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

"Compared with what happened after Thaksin was ousted he really almost looks like a saint" Quote from Takeovers, Post #1418 above

At risk of triggering the usual regurgitation of the stuff State Media fed the Thaksin haters, let me give just one small example related to above quote from Takeovers.

I have an association with a schoolteacher who has been deeply involved in Thai political matters for years. She related this story (One of many I could write about)

We attended a funeral of two teenage girls, killed in a motorcycle accident, in an extremely poor village, who had been students of said teacher.

The cremation was via two funeral pyre's. Not many funerals in Thailand have excessive teariness, but this one did.

The teacher was particularly upset. These were good students and headed for University under a Thaksin initiated program for students from these poverty type environs.

But she lamented that this was no longer the case. The post-coup military Government had pulled this student sponsorship program, and her students from similar circumstances now would be unable to obtain higher education.

She bitterly added that now the military Govt. had extra money for submarines.

Just one example of many. It is not only the 30 baht hospital or Village funds for which the Thaksin Govt. is imbedded in these village people's minds. His Govt. didn't win huge electoral pluralities on the basis of a few initiatives here and there. There are many, many reasons.

But the Thaksin haters have slavishly swallowed the State Media demonization campaign of Thaksin.

I have nothing but contempt for them, and hold them in great disdain. They don't have a clue.

^ Didn't you post that already?

https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...ml#post1770488 (Thai elections 2011-Thai PM sets stage for tough election)

the poor soul, he is duplicating his own post

completely irrelevant with the issue of Democracy though, a point that he will missed entirely

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

<snip>
Yep.

Nice piece Steve, thanks.

"Mr Thaksin is the Rasputin of Thai politics"

Rasputin...fitting.....

"He inspires almost religious devotion among his followers"

And some foreigners.

But let's not forget folks, religious devotion is belief, which is not based upon testable reality, as it exists in the mind of the believer only and as is often the case, such as with Islam or Christianity, is completely irrational without any logic or reason (or evidence) required to sustain it. However, the faithful continue to believe despite this obvious flaw and information that arises that contradicts the belief is ignored.

The cult of Thaksin....!

Always useful to re-demonstrate how readily the Pavlovian feeding frenzy response is triggered. Already very well known to regulars here, but newcomers might have missed the many previous examples.

we love you stevie, don't feel intimidated

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

<snip>
Yep.

Nice piece Steve, thanks.

"Mr Thaksin is the Rasputin of Thai politics"

Rasputin...fitting.....

"He inspires almost religious devotion among his followers"

And some foreigners.

But let's not forget folks, religious devotion is belief, which is not based upon testable reality, as it exists in the mind of the believer only and as is often the case, such as with Islam or Christianity, is completely irrational without any logic or reason (or evidence) required to sustain it. However, the faithful continue to believe despite this obvious flaw and information that arises that contradicts the belief is ignored.

The cult of Thaksin....!

Always useful to re-demonstrate how readily the Pavlovian feeding frenzy response is triggered. Already very well known to regulars here, but newcomers might have missed the many previous examples.

Amusing...

Pavlovian eh?

A bit like leaping to Thakisin's defense? Disregarding the validity of the argument presented...you can't help yourself can you....

Oh the irony.

Policies to woo farmers will hurt them, the country

EDITORIAL

By The Nation
Published on May 30, 2011

Rice pledging scheme has serious drawbacks and other proposals will also saddle the nation with more debt

In a bid to win the hearts of potential voters at the grassroots, all political parties are going to great lengths to project a promising future. Once they are elected, paddy prices will go up to record heights that folks in Isaan have never seen in their lifetime.

Suddenly in the run-up to the July 3 election, there is some serious attention on the plight of our farmers, the working class and the poor. The issue of farmers has come to the fore because parties know they represent the largest group of voters. Once again we are hearing candidates boast about lifting farmers out of chronic poverty, just as promises are being tossed around the rice-growing region.

Farmers in the Northeast listen and seem pleased with the brighter prospects painted by some of our politicians. Some have been led to believe their poverty is going to be a thing of the past, with one party even promising to eradicate poverty in four years.

