Democracy in Thailand. Can it ever happen?

[nigelandjan]

Ok I'll be the first to admit my limited knowledge of how this place works, but after 14 one month stays and a 5 month stay a picture is beginning to form in my mind and I'm afraid it's a negative one.

For starters how can anything be taken seriously when the police force supposed to be overseeing the place is seemingly allowed to be corrupt from top to bottom ?

( Please don't take this next bit as a moan, it's not I'm just using it as an example were all familiar with )

I go through an ORANGE light, no offence fine 400bht 5 cars behind me go through RED lights, mai been raised etc.

Children with NO LICENCES INSURANCE etc allowed everyday on the roads no problem.

20 people in on a pick up no seats let alone belts no problem.

Forgot to put your belt on in the car your driving? Pay here please Sir.

Now I think the chances of any form of democracy are zilch stemming from what I see as NO discipline ever instilled from an early age.

Children are allowed to fall out of bed in they're pyjamas without either washing or dressing, picking at food from the table then running round with it,

The parents I have witnessed seem to have a complete inability to install any form of discipline

So in the upcoming non vote paid for elections who will democratically accept the winning vote?

Well those who voted that way, the rest will blow they're whistles and tear it down again because it doesn't suit them.

I'm sorry no discipline no democracy here ever as far as I can see.

[Neverna]

how can anything be taken seriously

Mostly it isn't. Sabai sabai and mai pen rai reign supreme.

People put up with shit because mostly it's easier than fighting the system.

I go through an ORANGE light, no offence fine 400bht 5 cars behind me go through RED lights, mai been raised etc.

Children with NO LICENCES INSURANCE etc allowed everyday on the roads no problem.

Laws are enforced sporadically. It might be because some cops wait to be told to do their job or because it doesn't pay them to do their job, or they are waiting until they find someone worthy of the law being upheld. Consider yourself worthy. LOL

So in the upcoming non vote paid for elections who will democratically accept the winning vote?

Well those who voted that way, the rest will blow they're whistles and tear it down again because it doesn't suit them.

The elections are run by and for the "big" people. The masses will accept it unless their big person tells them to reject it. The sleeping pawns need to be awoken and activated by their masters.

[Albert Shagnastier]

how can anything be taken seriously when the police force supposed to be overseeing the place is seemingly allowed to be corrupt from top to bottom

Yup, great police force Thaksin engineered.

[taxexile]

Democracy in Thailand. Can it ever happen?

not until some of the proposals in this article are taken onboard and implemented.

History lessons lost | Bangkok Post: opinion

[sabang]

Of course it can happen. All we need to do is overturn the majority vote and majority will, and install a wise council of elders appointed by one of the most corrupt figures in recent Thai political history, and presto it's all gonna be OK. That majority which resists are merely monkeys and buffaloes, and their vote should be overturned for the betterment of democracy in Thailand- they should be persecuted, disenfranchised and marginalised, for the sake of equality. You must seriously learn to hate the majority, good protesters, for the advancement of 'good government' in Thailand.



p'sst- I got some magic bomb detectors going cheap, if anyone is interested.

[BaitongBoy]

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
― Benjamin Franklin

[nigelandjan]

Of course it can happen. All we need to do is overturn the majority vote and majority will, and install a wise council of elders appointed by one of the most corrupt figures in recent Thai political history, and presto it's all gonna be OK. That majority which resists are merely monkeys and buffaloes, and their vote should be overturned for the betterment of democracy in Thailand- they should be persecuted, disenfranchised and marginalised, for the sake of equality. You must seriously learn to hate the majority, good protesters, for the advancement of 'good government' in Thailand.



p'sst- I got some magic bomb detectors going cheap, if anyone is interested.

555 love it, does optimism grow on you when you live here a long time?

Ps thanks to the modern who put this in the right forum thread, I did try to post it here with this bloody Galaxy pad it has its own ideas sometimes.

[Butterfly]

no discipline no democracy here

that's basically the core of it, they have no respect for principles if it doesn't serve them directly. They don't understand the end target of Democracy therefore they have no incentives to make sure it happens.

This is also at the core of the dispute today. The reds and their supporters focus stupidly on the election process, missing the entire point that they are choosing a non-democratic tyrant. In Thailand, no shortage of irony. They focus on a silly point while missing the bigger picture. Typical monkey thinking, take peanuts from the hand and miss the big jar that is seating next to them.

In the other hand, we have the yellow, who can see the silly stupidity of the reds and how the election will bring a tyrant, and therefore fighting the election is fighting for Democracy. In that regard, they have a point. What is not clear though is how they see the bigger picture ? it seems they don't like it, and therefore don't believe in Democracy.

but the irony now is seeing silly red supporters asking for an election at all cost to elect a tyrant so he can empty the very coffer that could liberate the population economically and politically.

[taxexile]

^

in a nutshell.

[Necron99]

Instead of seeing this as a purely Thai problem why don't we take a step back and examine the situation a little more broadly.

Lets face it, Western democracy did not happen overnight, England took 800 years to transition from Monarchy to democracy and it still hasn't really finished.

