Thread: Thais Vote: Election Day 2011 - The General Poll and Results - Free and Fair?

Thai voters to go to the polls 03-07-2011
Thailand's rival political camps launched a last-minute appeal for votes ahead of today's election, which is seen as crucial to the future of the kingdom after years of unrest.


About 170,000 police are to be deployed to protect polling stations for the tense vote, which comes little more than a year after Bangkok was rocked by its worst civil violence in decades.

Polls show the main opposition Puea Thai Party, allied to fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, enjoying a lead over current prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's ruling Democrats. The two main parties drew their campaigns to a close with election convoys through central Bangkok, the site of deadly clashes between opposition protesters and security forces last year. As the two main rival camps criss-crossed the capital in trucks, many voters were leaving the city to return to their hometowns to cast ballots.

Originally Posted by The Nation

Lee Jae-hoo, director of Facilities Management Division of South Korea's National Election Commission, said the Thai Election Com-mission had prepared every polling procedure well and he believed there would not be any problem today.

Seems he (and his Malaysian counterpart) missed what happened with the advance voting. An estimated 500,000 unable to vote..... Ah well, Sunday's another day.

I created this thread (by the way) because I think we need one that is specific to "today" voting day - and not a continuation of Abhisit sets election - as that sounds biased to me.

The next 24 hours will be interesting. I trust that a trend at least on Bangkok will be established tomorrow night.

^^ pointless unless the other one is locked as posts will end up being split between the two and commented on in both.

Threads should be merged.

Not that we'll be hearing much (or probably anything) from either of the two EU observers - who are not even properly accredited by the EC because

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Bangkok Post : Embassies focus on election reaction
...
They are not official observers since the Election Commission did not sign a memorandum of understanding for an election monitoring mission.
...

and

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Bangkok Post : UK envoy meets Pheu Thai leader
....
“The mission will be only election observation without making any comments whether or not the election is free and fair,” he [UK ambassador] said.

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

I created this thread (by the way) because I think we need one that is specific to "today" voting day.....

Good call.

Monday, Pad in the streets

yeah, what a change

Just vote 'NO' to this thread and post in the 'REAL' election thread instead!

Looks a good thread this.

Half a million voters unable to practise their democratic right to vote?

The EC doing a good job remember the dems 258 million whitewash.

Are the amart and junta takin election fiddle techniques from the Yanks

Those 500,000 should start a class action.

Voters urged to visit Thailand Political Database
Santibhap Ussavasodhi



BANGKOK, 2 July 2011 (NNT) – Voters, especially those who remain undecided which party they will vote for this 3 July general election are encouraged to visit the Thailand Political Database (TPD) website at TPD:: as it contains information about past performances of politicians.

The popular website features information about Thai politicians, especially MPs in the recently dissolved House and their performance in details from the laws they voted for or against to their attendance during past parliamentary sessions.

In addition, the TPD Tour section, which can be regarded as a highlight of this website, provides details about corruption records of politicians, plus their involvement in all civil and criminal cases. These indeed will be useful for voters to make their decision on 3 July general election.

According to the TPD, there are 134 politicians from 62 famous and influential families in Thailand running in this election, including 19 families for Pheu Thai, 17 families for Democrat, 13 for Chart Thai Pattana, 6 for Chart Pattana Puea Pandin and 7 for Bhumjaithai.

The TPD also provides reports on each individual MP detailing performance from 2008 to 2010. All the aforementioned information can be downloaded from the website free of charge.

Prof Dr Charas Suwanmala, one of the website founders, stated that the civil sector must gather such information to provide alternatives for people as civil organisations have a role to give political guidance to people and not to let people blinded by the politics. He admitted that political rivalry during the current election is fierce, and people must consider thoroughly in order to elect good people into the House.

thainews.prd.go.th




tpd.in.th

^Great advice, I'm heading out now!

Er, which line for farangs?

Originally Posted by Reporter88

Go cast your vote

I don't think too many of us are able to vote

All quiet on the (western)front

The vote in my mooban is being 'bought'...no surprise...
We will see what the results show, however...

My missus knew the three locations that held the cash...
Wouldn't tell me, of course...
1,000 baht to vote yellow, but here's the spin...
Voter gets 200...800 to 'middlemen'...should've known...everyone gets a piece of the action...
However, one can negotiate a little on the 200 baht price...
So, an element of fairness...lol...in the democratic system...

Originally Posted by good2bhappy

All quiet on the (western)front

That because of a lack of finacial persuation

Originally Posted by Gerbil

^^ pointless unless the other one is locked as posts will end up being split between the two and commented on in both.

Threads should be merged.