The problem farmers face right now is costs of production have soared but their incomes have failed to cover the need for higher spending. As a result, they have heavier debt burdens. What they want is someone who can help them lower their production costs, mainly arising from higher rents for land and prices for oil, fertiliser, seeds and pesticide.

Major parties are talking about increasing farmers' income or keeping rice prices high, among a string of what appears to be short-term benefits and populist measures targeting farmers for their support. The Democrat Party has promised to raise farmers' income by 25 per cent through an income guarantee scheme. Pheu Thai Party has promised farmers a hefty Bt15,000 a tonne for paddy if it wins. That is 40 per cent higher than the Bt11,000 farmers obtain currently from the income guarantee programme, a scheme implemented for two years by the Democrat-led coalition. Pheu Thai also vows to replace the Democrats' income guarantee scheme with a rice pledging system if it returns to power.

While it's impossible to see the paddy price go beyond Bt10,000 a tonne in the near future, are we supposed to believe that a promise of Bt15,000 a tonne is for real? And believe that candidates' moral compassion for farmers is profound and genuine, and their rhetoric is no mere hot air?

Anyone who's read a paper over the past few months will realise that prices for paddy took a tumble this year from Bt9,400 a tonne in early February to Bt8,500. Only a few months ago our farmers staged protests by closing a major highway in Ayutthaya, demanding Bt14,000 per tonne to cover high overheads. At that time, the government believed even Bt9,000 per tonne was too high, reasoning that Thai rice exports could not be too high as prices of paddy from Vietnam and Cambodia (with its Bt6,000 a tonne price tag) are much lower in the world market. No matter what, the same pattern of paddy pricing continues as production costs rise.

It's easy to promise a high guaranteed or pledging rice price without noting some of the adverse effects. Both the rice pledging and income guarantee schemes have their own drawbacks. They are susceptible to irregularities among local authorities and rice millers, and could burden the government with huge subsidies at the expense of taxpayers' money.

When the pledging price is high, cheaper rice from neighbouring countries is smuggled across the border into Thailand. This happened in March 2009 when the Thai Rice Exporters Association said about 1,000 tonnes of paddy crossed Thai borders every day to enjoy the high pledging price.

At present, the government prefers the income guarantee system under which the government will subsidise the price gap for farmers. The insured price is Bt11,000 a tonne of white rice. The compensation is Bt2,800 a tonne. The government is expected to subsidise its rice-price guarantee project by up to Bt60 billion this year, compared with Bt43 billion last year, as the price gradually declines. This scheme benefits small farmers directly, but subsidy payments tend to increase with changing market prices and farmers won't improve rice quality as their income is guaranteed.

Pheu Thai party has just also unveiled its proposed farmer credit card scheme. Its chief economic strategist Olarn Chaipravat says that if farmers can sell rice at Bt15,000 per tonne or earn Bt300 per day, they can afford spending. With credit cards, farmers can buy fertilisers, pesticides and fuel in advance at fair prices. The proposed rice bank would determine the credit amount each farmer is entitled to. The maximum is 70 per cent of potential income from their rice, based on the Bt15,000 per tonne target. They can use this to buy raw materials in advance.

Olarn needs to be told that our farmers are poor, landless and suffer acute financial illiteracy. Encouraging farmers to spend more will simply create more problems for them. Even without credit cards, they still reel under huge debt burdens. The point is farmers have to rent farmland at a high cost to grow rice that relies on costly imported fertiliser. Subject to rice price control, their produce often does not even meet production costs.

If the wretched living conditions of our farmers are easy to improve in four years, then why they have been powerless, landless and poor for ages? And why do farm workers who are employed by these poor farmers and belong to the lowest income group continue to be ignored and sink deeper and deeper into poverty? They may be angry, uneducated and gullible, but poor and helpless farmers should not be exploited by self-serving charlatans in Bangkok just to win their votes and get re-elected. Candidates need to be taught that they must serve their people, not exploit them.

