Thread: Thai elections 2011-Thai PM sets stage for tough election

Democrat urged Pheu Thai to stop involving third parties in politics : National News Bureau of Thailand

Democrat urged Pheu Thai to stop involving third parties in politics

BANGKOK, 5 June 2011 (NNT)-The Democrat Party has told the Pheu Thai Party to stop involving independent organizations and the military in politics, citing possible problems after the election.

Democrat Bangkok MP President Mr. Ongart Klampaiboon said following claims by the Opposition Party, that the Election Commission of Thailand had printed extra ballots and that the Democrat asked the military for their votes, were unfounded.

He said this could mislead the public and lead to people’s movement to reject the election result. Mr. Ongart also pleaded with the exiled leader, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra to stop convincing Thai people to believe that he had been politically bullied given the legal charges laid on him. Mr. Ongart feared this would make it difficult to unify the country.

^ Wow, a Thai politician taking responsibility and doing the honourable thing.

A rare person indeed. Nice to know they exist.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

He adds that the Thai people should make it clear that this country is not about only one person.

indeed .

From the Government Public Relations Dept.....


Inside Thailand -- All Political Parties Urged to Present Guidelines for Fighting Corruption in the July 3 General Election

(05/06/2011)



Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged all political parties to present guidelines for fighting corruption in the upcoming general election, scheduled for July 3.

He pointed out that corruption has caused damage to the Thai economy, resulting in the country facing a loss in terms of opportunities and development.

Speaking at an anti-corruption seminar, the Prime Minister said that corruption has also weakened the country’s competitiveness. Last year, he said, the public and private sectors came together with the National Anti-Corruption Commission in a collective alliance against corruption practices.

In fact, he said, corruption usually comes from three parties, namely politicians, government officials, and business people. During the past decade, efforts have been made in Thailand to amend related laws and introduce organizational restructuring, and improve various mechanisms. Even so, the corruption problem remains serious and continues to erode Thai society.

Prime Minister Abhisit stressed the important role of the private sector in anti-corruption efforts, saying that businesses should join hands in refusing to offer bribery, while competing in terms of efficiency. He suggested that factual information and the body of knowledge should be used to fight corruption effectively. He also believed that corruption could be prevented or suppressed if everyone worked together in close collaboration. An awareness-raising campaign needs to be adopted and implemented widely, as well.

In his meeting with Prime Minister Abhisit on June 1, Mr. Timothy Tong Hin-ming, Commissioner of Independent Commission against Corruption, commended the Prime Minister for his emphasis on anti-corruption efforts, which is considered a good starting point in overcoming this problem.

As corruption is regarded as one of the transnational crimes, Thailand has signed the United Nations Convention against Corruption. It has also actively participated in various international forums that deal with this issue.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission, an independent agency in Thailand, is the main agency responsible for the task of fighting corruption. Its work involves three main areas, namely investigation, prevention, and promotion.

According to the commission, investigating committees are formed, comprising knowledgeable persons, to look into corruption cases. The alleged offenders are given every chance to defend themselves in the presence of their layers. Concerning prevention, the commission oversees the asset declaration of politicians and senior government officials.

It has also launched public relations campaigns to promote codes of conduct in public and private organizations and encourage positive values among young people.

^

Originally Posted by PRD

.....urged all political parties to present guidelines for fighting corruption in the upcoming general election.....

And so they should. Better still if they don't follow Mark's own example of inviting the likes of BJT into bed - simply to form his government syndicate.

Originally Posted by PRD

In his meeting with Prime Minister Abhisit on June 1, Mr. Timothy Tong Hin-ming, Commissioner of Independent Commission against Corruption, commended the Prime Minister for his emphasis on anti-corruption efforts, which is considered a good starting point in overcoming this problem.

After close to two and a half years in the driving seat (allegedly), it seems reasonable to expect a little more than just "a good starting point".....

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged all political parties to present guidelines for fighting corruption in the upcoming general election, scheduled for July 3.

Originally Posted by dirtydog

PM: I'll end corruption

Writer: BangkokPost.com
Published: 23/07/2009 at 12:24 PM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has promised to end corruption and all illegal political activities to restore foreigners' confidence in the country.

https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...orruption.html (Thailand - PM: I'll end corruption)



youtube.com

In Fact Khun Abhisit may I remind you of this .....................

https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...orruption.html

From Twitter today:

TAN_Network TAN News Network

EC selects superstar Bird Thongchai to help promote July 3 election

2 hours ago

......

