Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said it is common practice for world leaders to read from a script at a major international event after a photograph of her reading from an iPad at her first international summit in Qatar last week made the rounds on social media over the weekend, raising doubts about her capacity to lead.

The PM took to her Instagram account to respond to a netizen who had posted a series of photographs showing Ms Paetongtarn reading off an iPad at a diplomatic event. The netizen commented the images were embarrassing for the country before comparing her unfavourably to former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Ms Paetongtarn wrote, “Thank you for the advice. Please watch the news and read more information. During meetings like these, leaders across the world read scripts. It’s a commitment. It must be recorded. Everyone reads scripts, from sheikhs to ministers.”

She ended by saying, “Keep an open mind, and you’ll be happier.”

In a separate Instagram story, Ms Paetongtarn insisted she had prepared thoroughly for the event. “It’s not like I went without doing my homework. It was an international event in which it would be inappropriate to break the norm,” she said.

Pheu Thai Party list MP and former foreign affairs minister Noppadon Pattama defended Ms Paetongtarn, saying reading a script is common practice in international meetings.

He said the criticism was misplaced and urged the critic to focus on the content of her remarks instead.

Veteran journalist Suthichai Yoon also waded into the controversy.

“Why read from an iPad? Why was it in English? Why didn’t the Foreign Affairs Ministry prepare an interpreter for her? Didn’t the Iranian president speak in his own language?” he said in an X post.

Suthichai noted Ms Paetongtarn needs “special care” since she is new to international meetings while blaming the Foreign Affairs Ministry for allowing her to attend the event unprepared.