What we need is a long-term approach to developing more sustainable farming. We also need better water resource management and irrigation systems, land for landless farmers, more empowerment of farmers, more R&D for the sector, better education for farmers and more schools.

Suthep: Abhisit must be PM if Democrat leads coalition

BREAKINGNEWS

30 May 2011

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban Monday insisted that Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva must be the next prime minister if the Democrat becomes the next coalition leader.

Suthep, the Democrat secretary-general, said smaller parties, which may form the next coalition with the Democrat, could not bargain by raising a condition that Abhisit must not be allowed to become the next prime minister.

Suthep was commenting on reports that small and medium-sized parties had submitted a condition for forming a coalition with the Pheu Thai Party. The smaller parties reportedly demanded that Yingluck Shinawatra, a sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra, must not be the prime minister.

When asked to comment on speculation that the smaller parties would also ask the Democrat to support someone else instead of Abhisit as the next prime minister, Suthep said the such a condition could not be agreed upon.

Suthep said the Democrat has a strict rule that its party leader must the prime minister if it becomes the coalition leader.


The Nation

From Twitter today:

ThaiElection11 ThaiElection2011

Yingluck: I'll face Abhisit in a debate when the time is right. My public speaking inexperience is not a problem.

4 minutes ago

Originally Posted by SteveCM

From Twitter today:

ThaiElection11 ThaiElection2011

Yingluck: I'll face Abhisit in a debate when the time is right. My public speaking inexperience is not a problem.

4 minutes ago

I hope she was kidding.

The State Media would crucify her. Abhisit would be the least of her problems.

But others closer to the scene and knowing her personally, plus her strategists, may think differently.

If she proceeded, they must have a good reason for doing so.

Bangkok Post : Sanan 'should be PM if deadlock occurs'

Sanan 'should be PM if deadlock occurs'

• Published: 30/05/2011 at 02:47 PM
• Online news:

The Chartthaipattana Party will continue to support its advisory chairman Sanan Kachornprasart for the prime minister's post after the July 3 general election if there is a political deadlock, Chartthaipattana chief adviser and former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa said on Monday.


Maj Gen Sanan Kachornprasart (left) and former PM Banharn Silpa-archa (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)

"If the two big parties [Democrat and Pheu Thai] cannot set up a government, we'll need to find a mediator but it is up to the election outcome," Mr Banharn said.

He expected three middle-sized parties to win more than 20 seats. They are Chartthaipattana, Bhumjaithai and Chart Pattana Puea Pandin.

On Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban's apology to Maj Gen Sanan after he dismissed Maj Gen's possibility of becoming prime minister, Mr Banharn said Mr Suthep was right to say sorry.

He said he did not hate the Democrats but accusing his party of already siding with Pheu Thai was unacceptable. The Chartthaipattana would support any party with a majority vote.

"The Democrats only have Mr Suthep as a coordinator with the coalition partners but he has never called my party following the House dissolution. He might forget the Chartthaipattana already," the political veteran said.

On Mr Suthep's remark that the Democrats would be open to talks about amnesty, Mr Banharn said the Chartthaipattana had repeatedly discussed it but there was still no action.

"Yingluck: I'll face Abhisit in a debate when the time is right".

The right time will be in Parliament, as the Prime Minister.

Most likely that is what she means

As mentioned before, she could be the mother-of-all-debaters and humiliate "The chosen one", and the State Media would............................(you fill in the blanks)

^^^ (& ^)
She may be stalling. Then again, she's said before (as have others) that there's plenty of opportunity to debate when parliament re-assembles. It's just a Nation-sourced tweet so far - wait for the details to emerge.

Originally Posted by SteveCM

^^^ (&^)
She may be stalling. Then again, she's said before (as have others) that there's plenty of opportunity to debate when parliament re-assembles. It's just a Nation tweet so far - wait for the details to emerge.

Phew, awright SteveCM, I will 'cool my jets'

I can see it now.

She could make the "anointed marionette" look like a complete idiot, and the next day the State Media would hail him as the "ninth wonder of the world"

Thai-ASEAN News Network

No Dubious Banking Activities Detected before Election

UPDATE : 30 May 2011

The assistant central bank governor says no suspicious cash withdrawals have been detected ahead of the upcoming July poll.