For those thinking "Who he?", here's a flavour (and BTW, he's 52 ):

Bangkok Post : SME parties praying for political divisiveness

INPrint

• Published: 4/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

What is apparent may not necessarily bear fruit. Bhumjaithai Party's de facto leader Newin Chidchob predicts that even if Pheu Thai beats the Democrats on July 3, it does not necessarily mean the next prime minister will be Yingluck Shinawatra, notes Post Today.

Mr Newin's prediction was backed by Chartthaipattana's de facto leader Banharn Silpa-archa who earlier remarked that those who hoped for a "heroine riding a white horse" to be the country's leader may be disappointed as the heroine may fall from the horse and break her leg.

Why did the two seasoned politicians make those comments? Post Today speculated that the veteran politicians know Thaksin Shinawatra's game plan well, that the former premier has several cards to play and Ms Yingluck is just one. Being a woman, Ms Yingluck's candidacy is being used as a vote-getter so that Pheu Thai can win the general election in a convincing manner and that the party can form a government either alone or in a coalition. But it might not follow that Pheu Thai's No.1 party list candidate _ Ms Yingluck _ will become the next prime minister if she is found to be incapable of withstanding the political heat.

Mr Banharn may hope that if Pheu Thai wins, but by not much, it cannot form a government or even if it could it may not be stable even with the help of Suwat Liptapallop's Chart Pattana Pheu Pandin Party, which expects to gain at least 10 seats. Pheu Thai will then need help from other SME parties such as Mr Banharn's Chartthaipattana. Mr Banharn is hoping against hope that the party may then be able to bargain for the PM's position and a Grade A ministry.

The issue is that it is unlikely Thaksin will let the prime ministerial post slip into the hands of someone outside Pheu Thai because Thaksin wants to return home without facing a jail term _ and to achieve this goal he must place someone he completely trusts in the post of government leader, and that of course is his own sister, Ms Yingluck.

If Pheu Thai cannot form a government, even with help from Mr Suwat, and Thaksin does not yield that much, then Mr Banharn has no choice but to stick to his original alliance with Bhumjaithai, which is not welcomed by Pheu Thai, to form a government with the same old ally, the Democrats.

Again, Mr Banharn is expected to demand that Abhisit Vejjajiva step aside and let Maj Gen Sanan Kachornprasart become PM as a compromise. It is also not surprising that Mr Newin should remark that if Mr Abhisit cannot lead the Democrats to a target of 200 MPs, he should resign as his party's leader. The reason why both Mr Banharn and Mr Newin dislike Mr Abhisit is because while Mr Abhisit has been PM, he has stopped or tried to stop several lucrative projects proposed by coalition partners.

So if the Democrats want to return to power, they should sacrifice Mr Abhisit. If that is not possible, Mr Abhisit should not oppose any future projects from the coalition parties.

In conclusion, what scenario is played out depends on the result of the July 3 general election. As long as neither of the major parties can claim a conclusive victory, it will offer a chance for the SME parties to bargain hard, even to the point of demanding to lead the coalition government with their choice of prime minister, Post Today says.


Short-sighted populism

Most academics have been against populist policies since they first emerged and were implemented by the Thai Rak Thai Party 10 years ago, notes a Thai Rath editorial.

To sum up, academics see unrestrained populist policies as damaging to the country's fiscal stability, creating NPLs (non-performing loans), creating a dependence mentality among the recipients and being non-sustainable in the long run.

Some academics are blasting the current election campaign promises by all political parties as sugar-coated poison pills that deceive the people. No matter how long or how severely the populist policies have been attacked by academics, they still form the cornerstone of any political party's platform.
Even a major political party which savaged the populist policies employed by the Thai Rak Thai administration has now conveniently gone over to the other side and is embracing the doctrine wholeheartedly.

It seems the two major political parties are trying to go one better than the other with the offer of benefits for the people. In the current campaign, the Democrat Party offers to increase the minimum wage by 25% within two years. Pheu Thai is responding, promising to raise the minimum wage to 300 baht/day immediately if they come to power and form a government.
The Democrats promise to raise the paddy price guarantee to 11,000 baht/tonne. Pheu Thai promises to abolish the paddy price guarantee scheme and revert back to the paddy pledging scheme at the level of 15,000 baht/tonne.

