First Thai to run for a seat in Queensland

[rooster59]

First Thai to run for a seat in Queensland

By CHONGCHIT BUCHANAN 
SPECIAL TO THE SUNDAY NATION 
BRISBANE 

 

 

WUTTIPONG Sangjitphun is the first Thai endorsed by the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) to run in the state’s upcoming election this month.

 

The 39-year-old Thai, who converted to Australian citizenship, will run for a seat as the MP for the Brisbane constituency of Stafford in the November 25 poll.

 

In a recent interview, LNP state president Gary Spence said Wuttipong was a great example of the new generation of LNP members.

 

Wuttipong, now known as Ed, is originally from Suphan Buri province and has been working as a senior financial adviser for BT Financial, a company in the Wespac Bank group, where his office is in the constituency he is challenging.

 

He has been campaigning hard for several months, greeting and engaging with people on pavements, in train and bus stations and through knocking on doors.

 

Wuttipong could not speak English very well when his parents sent him to study in Brisbane in August 1996 after he graduated from King’s College high school, Nakhon Pathom province. He then completed an intensive 12-month English course at TAFE, a technical and further education college.

Finding he had developed a love for Queensland, he stayed on to complete a degree in Arts (International Relations) and Commerce at the University of Queensland, where he met his wife, Lisa.

 

They married in 2003 and have two boys, Zenden, 13, and Jetrin, 9. Ed said he decided to migrate to Australia for a better life and was grateful to find that Queensland was the best place to live and raise his family.

 

“Which is why I put my hand up to help build an even better Queensland with the LNP,” says the aspiring politician. “With different knowledge shared, we can achieve greater outcomes together.”

 

Ed’s interest in politics started when he was 10. He recalled watching the Bangkok governor elections on television with his grandfather.

 

He was drawn to Queensland politics after spending six months in an internship program at the state Parliament, where he had an opportunity to work with the Member for Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson.

 

“I had an opportunity to write a report on how the government could promote Queensland tourism through international students who had chosen to come to study in Queensland,” he recalled. “I received a high distinction with that report.”

 

That recognition for good work was the beginning of a love affair with his state and its politics.

 

Ed said his background in banking and finance was a good fit with his party’s key campaign message: to better manage Queensland’s finances and to deliver job creating investments to Queenslanders.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30331404

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-12

[Bluespunk]

He’s no longer Thai if he’s running for elected office in Australia. 

 

Or are the rules different for the governing bodies in states/territories...

Edited November 12, 2017 by Bluespunk

[Somtamnication]

You will never see that in Thailand!!! 

[mfd101]

3 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

You will never see that in Thailand!!! 

Yes, it will happen, but none of us will be around to see it.

[sqwakvfr]

That is the prevailing mindset of many in Asia.  Even if person emigrates to another country and becomes a Naturalized Citizen he or she is still considered a Thai, Korean or Chinese.  

[AGareth2]

if he is still Thai he can't stand

[tifino]

Just now, AGareth2 said:

if he is still Thai he can't stand

but, it is a State Election, Not Federal...

[AGareth2]

Just now, tifino said:

but, it is a State Election, Not Federal...

thanks 

[Centrum]

13 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

You will never see that in Thailand!!! 

True. There would need to be elections first.

[kotsak]

8 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

That is the prevailing mindset of many in Asia.  Even if person emigrates to another country and becomes a Naturalized Citizen he or she is still considered a Thai, Korean or Chinese.  

Yes, it's a common propaganda which feeds chauvinism and at the same time tries to deflect from the real reasons why people decide to leave their countries.

[overherebc]

33 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Yes, it will happen, but none of us will be around to see it.

Well, Thailand did have a PM who was born in UK I believe.

[Bluespunk]

This would appear to say that dual nationality citizens can't stand in federal elections.

 

http://legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au/standing-election/who-can-stand-election

[Bluespunk]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Well, Thailand did have a PM who was born in UK I believe.

He was a Thai born abroad.

[overherebc]

12 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

He was a Thai born abroad.

I know that.

Maybe I should have added a sarcasm emoticon.

???

[kaorop]

17 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Well, Thailand did have a PM who was born in UK I believe.

And dont even mention where the unmentionable was born. 

 

[overherebc]

9 minutes ago, kaorop said:

And dont even mention where the unmentionable was born. 

 

Don't think we need to spell it out in 'black and white' do we??

[Cats4ever]

State parliaments and candidates are not subject to the Federal constitution provisions. Even if they were, he could have renounced his Thai citizenship.

[the guest]

45 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

He was a Thai born abroad.

No he's a British citizen born under UK law. The Thai aspect has no value.

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

if he is still Thai he can't stand

Yep, under section 44 of the Australian constitution he will have to denounces his citizenship with Thailand under Section 13 of the Thai Law, however that will be up to the Minister, and wish him the best of luck with that one.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Somtamnication said:

You will never see that in Thailand!!! 

 

I'd bet a case of beer it already has happened in Thailand, and the winner was Chinese.

 

But it would have to be cheap beer...

 

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

That is the prevailing mindset of many in Asia.  Even if person emigrates to another country and becomes a Naturalized Citizen he or she is still considered a Thai, Korean or Chinese.  

 

It works the other way too.

 

"That doesn't sound like a British, French, whatever, name" very popular on these pages.

 

 

[masuk]

54 minutes ago, kaorop said:

And dont even mention where the unmentionable was born. 

 

Look at the crazy situation in our Aussie Parliament, where the deputy Prime Minister, born in Australia, lived in Oz all his life, is sacked because his father came from New Zealand!

'struth, half the country has an overseas born parent or two.

Good luck to the Thai who is standing in his new country.

At least he has citizenship, permanent residency, no 90 day reporting and will give a wider view of the region if he is elected.  Good on yer cobber!!  

[DoctorG]

This is my electorate and I will probably be voting for him.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

I know that.

Maybe I should have added a sarcasm emoticon.

???

It would help on a Sunday morning...

[Bluespunk]

32 minutes ago, the guest said:

No he's a British citizen born under UK law. The Thai aspect has no value.

No.

 

He's Thai.

[samran]

45 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Yep, under section 44 of the Australian constitution he will have to denounces his citizenship with Thailand under Section 13 of the Thai Law, however that will be up to the Minister, and wish him the best of luck with that one.

S.44 only applies to federal politics.

 

At a state level it is permissible to have dual citizenship

[NanLaew]

Back on topic (this is not about Abhisit), the headline suggests that he is still Thai and it's only the assumption of some posting here that he has retained dual nationality.

 

The way I read it, somewhere between 1996 and 2003 he had an epiphany and now he's now a loy percent (fair dinkum) Aussie and proud of it. He's Thai-born but he's an okker now.

[champers]

2 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

You will never see that in Thailand!!! 

I've ran for a seat many times in Thailand. Dodgy prawns.

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Yes, it will happen, but none of us will be around to see it.

Nor our children, nor our grandchildren, nor generations after that.

[Oziex1]

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

He’s no longer Thai if he’s running for elected office in Australia. 

 

Or are the rules different for the governing bodies in states/territories...

Yes you are correct of course and a great example of the opportunities available in a democracy. A foreigner can gain citizenship  and integrate into the society. 

Interesting to see how this is received in Thailand as a Thai doing well,  is it seen as an example of the great potential available in a modern democratic society?