She reveals as much as 345 billion baht worth of cash withdrawals will be made during the months of May and June.


Bank of Thailand Assistant Governor Chittima Duriyaprapan said the central bank has been closely monitoring the movement of cash in circulation since the beginning of May.

She said that no suspicious cash withdrawals have been made so far. She also noted that there have not been any noticeable spikes in demand for cash in the provinces.

The assistant governor expects a large amount of cash to be circulated into the system during the election and the pre-election period.

She attributed the increase to the rise in spending on political activities and campaign materials.

The central bank estimated that as much as 345 billion baht worth of cash would be withdrawn from commercial banks during May and June.

Approximately 24 billion baht will be used to meet the demand for cash during the pre-election period.

The central bank's cash reserve as of April 30 was at almost 442 billion baht.

Bangkok Post : Army: Don't meddle soldiers in politics

Army: Don't meddle soldiers in politics

• Published: 30/05/2011 at 03:38 PM
• Online news: Local News

Political parties should not meddle soldiers in politics by accusing drug suppression units, which comprise civilians, police and soldiers, of monitoring activities of certain political groups, army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Monday.

Col Sansern was referring to an accusation by candidates of the Pheu Thai Party that some of those drug suppression units had been used for monitoring activities of the red shirts.

He said the army had denied the accusation for many time but candidates of that party continued to do so in its campaigns for political gain.

Col Sansern said the drug suppression units are from Task Force 315 which was set up on April 26 this year following a meeting of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Task Force 315 is made up of ONCB officials, police and soldiers. Pol Lt-Gen Worapong Chiewpreecha, a deputy national police chief, is the chief of the task force.

The task force has 153 units under it. Each unit has six members, led by a police officer.

Of the 153, 115 units operate in Bangkok and 38 others in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan provinces.

The purpose of setting up the task force is to prevent the spread of narcotic drugs and provide treatment for drug addicts. It has nothing to do with politics, he said.

Operational results of the task force will be reported to the public by the ONCB.

Col Sansern dismissed as untrue Pheu Thai candidates' accusation that some drug suppression units under Task Force 315 had set up a command centre to monitor movements of the red shirts via satellite.

And yet more Thaksin...his interview from last week with the Straits Times (which Steve made reference to before)...I've cut out a lot of commentary/irrelevant stuff...

Thaksin Talks of Election Victory From Exile | The Jakarta Globe

Thaksin Talks of Election Victory From Exile

Nirmal Ghosh - Straits Times Indonesia | May 30, 2011


Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, shown in this 2008 file photo, is openly directing the leading opposition political party from his exile base in Dubai. Elections are July 3. (AFP Photo)

Bangkok. Thailand's ruling Democrat Party has failed in its reconciliation efforts and left the country more divided, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has said.

It is now the Puea Thai party's turn to lead the reconciliation effort, he told The Straits Times in an interview in Dubai on Thursday.

The 61-year-old, who wields the real power in the Puea Thai, said he hoped to be able to return to Thailand and work to heal the wounds from more than five years of political conflict.

Even if he cannot do so, the country has to return to normal, according to the former premier who was ousted in 2006.

"Normal not in the sense that the Democrat Party wants. They carried the flag of reconciliation for two and a half years and they failed; they made the country more divided. It is now our turn to lead the reconciliation effort," he said.

In the one-hour interview, he admitted making mistakes when in power with his harsh suppression of Malay Muslims in the south.

He said the Puea Thai would grant the troubled southern provinces more autonomy if it wins July's election.

"I admit, being a policeman you are taught to use both iron fist and velvet glove. I used more iron fist and now I regret it. I should use more velvet glove. This is what I will change," he said.

The Puea Thai would also revive an old proposal for Cambodia and Thailand to vacate a 4.6 sq km patch of disputed land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which has sparked hostilities between the two neighbors, until the entire border was demarcated.