However, it's not only academics, but the private sector as well, who believe that populist policies are a short-term solution that cannot be sustained and will cause huge public debts for future generations. This criticism is not welcome by politicians because it's not their aim to solve the country's problems in the long term, preferring instead to solve immediate problems by giving out taxpayers' money which is more popular and likely to gain more votes at the poll.

The editorial cites the example of a certain former MP who had long lobbied for funds to build a local water reservoir in order to permanently solve chronic water shortages in his constituency.

However, when the day of the general election arrived, most folk chose to vote for his rival who paid cash directly to them. This is proof enough that ordinary folks want immediate material gratification rather than a long-term public utility.

The most serious damage from concentrating on populist policies is that political parties/politicians fail to recognise accumulated problems in the country, including poverty, injustice, social inequality, drug addiction and widespread corruption. Another major shortcoming of populist policies is that they create a dependence mentality among the recipients, nullifying any initiative to uplift themselves from poverty and condemning them to a never-ending poverty circle.

Maybe politicians should think twice before fully committing themselves to populist policies wholeheartedly.

According to an Abac poll of people in 17 provinces, 67% said raising the minimum wage to 300 baht would not help much _ 69.6% also did not think much of an interest-free grace period for first-time home loans. The majority also did not think 15 years of free education mattered that much. All these things pale into insignificance as long as the Thai people are still divided and resort to violence to gain power.

The Abac poll should provide a wake-up call for all political parties to abandon populist policies and try to initiate reconciliation and healing, concludes Thai Rath.

Vote-buyers under the hammer

SPECIAL

Vote-buyers under the hammer

By The Nation
Published on June 6, 2011

New counting system as politicians pay canvassers to secure ballots

The July 3 election will witness not only massive vote-buying but also a greater risk of vote canvassers putting their lives in danger, while some with more leverage may earn double commissions from politicians willing to pay whatever it takes to win.

The rules of the game have changed and canvassers must adapt to the new election law, which calls for ballots to be counted at polling stations. This rule is not really new because the election law has shifted between counting at polling stations and counting at constituency centres.

The 1997 constitution stipulated the counting of ballots at polling stations but the rule changed in 2006 to the counting of ballots at constituency centres. The recent changes to the 2007 Constitution required ballots to be counted at polling stations.

The rationale behind the change? Lawmakers believe counting ballots at polling stations will speed up the reporting of election results, prevent the problem of ballot boxes being swapped while being transported, and curb vote-buying. That is because constituencies are smaller and ballots are exclusively counted right away at each polling station.

With counting at constituency centres, ballots from many polling stations were mixed together, but with counting at polling stations, MP candidates can check if their canvassers were able to help them buy votes as promised. Canvassers also fear being punished for failure to meet vote-buying targets.

"By counting ballots at polling stations, MP candidates can check if canvassers meet their targets for vote-buying. Police are keeping a close watch to see if this will bring about violence,'' a source said yesterday.

Surveys have found that many canvassers dare not commit themselves to politicians as they cannot guarantee 100-per-cent success in winning a certain number of seats through vote-buying.

The change in the rules does not deter politicians from buying votes. In Chiang Rai, canvassers reveal that they have already received 30-per-cent advance commissions of total vote-buying money. Politicians rush to give advances for fear that the canvassers would accept work from their rivals. The smaller the village, the easier to buy votes. MP candidates prepare an average of Bt300-Bt500 per vote and the price jumps to Bt1,000 in remote areas.

Canvassers are classified into community leaders, people with influence over teenagers, kamnan and village chiefs.

"Community leaders accept commissions from both rival political parties. They do not care that the ballots will be counted at polling stations because they tell politicians that they can only give them a 50-per-cent guarantee of winning the seats they want. If they cannot meet this target, they are ready to give back some money,'' the source said.

Politicians who are not happy with this noncommittal stance can opt to use other canvassers, he added.

In Lampang, a canvasser who refused to be named said politicians had come up with more and more aggressive vote-buying tactics in each election. Starting with pressuring kamnan, village heads and community volunteers, politicians will check the number of their supporters in each area before giving money to canvassers to buy votes. For every Bt500 of vote-buying money, Bt200 is given to the canvasser.

