Thai Middle Class And The Third Alternative:

[Mid]

Thai Middle Class and the Third Alternative:

“Rit Chu-Pracha”

22 June 2007

Middleclass is undeniably the most important group of people in the democratic building process. They are the component that cannot be neglected for the continuity to strengthen democratic system.

Renowned political philosophers in the world from the past to the present have highlighted the importance of the middleclass. Even Aristotle, the political philosopher of the old era had clearly stated that the important condition for the creation of a political community in the democratic society needs to be in the hand of the middleclass where they have to play their role as the dominant struggling force.

However, today under the military regime, the Thai middleclass ironically marginalizes themselves and refuses to seriously join hands on the struggle against the dictators. More ironically, a part of the middlesclass has fall short serving as the ideological tools in media-space where the military has controlled to legitimize its rule.

The Foundation for Community Educational Media 2006

continues http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=49

comments ?

[Mid]

Most Thais now live in cities, busy urban areas

Saturday June 23, 2007

Thailand is bracing for a ''third population explosion'', a term referring to a phenomenon in which more than half the country's population, or about 32 million people, live in the cities and urban areas, a research study has found. The phenomenon has led to change in sexual behaviour, particularly in women in urban areas as many live more independently and are more open to sex, according to the study.

Pramote Prasartkul, a demographer attached to Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research, said the findings go against a traditional belief that most people live in rural areas. The trend, he said, is in line with a United Nations prediction that by 2008 more than half of the world's population will live in urban areas.

The Post Publishing Public Co

[Mid]

Widening income gap threatens Asia

Singapore (dpa) - Warnings of the widening income gap between Asia's rich and poor is threatening to ignite social and political tensions, according to discussion at a meeting of key political and business leaders Monday.

"There is an Asia that is growing well and another that is struggling behind," Rajat Nag, managing director of the Asian Development Bank, told the World Economic Forum on East Asia.

snip

Asia needs to examine its role in helping to unwind global imbalances, said Thailand's Minister for Finance Chalongphob Sussangkarn.

"Maybe there is too much apathy or a sense of helplessness," he said. "But eventually I think it's an issue, particularly in East Asia which holds most of the world's foreign reserves."

The Post Publishing Public Co

[Mid]

Rural no more

Anchalee Kongrut and AP

More than half of Thailand's 63 million people now live in cities as a growing number of Thais trade in their ploughs for more urban pursuits, an urban planning professor said on Wednesday.

The country's urban population jumped to 50.9% in 2006, as officials expanded the definition of urban zones and counted unregistered residents, said Yongtanit Pimonsathean from Thammasat University.

The Post Publishing Public Co

[chanchao]

Very interesting.

Thanks for posting!

[chanchao]

And this is also highly interesting, and worrying, of course:

http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=60

[GuestHouse]

I'd be careful quoting Aristotle on the importance of the Middle Classes in developing a stable political system. He came to that conclusion after arguing that goodness is not inherrited.

Now you can see where that might lead.

--

That said, we need a better definition of Middle Class, hocked up to buy a car, and a university education is of little value if the hight of one's interest is whether the next copy of Dee Chan is going to have a feature on your favourite pop star's mother, or you idea of Cafe Culture is not a political debating shop, but a prelude to making a choice of what number you fancy tonight.

[Pakboong]

Seems to me that the middle is relative to the other two extremes. The upper and lower classes. Or, wealth and poverty.

[Mid]

traditionally the middle class has been left holding the bin for the two extremes ....................

[Mid]

Reinventing Thailand

It's time for a human resource-based society, says Thammasat's Wai Chamornmarn

Story by KAMOLWAT PRAPRUTITUM

Once upon a time, it was fashionable to call Thailand an ''NIC''. Indeed, it was a dream the leadership wanted very much to wake up to. But the Newly Industrialised Country never materialised and the term went out of fashion.

A few decades later, Thailand is getting used to being ''out-competed'', as some experts put it.

The Post Publishing Public Co

[chinthee]

Scary stuff this. And oh so true, though I wish it weren't.

[jdinasia]

Well ... to stick with the first story (since it matches the thread title). Maybe the middle class is not 'fighting the dictatorship' because they are of the opinion that it was a better short-term option than Thaksin remaining in power!

It makes no sense to suppose that the middle class thinks that they should fight something they don't see as inherentlly bad. Now, if the Junta does not make good on the promise of elections etc! THEN I would expect to see more action from the middle-class as a group!

note- living in cities has little or nothing to do with being middle-class .... totally unrelated.

[stateman]

jdinasia wrote "Well ... to stick with the first story (since it matches the thread title). Maybe the middle class is not 'fighting the dictatorship' because they are of the opinion that it was a better short-term option than Thaksin remaining in power!"

This is precisely what lots of middle class recognize.

During the past 5-6 years, the previous admin, though elected, was practicing dictatorship to a large extent. corruption to a grand scale were rampant. supposedly independent government entities to provide check and balance to the admin were either bought or staffed by people dictated by the admin.

There were widespread and well known stories about frauds committed during the elections - resulting in the landslide win to control the parliament. The government took the position that the people's duty was to cast the ballots and end their involvement there. The admin which was thus elected could then do anything they wish, even to rob the country, as if it were a mandate. This was why the people felt so good that the "elected" government was gone - with lots of flowers given to the soldiers who did the coup.

The junta, though not a preferred choice for lots of middle class Thais, tried to be democratic. It is widely known, and poll after poll confirmed this, that the current admin, though "appointed" by the junta are much more democratic than the previous admin.

In term of curruption, things are much better than before.

Lots of middle class would rather have a government like this than an elected and corrupted (to a grand scale) one. The mood of the country toward the junta is rather positive.

It was widely expected that an election will be held in the near future. If that happens, then the Thais are willing to accept this transition period as necessary evil to get rid of the real evil admin. Besides Thailand is rather used to military coups.

In fact two of the best admins were post-coup appointed admin - with both of the PMs now serving in the King's council.

Majority of the news media in Thailand during the last admin's rule were allies of the PM. Even today, this situation is still largely true, although some start to poke their head out a little bit. The reason for the self-restraints against reporting about all the bad conducts by the previous admin was the threat by the previous PM against those who act against him when he returns to power (the junta said they would be in power for only about a year). Now that many investigations against the previous admin result in a string of court cases with jail terms, more media (and civil servants as well) become less fearful of the return of the previous PM.

Media like ASTV Ch2 (TOC), Manager newspaper and its manage.co.th website, and KomChadLuek from the Nation Media Gr. do extensive presentation of the wrong doings of the previous admin. Thairath, the Daily News, Bangkok Post and some others are still strong allies of the previous PM to this day, and their news presentation reflects it.

-

[Mid]

Maybe the middle class is not 'fighting the dictatorship' because they are of the opinion that it was a better short-term option than Thaksin remaining in power

true or not , the ballot box is the only arbiter ,

and AFAICT t was not longer in power , perhaps a failing of the courts ?

AFAICT as far as i can tell