"We should talk, not just send in the military. If you shoot your own neighbor, how can you live together? If you are bigger or rich you should have a kind heart for people who are poorer or smaller," he said.

<snip>

Analysts believe that the July 3 election will be close, with most opinion polls showing the Puea Thai winning by a narrow margin.

But Thaksin is confident of a big win.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's rival is the Puea Thai's No. 1 candidate, 43-year-old Yingluck Shinawatra. But the party rides on the name of her older brother.

From his plush seven-bedroom house in an upscale suburb of the high-rise desert emirate, the billionaire tracks the campaign in Thailand daily and plots strategy.

He receives a steady stream of politicians from Thailand and phone requests to address supporters at "red shirt" and Puea Thai rallies, sometimes from his private jet. He also takes calls from his constituents on a dedicated phone line.

"It's time to come back to the principle that we respect the people's views," he said in the interview held in his gleaming black, chrome and tan living room.

"If you call your country democratic, you have to respect the people's will and then things will move on. I don't care about the criticism, I don't care about going back home or not; I care about when Thailand will come back to normal."

Asked how much of Thailand's post- election stability would depend on a negotiated solution, he replied: "There is nothing better than dialogue."

He said some factions had approached him while he has been out of power and he had asked Yingluck to represent him.

"I do not trust any politicians... because there is no confidentiality among the politicians, so I used her; she talked to many parties several times, did a lot of groundwork. I want to see Thailand moving forward, not in this condition any more," he said.

Exiled Thai PM denies plans to retake power
Zoe Daniel
Updated 16 minutes ago


Thaksin Shinawatra says he would only return as leader of Thailand if it was "extremely necessary"
(ABC News)

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military takeover nearly five years ago, has denied he plans to return to his homeland to retake the leadership.

In an interview which will air on ABC's Lateline tonight, Mr Thaksin predicts his sister will lead the opposition Pheu Thai party to a landslide election victory in July.

The opposition's slogan is "Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai acts", but Mr Thaksin says he has no plans to take over from his sister Yingluck.

"My youngest sister is already there, so [there is] no need for me to go back as a prime minister," he said.

"I may influence in terms of the ideas and things because I have more experience than others.

"I just want to see them successful. And I just share my experience as former prime minister and experience of running around the whole world."

Mr Thaksin has been back to Thailand only once since he was ousted in a coup five years ago, but from as far away as Dubai, he still exerts influence.

He remains the figurehead of the anti-government Red Shirt movement, which clashed violently with government troops when they dispersed a long-running mass rally in Bangkok this time last year.

Mr Thaksin says he would only return as leader of Thailand if it was "extremely necessary".

"If the country need me because of some situation that I can be the solution, I will. If not, please, I don't want to," he said.

The former prime minister remains a divisive figure who has avoided a two-year jail term for a conflict of interest conviction by moving overseas.

He has been accused of operating outside the rule of law in a deadly crackdown on drug dealers and in relation to policies benefiting his businesses, but he refutes both allegations as politically motivated.

He also denies that new opposition plans for amnesty for political prisoners, if it wins office, are about bringing him back.

"Reconciliation is the priority, not the amnesty ... Amnesty may be part of it, but not all," he said.

"Let's bring back the unity for the country first. If in the process of bringing back the unity of the country I'm part of it, then I might benefit [as] part of it.

"But I don't care much because I'm quite settled outside."

Mr Thaksin says he will return to Thailand before the end of the year if conditions are right.

xxx.xxx.xx

Originally Posted by Mid

"But I don't care much because I'm quite settled outside."

and yet, see below

Originally Posted by Mid

Mr Thaksin says he will return to Thailand before the end of the year if conditions are right.

From New Mandala - a useful summary of electoral what's what:


Thailand’s electoral rules

May 30th, 2011
by Aim Sinpeng, Guest Contributor



There have been some important changes in the electoral rules, resulting from two sets of constitutional amendments, Articles 93-98, these past months. The implications of these changes could be decisive in determining who gets to form the government in July.