In the South, the Democrat Party's stronghold, vote-buying is more difficult because constituents are loyal to the Democrats.

"Voters accept the money but will not vote for rivals of the Democrats. Politicians then have to buy votes by giving a lump sum of money for weddings, merit-making ceremonies of constituents. This way they may win at least 20 votes from paying about Bt20,000,'' the source said.

A canvasser in Surat Thani says a politician has prepared about Bt20 million to buy votes and threatened to kill canvassers who receive money from him but do not bring enough votes as promised.

An MP candidate in Phetchaburi also admitted that smaller constituencies make it easier to buy votes. But since rival candidates also buy votes, they have to up the ante to win votes.

"Buying votes by giving money to one particular canvasser is not as effective as giving money to many canvassers - with each canvasser managing about 50 voters, although the latter method may cost politicians more," he said.

Many politicians also promise bonuses if they win the election, to be shared among canvassers and voters.

A canvasser said that with stricter laws and the fact that the Election Commission and anti-vote buying agencies are armed with technology, he feared being caught with evidence of vote-buying.

"I will only offer vote-buying money to my relatives, close friends and not people who I don't know,'' he said.

Ratchaburi is one of the provinces where the election race will be fierce, so canvassers dare not commit themselves to any party.

"It's hard to embezzle the vote-buying money since votes will be counted at polling stations. It's scary. No one dares to be a canvasser of any party even though they are heavily wooed with hefty commissions,'' a canvasser in the province said.

Students believe July 3 election won't end political conflict

Students believe July 3 election won't end political conflict

By Sirared Cherdchusilp,
Budsarakham Sinlapalava

The Nation
Published on June 6, 2011

Students who will have the right to vote for the first time in the coming July 3 election said yesterday the poll would not end political conflict in the country, so many would vote for former massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit, just for their amusement.

The country is still deeply divided, they said.

"Thailand's colour-coded politics is far from over and will remain so even after the election," said Wiripone Artitraungroj, 19, from the Faculty of Science at Kasetsart University.

The only one good point for this election, said Watthanavut Phathidee, 20 - also from Kasetsart - is that Thailand would become more democratised.

The caretaker government under Abhisit Vejjajiva did not win a previous election but used parliamentary tactics to come to power, he said. "In the view of foreigners, Thailand was not truly democratic. This coming election will give the country a better image," he said.

Kasetsart University's Na-Bhattara Ongwaranon and Montree Somjai said they often discussed politics and the election among close friends, but steered away from talking with others whose political views they did not know.

"Politics is really a boring topic for youth," said Noppadon Sroything of Dhurakij Pundit University's Political Science Faculty. "But [taking part in] the election, I think, is better than street protests."

But Boonporn Ungsomboon, 19, from the same university, disagreed. The situation during campaigning is tending to become even more violent, she said.

The only way to improve the situation after the poll would be for all factions to accept the result whether they win or lose, he said. "We should be neutral as much as possible to solve the conflict and not take any sides."

Wattanapol Charoenpongteera, 21, from Srinakarinwirot University said people of his generation should pay more attention to politics and, if possible, have a role in it. "I think many of us are interested in political parties and their policies. We are now thinking about them seriously, not just simply ignoring them as we did previously," he said.

Many students said they liked Chuwit because of his extreme, colourful, straight and funny campaign.

"Personally, I think Chuwit campaigns colourfully while other parties are simply boring," said Wiripone.

Other political parties have simple campaigns of visiting and greeting people, but Chuwit's is interesting, said Watthanavut. "It is easy to recognise and remember Chuwit's posters while others are all the same," he said.

"Chuwit is interesting as he has a clear stance and looks sincere, not pretentious," said Boonporn.

Wattanpol felt "Chuwit emerges to make the election more colourful but I don't think he is the person who would run the country".

"Chuwit is sincere as he is a single campaigner who stands to be in the opposition," said Thammasat University's Thannutkorn Kaidmanee.

Voters should consider small parties since the two major rivals, Democrat and Pheu Thai, would bring the same ideas back into politics, she said.

"If the small parties become the government, they might be able break out of the circle of red and yellow," she said.

"Unfortunately, people keep talking about the Democrat Party and Pheu Thai Party because the mass media gives them too much publicity. We want to know about small politics and other parties too," she said.

