Thai voters go to polls as coup-leader, 'democratic front' face off

By Kay Johnson

 

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha casts his ballot to vote in the general election at a polling station in Bangkok, Thailand, March 24, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai voters went to the polls on Sunday in a long-delayed election following a 2014 coup, in a race that pits a military junta chief seeking to retain power against a "democratic front" led by the populist party he ousted.

 

Turnout was expected to be high among the 51.4 million Thais eligible to vote for the 500-seat House of Representatives, which will choose the next government along with a Senate that is appointed entirely by the ruling junta.

 

Thailand has been under direct military rule since then-army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha overthrew an elected government linked to exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who himself was thrown out by the army in 2006.

 

Critics have said a new, junta-written electoral system gives a built-in advantage to pro-military parties and appears designed to prevent the main Thaksin-linked Pheu Thai party from returning to power.

 

Pro-Thaksin parties have won every election since 2001, but the past 15 years have seen crippling street protests that destabilised the government and hamstrung business.

 

Junta chief Prayuth, whose party has campaigned on maintaining order and upholding traditional Thai values of loyalty and devotion to the country's monarch, appealed on his ability to keep peace as he made his final campaign appeal.

 

"Before, we always had crises. We must not let those crises happen again - understand?" he told a closing campaign rally.

 

The anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts, mostly middle class and urban royalists who accuse his parties of corruption, have repeatedly taken to the streets, prompting the military to launch two coups in a decade.

 

Supporters of Thaksin, known as the Red Shirts, also occupied much of Bangkok's main business and shopping districts for months in 2010 after a court dissolved a pro-Thaksin government, again paralysing commerce until a crackdown that left at least 90 people dead and saw landmark buildings burned.

 

While the election results are due to be announced within a few hours of polls closing at 5 p.m. (1000 GMT), the make-up of the next government may not be clear for weeks afterwards, since no one party is likely to have enough seats for an outright win.

 

"I think it's going to take a long time," said Paul Chambers, lecturer in political science at Naresuan University in northern Thailand.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-24

 

Vote early...vote often.

 

 

Looks like he has a bigger clock than other generals but is time up ????

Good luck Thailand, i hope you can get back to some kind democracy.  The Future Forward Party seem to have a very big following, especially with the younger Thai's. 

So are there any exit polls running? Is there anyway online to follow what's going on?

It's barely lunch time on election day and I can't believe it, Prayuth Chan-ocha has won the election.  Congratulations, who would ever guessed. 

26 minutes ago, SABloke said:

So are there any exit polls running? Is there anyway online to follow what's going on?

And....???? roll please.  How about those international observers? 

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Critics have said a new, junta-written electoral system gives a built-in advantage to pro-military parties and appears designed to prevent the main Thaksin-linked Pheu Thai party from returning to power.

Its glaring.  If those who play fair overcome these horrible odds , military credibility will be diminished dramatically, and Thailand will be loved by the free world, like Malaysia.  If the military wins while having handicapped those who play fairly, they still lack credibility, and will be rightfully to blame for all future problems.    It is a crooked race, and even Steven100 would acknowledge that. 

5 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

It is a crooked race, and even Steven100 would acknowledge that.

No he would'nt...

It is extremely fair and the best man won...

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"Before, we always had crises. We must not let those crises happen again - understand?"

Spoken like a true Illiberal .. 

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"I think it's going to take a long time," said Paul Chambers, lecturer in political science

This guy who, would you believe, lectures in political science - at a University, no less - has finally got the message that we common-or-garden punters got as soon as we knew how the cards were stacked and how gloriously whimsical the junta appointed electoral regulating body is. That they - the Extreme Confusion (EC) - have been allowed to turn the election into an utter farce will have to go down as one of Prayuth's major accomplishments. Apart from that and holding 2-fingers up to 51.4 million adult Thais for the past 58 months, he's probably got nothing to worry about . . . well, nothing that a good dose of arsenic won't cure.

This election is about as useful as the metal detector & guard at the entrance to a thai mall.

RE - Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha casts his ballot to vote

 

Wonder who he voted for ...