Members of Parliament

The lower house shall comprise 500 elected representatives: 375 MPs will come from single-member constituencies, whereas 125 MPs will come from a closed-list proportional system. The constitutional amendments of 2011 have increased the number of MPs to 500 (from 480 in the 2007 election) and reduced the number of MPs from the constituency system from 400 to 375. By contrast, the number of party-list MPs increases from 80 to 125.


Constituency System

There are 375 constituencies in Thailand, each representing roughly 170,000 people. Each constituency elects one MP to parliament. Since it is a winner-takes-all system, political parties field their most seasoned politicians (or their relatives), who are often well respected and highly influential in their districts.


From Multi-Member Constituency to Single-Member Constituency

The idea of “one vote, one district” means if a party comes in second or third, their votes don’t matter. Only the absolute winner gets the seat.


Party-list System

Each party fields up to 125 candidates for the same number of seats. Voters get to choose only one party for the party-list system which means he/she selects all candidates on the list. Since it is a closed-list PR voting system, each party ranks candidates based on their reputation and experience. The list is considered a “safe zone” for some candidates because if they’re ranked high enough on the list they are guaranteed to be elected without having to directly compete with candidates from other parties Pheua Thai, for example, is fielding all the key Red Shirt candidates, such as Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Sai-keau, on the party list because the party wants to make sure they become MPs without too much risk.

The way to calculate the number of candidates from each party elected in the party-list system is as follows:

• Add up the total number of party-list votes for all parties;
• Divide the total number of votes 125 and you will get the figure for the number of votes required per party-list MP;

• Divide the votes for each party by the average number of votes per party-list MP to determine how many party-list MPs the party gets;
• If we don’t get 125 MPs then whichever party has the highest leftover points gets one more MP.

For example, 8 parties field candidates in the party-list system and each party gets the following number of votes:

• Add up all the votes gained by all parties = 30,250,000
• Divide with 125 = 242,000
• Divide the total number of votes for each party by 242,000.
• For Party A, 12,600,000 ÷ 242,000 = 52.661. This means Party A gets 52 seats with 66,100 leftover points.

No Threshold on List PR System

The amendments have dropped the 5% threshold for seats in the party-list system. In the 2007 election, parties were required to meet the threshold to gain a seat, which hurt small parties like Mahachon which got 3% of the votes but no seat.


Implications

The nearly 60% increase in the number of party-list seats is set to benefit large, well-established parties, which in this case include only the Democrats and Pheua Thai. Smaller parties that rest largely on their leaders’ personal networks or reputation, such as Purachai’s Rak Santi Party, Chart Thai Pattana of the Silapa-Acha family or General Sonthi’s Matubhumi Party, are likely to do well in the constituency system, especially in each leader’s district. But voters tend to vote for major parties, who they believe should be forming the government, in the party-list system. It’s no wonder that when the Democrats proposed a change in the number of party-list seats earlier this year, Abhisit’s already shaky coalition nearly collapsed as all the coalition partners opposed the change. The proposal survived the joint parliamentary committee vetting draft panel only 18:17.[1] Moreover, an increase in party-list seats means a reduction in constituency seats as well as re-drawing the boundaries of electoral districts. Such re-districting also benefits larger parties that have the means and resources to get their vote canvassers out into these newly defined districts and garner support from voters.

The return of the single-seat constituency formula, which was used in the 2001 and 2005 elections, places large parties at a sizable advantage. True, small parties could have a shot at a seat by campaigning heavily in districts where they’re strongest, but that will likely not counterbalance the number of votes larger parties are set to gain. Dr. Parinya Tewarnnamitkul from the Law Faculty of Thammasat University has calculated that Chart Thai Party got 9.7% of the vote but only 18 MPs in the single-member constituency system used in the 2005 election. In 2007, however, the party received 30 MPs from 9% of the votes.[2] The 2005/2011 system essentially gives fewer MPs to small parties.

Yet it’s not all doom for small parties. As the Bangkok Post notes[3], “What favors small parties is the change from the multi-seat constituency used in the 2007 poll, to the single-seat format and the lifting of the 5% requirement of total votes for a party to be eligible to have MPs from the party list.” Perhaps, a small one-man show party like Rak Prathet Thai Party of Chuwit Kamolvisit – the massage parlor chao pho – could even get 1 party-list seat.