Purita Suwannatat, 21, from Srinakarinwirot University's Faculty of Humanities said none of the political parties in the race really had concrete policies. "They just do something to call attention to themselves and ask us to vote for them," she said.

Teams run tight show for 'working woman PM'

BURNING ISSUE

Teams run tight show for 'working woman PM'

By Chalao Kanchana,
Niphawan Kaewrakmuk
Special to The Nation
Published on June 6, 2011

It is not easy for businesswoman Yingluck Shinawatra to project an image in her quest to become Thailand's first woman prime minister.

She depends on several teams to assist her in presenting an image as a professional working woman who offers to serve the country.

According to her aides, the teams have been doing everything for her during the election campaign tours - from preparing scripts, designing her look and arranging the people around her. Apart from regularly consulting her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the phone, these teams are advising her throughout the campaign tour.

Her chief strategist is Chaturon Chaisaeng. The campaign strategy committee's members include former Pheu Thai MPs and former Thai Rak Thai executives.

The strategy team coordinates with a working team, which follows Yingluck on the tour. The strategy team has to make a quick decision on who will accompany Yingluck's campaigning the following day. Sometimes, the campaign team is assembled in the morning just minutes before Yingluck sets out on her campaigning.

Yingluck is also assisted by a forward team. It coordinates with the campaign team, which accompanies her, on who she'll meet during her daily appearances.

The forward team advises Yingluck which topics she should talk to voters about at particular places. The forward team will hear complaints by local villagers and inform Yingluck's campaign team in advance.

According to aides, the campaign team has had to repeatedly remind Yingluck not to get bored as she repeats the same things for people to remember at each campaign rally.

The campaign team evaluates the outcome of the rally on a daily basis - either during the night or in the morning - so that Yingluck can improve her performance at the next rally.

The sources said Yingluck sometimes becomes tired and worn out, but she will not stop. When on the brink of giving up, she calls her brother to consult him.

"Her election campaign tour is not as easy as it might look. Sometimes, she becomes tired and would like to quit, but she cannot stop," an aide recounted.

Her aides help design her look, hairstyle and clothes before going out to meet the people each day.

The sources said the strategy team decided to project Yingluck as a professional working woman so she always wears a white shirt and black trousers on the tour to make it easy for people and media to recognise her.

The strategists also plan for her to be surrounded by young people, deciding who walks with her. Politicians are often kept at a distance as some have a negative image. And being projected as a working woman, she is not allowed to talk about politics. Her strategists have her talk about only the work she would do as PM.

The task of responding to Pheu Thai opponents is left to other candidates. Her every move is directed by her teams as she cannot afford to make a mistake on the political road - or she could be eaten alive.

Vandals destroy parties' signs

Vandals destroy parties' signs

By The Nation
Published on June 6, 2011

Over 700 election campaign signs of the two major parties have been destroyed around the country, prompting Pheu Thai to complain that police were slow in preventing the problem.

Pol Maj General Prawut Thavornsiri, spokesman of the National Police Office, said yesterday police were following up on 18 cases involving defacing of campaign posters of the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties, but so far no arrests have been made.

Mutilated posters were found in Bangkok and all regions of the country except the East. While Pheu Thai reported its campaign signs were vandalised in the southern stronghold of the Democrats, the Democrats protested that their signs were mutilated in the northern bastion of Pheu Thai.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit demanded police speed up investigations and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible.

Many Pheu Thai signs had been stolen in the North, Central region, Northeast and Bangkok, he added.

Pirapong Sangthong, Pheu Thai's candidate in Surat Thani Constituency 1, said dozens of his campaign materials showing him with the party's prime minister candidate Yingluck Shinawatra were ruined while those of the Democrats nearby were left intact.

In Patthaulung, Pheu Thai candidate Sodiguen Samuhaseni said several of his campaign posters were trashed. In Lamphun, Democrat candidate Khayun Wipromchai said six campaign signs in Pasang district were damaged.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva's picture was cut out of the signs and some were burnt, he said.

In Angthong, several campaign posters of Somchai Talummuk, the Democrat candidate in Constituency 2, were spoiled.

Young Democrat vs veteran in Don Muang

KEY CONTENDERS

Young Democrat vs veteran in Don Muang

By Budsarakham Sinlapalavan,
Sirared Cherdchusilp
The Nation
Published on June 6, 2011

At first look, it does not appear Democrat Thankhun Jitt-isara is snatching too many votes in Karun "Keng" Hosakul's stronghold of Bangkok's Don Muang district.

