The Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva, says he will continue to support Newcastle United in the Championship next season. Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.

Abhisit, who was wearing a Newcastle tie today, says he watched the match and was not shocked by the result considering the team had so many injuries. He had planned to call the manager Alan Shearer if the team won, but decided not to after the loss."

I will continue to support the team and I believe they will make it back," Abhisit said. "I still have faith in Newcastle."

Unlike his staid predecessors, the Oxford-educated Abhisit has cultivated an image as polished, trendy and a lover of everything English. Along with being a fan of Newcastle, he openly talks about his love for English bands such as Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys' side project The Last Shadow Puppets. He also has a page and thousands of friends on social networking site hi5.

Critics have seized on Abhisit's Western tastes as an indication that he is out of touch with ordinary people, particularly the country's rural majority.Abhisit, who became prime minister in December, counts on support from Bangkok's middle class as well as the military generals who ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup in 2006, and foreign businessmen who see him as a stabilising, investor friendly force.


*clap clap*

PS: Thanks for the good natured ribbing and condolences. Hopefully we will bounce back. Yay, more 46 matches next season!