[1] The vetting committee consists of 19 Democrats, 15 MPs from other political parties and 11 Senators, without any representatives from the main opposition party, Peua Thai, which boycotted constitutional amendments (The Nation, January 13,2011).

[2] Matichon, “Parinya notes new electoral system puts small parties at a disadvantage; Puea Thai’s got advantage,” November 10, 2010.

[3] Bangkok Post “Amendments improve chance for smaller parties”, February 2, 2011

From the blog world.....


Thai Election Intelligence: Democrat Party operates in the “Gray Area” of the law on election spending

30 May 2011

• By Ranger, Thai Intel’s political journalist

There is an old saying, that one can see a great deal if one just pays attention.

A family member of mine just past away, and apart from going to a Thai temple, like some people when they feel depress and lost, the best way to work all that negative energy out is to go on long walks.

So this report is based on my experience from the past week, from going to the temple everyday and talking very long walks.

Well, long walks makes one very tired especially in hot Bangkok and so I stopped over at the club I belong to, and that is the Royal Bangkok Sports Club (RBSC). Yes, RBSC is where about 99% of the Thai elite are members, and yes, the golf course in the middle of the city is great.

But it is also the same RSBC that about 7 years when Taksin was in power, got its members together and trashed Taksin to the Thai press and Taksin’s reputation as being hated by the Thai elite really, started at the RSBC.

And yes, it is the RSBC wall, that the royalist, elite and military rulers of Thailand tore down last year, in an attempt to break the Red Shirts protest, by going through the RSBC walls, into the police head quarter that is inches away from the Red Shirts main stage.

But this report is getting long.

So any way, I just went into the bar at RSBC and there were some old timers sitting there talking politics-and sure enough, there was a book on Taksin. I joined the conversation, and asked to see the book.

Well, the bar boy at the bar went behind the counter and produced a copy of the book on Taksin for me, and he said “compliment.” I looked behind the bar, and stacks of these books were there. Obviously they were giving it out.

Well, the book is in English by the staunch anti-Taksin Khien Theeravit, of Chulalongkorn University.

So I looked at the book, and Thai Intel readers would not believe the dirt levied on Taksin - to the extent that Taksin time as the Thai prime minister was compared to Hitler.

Well, who knows where those books came from?But to give it out like that and having so many of them there? Must be costing a small fortune.

But one morning at the temple, I went very early. And at the temple there is a big famous high school.

I was shocked, when I saw about 30 people wearing the Democrat Party light blue jacket, giving out Democrat Party candidate materials to school children and also the parents that came with some of the younger ones-as the school was about to open for the day.

I figure someone is paying for those books on Taksin, as there were hundreds of them at RBSC and definitely, that 30 Democrat Party people working that one school alone - if this is representative of what the Democrat Party is doing all over town-it must be 100s if not 1,000s of people under pay hitting all the schools.

I just want to add to Thai Intel readers that there are Red Shirts supporter at RSBC.

In fact, a group of RSBC Taksin supporter issued a letter way back when the other group of RSBC members were attacking Taksin - and in fact sent the letter to the Thai press - but well, Thai Intel knows of Thai press - they are mostly anti-Taksin and so that RSBC members support letter of Taksin was not published.

But the real battle at RSBC is going on.

Abhisit‘s government is just so corrupt, and when you reach the top of Thailand and hang around the other people who reached the top-there is little secret.

The talk at RSBC is of a Abhisit minister, who looks as clean and non corrupt as anything. This minister, like many are a member of RSBC.

And the joke about this Abhisit minister, is that since he became a minister under Abhisit, he has been buying up hotels with cash.

“The man where everything has to be in cash,” is the joke at RSBC about the guy (at the RSBC, you can only pay with a membership card).

The other joke at the RBSC is: “Whom you are going vote for the next prime minister? Man or Women?

The answer that got everyone cracking up is “Gay.”