM's trust-building strategies mainly involve the construal of integrity by asserting his moral values linked with national reform, reconciliation, and advancement. These characteristics of linguistic hegemony via the construction of trust-building are expected to raise more sociopolitical awareness in the Thai political context.