Let's start by listing the democratic success stories around the world region by region. By success I mean countries where intervention led to an overthrow of the prior government and the rising of a free and democratic state.

I'll go first Asia's successful democracies are......

[Mid]

Australiasia : Australia

[Butterfly]

Instead of seeing this as a purely Thai problem why don't we take a step back and examine the situation a little more broadly.

Lets face it, Western democracy did not happen overnight, England took 800 years to transition from Monarchy to democracy and it still hasn't really finished.

good point, but in this day and age, with global communication etc... it should come a bit faster and spread more effectively. At the same time, this brings stronger resistance to it, and makes the resistance more vocal and more "reactionary".

[Butterfly]

I'll go first Asia's successful democracies are......

Japan I suppose,

[sabang]

Let's start by listing the democratic success stories around the world region by region.

OK, gotta start somewhere.


Thailand.

[FlyFree]

Democracy can work, but it needs a new approach.

Pay your elected politicians well, something in the line of bankers. Institute a system of daily electronic voting via internet and iphone. Put a leg band on the politicians that delivers an electric shock on a margin of negative votes. Exceed the neg vote limit over a 3 month period and you're out.

[Necron99]

I'll go first Asia's successful democracies are......

Japan I suppose,

Japan is more or less run by the same feudal system it has had for 2000 years. A rigid and structured society.
The same families in some cases, the only change is instead of calling themselves Daimyos they are CEO's

[ENT]

Australiasia : Australia

Wrong.

There ain't no democracy in Oz, it's still a British Commonwealth state begging Betty Windsor's permission to be, so a jack up favouring the status quo.

D'ya reckon the Aborigines enjoy democracy there?

[Butterfly]

ok Asia is not compatible with Democracy it seems, it would have happened already if it was.

hopefully, nobody will be stupid (except for mid of course) to mention Singapore or HK

[Mid]

^^

yes , see the current Australian of the Year .

those that don't , don't due to their own actions .

[sabang]

Can anyone name me a single western democratic success story that has enjoyed the same growth in average income as Thailand in the last 15 years?

Or a single asian nation that enjoys equal standards of living, that does not follow the one person/ one vote principle?

[Necron99]

Instead of seeing this as a purely Thai problem why don't we take a step back and examine the situation a little more broadly.

Lets face it, Western democracy did not happen overnight, England took 800 years to transition from Monarchy to democracy and it still hasn't really finished.

good point, but in this day and age, with global communication etc... it should come a bit faster and spread more effectively. At the same time, this brings stronger resistance to it, and makes the resistance more vocal and more "reactionary".

Ahh the media. Good point. Unfortunately rampant capitalism has destroyed the Media and it's claim on the 4th Estate.

Australia is a good example, when I was a kid current affairs programs had insightful reporters who did expose's on corruption, dirty politicians, influence peddling and crime. Now those same shows, if they exist at all are about Beiber and how to lose weight for summer.

In the US, it's gone the full monty and is totally dominated by "Pundits", there is no investigative news anymore, only bought and paid for Advertorials.

[Necron99]

Can anyone name me a single western democratic success story that has enjoyed the same growth in average income as Thailand in the last 15 years?

Or a single asian nation that enjoys equal standards of living, that does not follow the one person/ one vote principle?

Singapore, Malaysia, HK, Brunai

[ENT]

Democracy can work, but it needs a new approach.

Pay your elected politicians well, something in the line of bankers. Institute a system of daily electronic voting via internet and iphone. Put a leg band on the politicians that delivers an electric shock on a margin of negative votes. Exceed the neg vote limit over a 3 month period and you're out.

Paying the elected MPs a realistic wage is a great idea, but pay the b*st*rds well on the premise that "pay peanuts and ya get monkeys" theory only results in career politicians in for their chop, snouts in the trough as has always been the case.

The way we can ensure that democracy is delivered to the populace is to hold all MPs to a contract of election, whereby a broken election promise incurs a penalty whioch can also include imprisonment for breach of contract.

After all, isn't an elected MP one who promised (contracted) to fulfill their electorate's demands, and so elected?

Breach of contract between two or more parties in business can result in serious consequences for the one who defaults.

Try the same breach of contract with your bank and see what happens.

So too with elected MPs, they must be held accountable for their election promises or be dealt to with some sort of charge under the "trading of shoddy good" act.

[panama hat]

Australiasia : Australia

Wrong.

There ain't no democracy in Oz, it's still a British Commonwealth state begging Betty Windsor's permission to be, so a jack up favouring the status quo.

D'ya reckon the Aborigines enjoy democracy there?

Nope, Australia is not, in all practical terms, subject to the Queen for its laws, defense etc..., nor is the electoral process. The Gov Gen as a post is an anacronism that needs to be eradicated

What makes Australia anything but a democracy is Compulsory Voting . . . oh and preferential voting and the two-party preferred vote

[sabang]

Singapore, Malaysia, HK

They've all got one man/ one vote.

Brunai

Dunno- ask the owner.