Edited March 24, 20197 yr by ttrd

And here's another reason why Prayuth may not really want to wake up to Monday, 25th March 2019 and it's all to do with those NIDA polls that he so cunningly arranged to boost his popularity. These will become his coat of many colours when he realises that, with each ego-greasing result, the resolve of the average Thai (including the cherry-picked 1,425 who were polled each time) to put this pretender where he belongs has become unstoppable. Question is, where does he belong? . . . Back at the barracks or, perhaps better for everyone, installed with other dinasaurs at the Natural History Museum.

35 minutes ago, Dinobot said:

This election is about as useful as the metal detector & guard at the entrance to a thai mall.

...Yep!  It's not likely anything written here will influence the vote.  Therefore, on that note, I'm heading out to walking street for beer and sexy thai girls...who's gonna join me?  Anyone! The rest of you keep the BS narrative flowing... 

2 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Looks like he has a bigger clock than other generals but is time up ????

It's not his, a friend lent it to him.

The Thai people are so lucky,  with the junta allowing people to vote after 5 long years..vote this lot in again and it will be even longer next time. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47664201

40 minutes ago, Dinobot said:

This election is about as useful as the metal detector & guard at the entrance to a thai mall.

That’s dog 'whistle ' politics...

2 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

Good luck Thailand, i hope you can get back to some kind democracy.  The Future Forward Party seem to have a very big following, especially with the younger Thai's. 

At first my wife wasn't going to vote but her two daughters have encouraged her to vote future forward, discussions at the village shop has shown that most of the village is voting for them as well.

8 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

At first my wife wasn't going to vote but her two daughters have encouraged her to vote future forward, discussions at the village shop has shown that most of the village is voting for them as well.

But they counted the votes from your district last night and it was a win for the junta ? Go figure ?

1 hour ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

And....???? roll please.  How about those international observers? 

Indeed, kept at an international distance of observation! Besides, they don't give a toss, as long as Thailand is seen to be going through the motions, then as far as they are concerned, democracy reigns again!

1 hour ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

And....???? roll please.  How about those international observers? 

Very difficult for them !!

 

2 minutes ago, Formaleins said:

Indeed, kept at an international distance of observation! Besides, they don't give a toss, as long as Thailand is seen to be going through the motions, then as far as they are concerned, democracy reigns again!

agree ....  they don't give a hoot ... as long as the government is seen to be doing something .. a bit like every other nation.

Democracy has worked well in Australia & the UK for the past 5 years ... lol !!!  ????

1 hour ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

It's barely lunch time on election day and I can't believe it, Prayuth Chan-ocha has won the election.  Congratulations, who would ever guessed. 

It's better this way, otherwise, everyone would have to vote again until they got it right.

"pro-Thaksin parties have won every election since 2001, but the past 15 years have seen crippling street protests that destabilised the government and hamstrung business."

 

Who wants to return to this ?

Military coup within a year.

Thailand's youth demand change ahead of elections

With 18- to 25-year-olds making up about 15% of the nearly 52 million Thais eligible to vote, the youth ballot could prove decisive. Parties will be vying to win a majority in the 500-seat lower house of parliament on Sunday.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/22/asia/thai-election-young-voters-intl/index.html

 

Finger xrossed that the best possible alternative wins - tic/tac ...

 

 

Edited March 24, 20197 yr by ttrd

3 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

Good luck Thailand, i hope you can get back to some kind democracy.  The Future Forward Party seem to have a very big following, especially with the younger Thai's. 

Most of my Thai friends are aged below 40, they all say it's time to oust the old school...

reds or yellows they're tired of the same old politics, and hate the military dictatorship.

I have heard a resounding change in views & they're voting for the future forward party !

3 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

Good luck Thailand, i hope you can get back to some kind democracy.  The Future Forward Party seem to have a very big following, especially with the younger Thai's. 

I'm surprised at how many of my wife's middle aged friends are saying they'll vote for Future Forward too.

Anything that gives the Junta a massive kicking in the ballot box is very welcome.

I think nothing much will change,but good luck.