In fact, the Pheu Thai candidate is convinced he will beat Thankhun easily in the upcoming election.

"I don't even have to spend too much time campaigning because I'm a local. Many people in this area know me personally. Not just the older generation, but also the young people. I take part in every major event, be it an ordination, a wedding ceremony or graduation. I have been working in this area for nearly a decade now, as a member of the district council, the Bangkok council and as an MP," he said.

Though Karun looks a bit like a gangster, he is still welcomed with open arms around Don Muang.

"Somebody once said that I had influence because I am a bit rough. You can ask businessmen in my area what Keng's behaviour really is like," he said.

Despite his rough appearance, Karun was seen recently being very polite and gentle. He greeted older people as his parents, asking them to choose their "son" Keng. His supporters greeted him with flowers, and someone was heard asking when Yingluck Shinawatra - the Pheu Thai Party's PM candidate - was going to visit.

One resident said there was no way Thankhun could win in Don Muang because he did not live in the district and had not proved himself there. Thankhun, a new face in the Democrat Party's list of candidates, has been welcomed and dismissed. Yet, it looks like the Democrats made the right decision in choosing him, because the younger generation seems to find him charming. He has quite a fan club among female voters.

And though some Don Muang residents have been hurling abuse at him, the young candidate insists he is not discouraged.

"During our campaign, some people abused us and even threw bottles at us. But we will continue doing our best to visit every area, even though we never thought there would be such violence like this. Sometimes we were warned of men waiting for us with sticks in some areas, so we decided to stay away.

"Though we are disheartened and discouraged sometimes, we cannot turn back. The only way to go is straight ahead. I believe we are doing well in our campaigns. This constituency has three different types of voters - Karun's supporters, those who are undecided and the 'silent power'. If we can win over the 'silent power', we have the chance to win. We're looking for the best way to make the silent power come out and vote," he said.

Bangkok Post : Don't let the facts spoil a good policy

Don't let the facts spoil a good policy

SPECIAL REPORT: Analysts say long-term strategies must back up populist approaches if they are to prove effective

• Published: 6/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Big-spending, populist policies are gaining a stronger foothold as major parties compete for votes in the July 3 election.



While the Democrat Party is saying it will increase the minimum wage by 25% in the next two years, the Pheu Thai Party says it can increase it to 300 baht a day immediately. The minimum wage is 159-221 baht a day now, depending on the province.

Bhumjaithai is boasting of a plan to provide official jobs for 1 million informal labourers such as street vendors, motorcycle taxi drivers and minivan operators.

The Chartthaipattana Party has countered with an offer to inject 5 trillion baht into improving the livelihoods of farmers and vows to double people's incomes in five years.

While most people may believe the policies are beneficial for them, a big question hangs over the parties' big proclamations: Where will they get the money to finance their policies?

Most parties do not make clear how they will finance such schemes and do not mention measures to prevent corruption in their policies.

"Populism is not wrong," said Thanawat Polvichai, director of the University of the Chamber of Commerce's Economic and Business Forecasting Centre.

"The point is how efficiently it can be managed and particularly how it can prevent corruption," he said.

Dr Thanawat said that without clear information about the sources of funding, it is difficult to assess how such policies will affect fiscal stability.

Parties should provide details of their financial plans, he said.

"They should tell the public who will pay."

Dr Thanawat agreed with some policies, such as introducing dual-track railways, which should make logistics systems more efficient.

"Welfare schemes at an appropriate level are also acceptable. Above all, such spending must not be abused," he said.

Viroj na Ranong, research director for health economics and agriculture at the Thailand Research Development Institute, said competition for voters will do more harm than good.

"Some policies are based on good ideas, but they may not be efficient," Dr Viroj said.

One Democrat policy allows workers in the informal sector, such as taxi and motorcycle taxi drivers and street vendors, to join the social security system by contributing 100-150 baht a month.

This would cover sickness, disability and death and they would receive lump sum pensions when they retire.

But Dr Viroj said few workers in this sector want lump sum payments, but rather payments spread out over the rest of their lives.

Studies by TDRI and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation showed that the state could pay annual annuities if the contribution was raised to 200 baht a month and workers could afford it.

But the government rejected this option because it does not want to shoulder a long-term payment obligation.