Fine with me. But there should be a title similar to the one I posted. Something "neutral" - Thais Vote - Election Results Here etc.

I have a funny feeling whoever the losing party is they are gonna cry that the votes were fixed and then it will get ugly

Thailand's 2011 election kicks off
Xinhua - 3 July 2011




BANGKOK, July 3 (Xinhua) -- BANGKOK, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Polling started Sunday morning in Thailand's first election after political crisis as voters are casting their votes to pick up 500 members of the House of Representatives.

As the polling began at 8:00 a.m., voters were lining up at polling centers. As groups of voters were moving to polling stations, traffic congestion were caused in Bangkok.

There are 47.3 million eligible voters and 90,860 polling stations across the nation. Some 3 million voters, however, registered to cast their votes for the advance polling on June 26.

The opposition Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate Yingluck Shinawatra cast her ballot at 8:10 a.m. local time on Sunday while the caretaker Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva cast his vote at about 9:30 a.m.

Yingluck, the youngest sister of the fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, urged Thai voters to come for voting before she left for the party to wait for the election results. She could become the first female premier of Thailand if her party wins the election.

Voters across the country will pick up 500 members of the House of Representatives, or the lower house -- 375 members from single- seat constituencies and another 125 from party-list category.

Recent polls showed that more people supported Pheu Thai than the governing Democrats.

The July 3 election is the first election of the country after political unrest in 2009 and 2010 and the second after the military coup in 2006.

Many people hope the vote will end the political crisis that has shaken the country for several years since the latest 2006 coup but some fear it may trigger upheaval if the poll results are not accepted by different political colors.

Pro-Thaksin "Red-Shirt" movement said Sunday morning that they would announce their own version of voting results at about 6 p.m. and vowed to hold a massive rally on July 10 if the results are unfair, local media Nation Channel reported.

According to the Election Commission (EC), some 70 percent of the overall 47.3 million eligible voters are expected to turn out for balloting Sunday.

The Election Commission aid Saturday that unofficial voting results were expected to be available no later than 10 p.m. Sunday, although there was concern that heavy rains Sunday could affect voter turnout.

The Royal Thai Police deployed more than 183,000 officers to ensure peace and order at 90,860 poll stations across the country, while 12,000 personnel from combined security forces have been sent to secure 2,157 poll stations in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn said police assigned to security duty at polling stations have to report about the overall situation starting with the transport of ballot boxes from district offices to the polling stations. The police also will be required to report results of the vote count to the National Police Bureau, which will forward them to the EC.

Thais head to polls amid high security

By South East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel
Updated 1 hour 41 minutes ago



ABC Online (ABC Australia): Voting is underway in Thailand in a landmark election that looks likely to lead to a change of government.

Polling booths opened at 8.00am (local time) and local TV reported that people were queuing from early morning in some areas.

There is a large security presence, with 180,000 police deployed across the country.

The opposition Pheu Thai Party is expected to win the popular vote after leading the polls throughout the campaign.

The party is backed by anti-government Red Shirts who support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006.

With Mr Thaksin in exile, the party is now led by his sister Yingluck.

If the opposition wins, she will become Thailand's first female prime minister.
But while the opposition is expected to win the most seats it must take more than 250 to govern outright.

If the vote is close the incumbent Democrats will attempt to take government in coalition with smaller parties.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warned Australians to exercise caution if travelling to Thailand due to the possibility of unrest surrounding the election.

Today's poll comes a year after deadly clashes between anti-government protesters and the military in Bangkok. The political environment is still tense.

^
Have they always used cardboard ballot boxes? Rather easy to stuff/tamper aren't they? I thought the plastic storage-tyope bins were the norm now..

Voting opens in Thai elections

(source: AP via nzherald.co.nz)
Sunday July 3, 2011 3:44 PM NZT

Voters have begun casting ballots in fractious Thailand's tense election.
Many hope the vote will end the political crisis that has shaken the country since a military coup five years ago.

But there are also fears that the poll could trigger more upheaval if the results are not accepted by rival protesters or the coup-prone army.

Television stations reported long lines at polling stations across the country as they opened on time.

The poll itself is a largely a race between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and opposition leader Yingluck Shinawatra.

But it has come to be viewed as a referendum on the divisive legacy of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck's exiled billionaire brother.

Thaksin's overthrow in 2006 set the nation on a downward spiral.
- AP

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

^
Have they always used cardboard ballot boxes? Rather easy to stuff/tamper aren't they? I thought the plastic storage-tyope bins were the norm now..

They are going GREEN now so they will be delivered to a Government contracted Recycler after their use for a nominal fee