"Populist policies may sound good, but do not always offer people what they need," said Dr Viroj.

However he said he agreed with increasing the minimum wage because real wage rates have been stable for several years.

Somphop Manarangsan, president of Panyapiwat Institute of Technology, said most parties offer only short-term and medium-term policies.

"Introducing populist policies is fine but parties should explain their vision and the country's long-term direction," he said.

Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva defended his party's policies.

He said they are practical and can be implemented immediately if his party returns to government.

Mr Abhisit attacked Pheu Thai's "one student, one tablet computer" policy, saying it would require a budget of more than 100 billion baht, which is much more than that required for his party's 15-year free education scheme.

Sathit Wongnongtoey, a member of the Democrats' policy committee, said most policies do not require much money. Most of them are extensions of the policies introduced by the Democrat-led government.

The Democrat's policies are based on projections that the economy will grow 4.5% a year until 2013.

Suchart Thadathamrongvej, former finance minister and head of Pheu Thai's economic team, insisted his party's policies are practical.

The party's policy of cutting corporate tax from 30% to 25% in the first year and to 20% in the second year, would make the party's 300 baht minimum wage policy viable.

He said the increase in people's incomes would be traded off against lower revenue from tax cuts and higher value-added tax.

The party would provide computers to 800,000 Prathom 1 (Grade 1) students each year, which would cost only 3-4 billion baht.

The project focuses on improving long-term competitiveness by developing better education strategies based on e-learning and distribution of electronic textbooks via the internet.

Mr Suchart said Pheu Thai's policies would improve productivity and competitiveness, based on targeted economic growth of 7% a year.

"What we will give people is not charity. We give them opportunity," he said.

Goanpot Asvinvichit, head of Chart Pattana Puea Pandin's economic team, said his party's policy of boosting economic growth to 5% a year and increasing the minimum wage to 350 baht a day are not just fantasy.

He said if his party joins the government, it will push business development schemes worth 2 trillion baht.

"Economic policy must be revised because it favours mainly large companies," he said.

The party proposes to create up to a million entrepreneurs by providing them with three-year loans at 0-3% interest.

New firms would create more jobs. The party also proposes to restructure farmer debts.

Land tax and better revenue collection would bring in enough money to finance the schemes, he said.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Over 700 election campaign signs of the two major parties have been destroyed around the country, prompting Pheu Thai to complain that police were slow in preventing the problem.

suspect the Bib have better things to do .........................

Bangkok Post : Facing off over digital divide

News > Politics

Facing off over digital divide

Main parties make appealing promises

• Published: 6/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: Business

When it comes to election promises, free tablet computers for children and free public WiFi sound very appealing to anyone interested in information and communication technology.

Object of desire: Three students examine a display for the iPad 2 at its launch last month in Bangkok. Pheu Thai says it could get tablets from China for as little as 5,000 baht. KITJA APICHONROJAREK

The Pheu Thai Party has grabbed the populist high ground with its pledges, forcing the Democrats to hit back, saying that a few gimmicks do not constitute an ICT policy.

Both parties agree, however, that something must be done to get long-stalled 3G wireless broadband moving forward.

The Democrats say they are looking at the big-picture task of narrowing the digital divide. They pledge to expand 3G to all districts and 20 million households nationwide within four years.

The country has 7,400 districts but only 2,200 have fixed-line-based communication access, Democrat spokesman Buranat Samutharak points out.

"This truly reflects the fact that our country needs a wireless communication network, helped by 3G and wireless broadband technology," he said.

Thailand has fallen years behind other countries because of endless squabbling over industry regulation. An auction for 3G licences on the international-standard 2100 MHz frequency was aborted last year after a legal challenge. A new National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) must be formed before the process can begin again.

Consequently, the Democrat-led government has given the task of 3G development to the two state telecom enterprises, TOT Plc and CAT Telecom, the latter teaming up with True Corporation under a contract that has come under heavy criticism. If the Democrats form the next government, TOT and CAT will continue to take the lead in 3G, to the dismay of private operators, notably True's two bigger rivals.

Pheu Thai, meanwhile, says its tablet and WiFi promises are not gimmicks.

Kanawat Wasinsangworn, a deputy party leader, says the tablet policy is simply a new spin on the "one notebook per child" campaign of Pheu Thai's predecessor, Thai Rak Thai.

He rebuts the claims of critics who say the project would require a huge budget. He says tablets could be sourced from Chinese suppliers for as little as 5,000 baht each, compared with 15,000 baht and up for units sold commercially.

The party says every primary school student would receive a tablet to use for e-book reading until they complete secondary school.

"We estimate we would spend around 4 billion baht per year, or 1.8 baht per day per student," he said.

Free public WiFi, he adds, would be funded from the universal service obligation fees that telecom operators would pay the NBTC under new licences.

Mr Kanawat said Pheu Thai was also promoting open-source software and increasing the number of programmers. It also plans a fund for university graduates who want to be ICT entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, both parties agree that 3G licences on the 2100 MHz frequency should move forward. They envision the two state telecoms as network providers, with private operators encouraged to use the TOT and CAT networks as service providers.

As for Pheu Thai's tablet policy, the Democrats' Dr Buranat says there's a high risk of failure as there is no content development plan. He also believes the project could cost as much as 80 billion baht based on the number of students.

Instead, he said, high-speed broadband and a SchoolNet at speeds of 2 Mbps should be the priority for communities and children.

Anuparb Thiralarp, an independent telecom academic, said Pheu Thai offered more tangible policies but many challenges lie ahead.

"The tablet policy is a double-edged sword as this could make a child addicted to online games and inappropriate content," he said.

Instead of giving away tablets, he says, the government should allow students to borrow them for school-related work. Adirek Patithat, chairman of the Association of the Thai ICT Industry, urged the new government to use locally developed software, possibly through tax incentives.

Tatchapol Poshyanonda, the country manager of Cisco Systems (Thailand), says the new government should continue the Democrats' national broadband policy to reduce the digital divide, since broadband penetration is now only 15%.


Writer: Komsan Tortermvasana & Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk

Bangkok Post : Sansern: Wrong time to meet army chief

Sansern: Wrong time to meet army chief

• Published: 6/06/2011 at 11:17 AM
• Online news:

Pheu Thai No.1 candidate Yingluck Shinawatra's proposal that she meet national army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in person is not appropriate at this time, army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Monday.

"Gen Prayuth did not give an opinion on Ms Yingluck's proposal to seek his advice on the country's situation, but he has always stated that the army must abide by the election laws," Col Sansern said.

He said the army will not obstruct party leaders or election candidates if they want to explain their policies to soldiers, but if they want to electioneer in military camps then the army will have to inform the Election Commission first.

"The army welcomes all parties if they campaign fairly.

"However, if party leaders or candidates would like to personally meet the army chief, it would not be appropriate at this time," the spokesman said.

The army was only acting in accordance with the election regulations, he added.

Originally Posted by Calgary

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Over 700 election campaign signs of the two major parties have been destroyed around the country, prompting Pheu Thai to complain that police were slow in preventing the problem.

suspect the Bib have better things to do .........................

Not sure what to make of this.

Some of the above reports are of the PTP complaining about vandalized signs.

Is this State Media propaganda or what. Sometimes it is so damn subtle.

I am travelling extensively throughout the Mahasarakham, Udon Thani, Khon Kean, Korat, kalasin, Chaiyaphum areas, and all I see are mutilated Democrat Party signs, not PTP.

Frequently the photo of "the anointed one" is mutilated, or simply cut out. Also, a lot of grafitti written over his image to the effect of "murderer"

I seldom see a PTP poster damaged.

I think to suggest that both party posters are affected is propaganda. Trying to show that both parties are considered villainous by vandalizers, when that is not the case.

Only one Party had a hand in Ratchaprasong.

You should come to Bangkok, living in Isaan has given you a very distorted view of Thailand.

Plenty of damaged signs for all parties around here. I was walking back home this morning and counted 7 along my street.

Originally Posted by Calgary

I notice a prominent theme running through all State Media reports is to try to link Yingluck as close as possible to Thaksin. To the point where she is portrayed as an automaton to the extreme.

This could back-fire on them. They are counting on the fact that their orchestrated demonization campaign of the last several years has had the desired, agenized effect. They fail to recognize that this extreme linkage merely elevates Yinglucks status with most and only denigrates her with those who wouldn't vote for her anyway.

Thaksin did say she was his clone...and he had trained her and trusted her to do his bidding etc etc.

Did you forget this fact while you were composing this missive?