Move Forward and the double-edged sword of ‘orange fandom’

[webfact]

 

Thanks to fervent support from millions of people, the reformist Move Forward Party (MFP) pulled off a stunning victory in the May 14 election, defeating a Shinawatra-backed electoral machine that had won every national vote since 2001.

 

However, a strong sense of loyalty and possession among supporters – rare in any Thai political party and more akin to that of K-pop fans – has placed high expectations and pressure on the progressive party, observers say.

 

And this could be a double-edged sword for Move Forward if it allows “fandom power” to influence its moves and actions, they add.

 

A clear example came last month as Move Forward was gathering parties to form a government coalition. The party was forced to backtrack on its plan to include the Chart Pattana Kla Party after furious opposition from social media users identifying themselves as MFP supporters. They pointed out that its leader Korn Chatikavanij was involved in mass rallies against Yingluck Shinawatra’s government that culminated in the May 2014 military coup. He had also voted for coup-leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha to become prime minister after the 2019 general election, they added.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/move-forward-and-the-double-edged-sword-of-orange-fandom/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-06-20

 

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[mfd101]

The particular example mentioned above is understandable but - in general - political leaders should be able to shape and move the expectations & understandings of their followers.

 

It's called leadership, not well-known - except in a negative way - in this country.

[h90]

Well they did not defeat Shinawatras....the Shins have almost as many seats. They defeated Prayuth and the Democrats

[bamnutsak]

Idiotic article/op-ed piece with no author.

 

Trying to minimize MFP by comparing it to a K-pop group's fans is imbecilic. And excluding insurrectionists like Korn is a plus, not a negative.

 

from the article....

 

Yuthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said that Move Forward supporters, particularly those on social media, appear to wield a great deal of influence on its decision-making.

 

“Move Forward has to bow to the demands of its own fandom,” he said.

 

 

No, it doesn't. It simply has to explain why, or why not, they are able to accomplish any reforms of the Institution, or any of the other platform issues.

 

 

 

 

[tgw]

  On 6/20/2023 at 1:52 AM, h90 said:

Well they did not defeat Shinawatras....the Shins have almost as many seats. They defeated Prayuth and the Democrats

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which was a huge defeat for the red

[chalawaan]

  On 6/20/2023 at 1:52 AM, h90 said:

Well they did not defeat Shinawatras....the Shins have almost as many seats. They defeated Prayuth and the Democrats

Expand  

Miss the moon by a millimetre, and you've still missed the moon. 

They won and that's that. 

[chalawaan]

This is an amateurish Op-Ed at best and a paid but clumsy smear tactic at worst.

 

The majority have been swindled for generations. There's every reason for them to be pissed off, and demand  there be no more slimy backroom shysters get away with business as usual.

 

There's definitely a bit of fandom and euphoria, and much of it will fade, but I'm loving watching the flailing of the arrogant military loyalists who have such a toxic grip on Thailand, that even the foriegn press here can't have a mature and much needed discussion about the obvious fact that all roads lead to Rome. 

 

 

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:02 AM, chalawaan said:

Miss the moon by a millimetre, and you've still missed the moon. 

They won and that's that. 

Expand  

Thailand doesn't has a winner takes it all system.....If you are almost equal strong you are almost equals.

Different than for example presidential elections in other countries...you loose the other guy is president, you are nothing.

[bob smith]

another rubbish article. 

[MikeandDow]

  On 6/20/2023 at 1:52 AM, h90 said:

Well they did not defeat Shinawatras....the Shins have almost as many seats. They defeated Prayuth and the Democrats

Expand  

Do you not know who won the election ?? MF did

 Almost Is Not Good Enough

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:02 AM, tgw said:

which was a huge defeat for the red

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huge defeat would be if they went small as the Democrats. It is unexpected for them and it is a defeat but not huge. They are still second strongest and with theoretically they could form a government without MF. Not very probable but possible.

Don't forget in the last election Prayut won the popular vote over PTP....They only got the majority of seats with the regional MPs. In percentage they even gained massive in compare with 2019.

 

So it is not the total defeat....

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:22 AM, MikeandDow said:

Do you not know who won the election ?? MF did

 Almost Is Not Good Enough

Expand  

it is not a win or loose in Thailand it is more or less proportionally --> It is not American presidential elections. Theoretically PTP could form a government without MFP.

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:14 AM, chalawaan said:

This is an amateurish Op-Ed at best and a paid but clumsy smear tactic at worst.

 

The majority have been swindled for generations. There's every reason for them to be pissed off, and demand  there be no more slimy backroom shysters get away with business as usual.

 

There's definitely a bit of fandom and euphoria, and much of it will fade, but I'm loving watching the flailing of the arrogant military loyalists who have such a toxic grip on Thailand, that even the foriegn press here can't have a mature and much needed discussion about the obvious fact that all roads lead to Rome. 

 

 

Expand  

That earthquake is for sure healthy for Thailand. If asking for good things Prayuth did the last 4 years.....I would not be able to name a single thing.

But there is big risk that MF does big damage with their half communist half fascist ideas....I would pretty much prefer a do nothing Prayuth....but at some point is doing nothing also a big problem

[MikeandDow]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:28 AM, h90 said:

it is not a win or loose in Thailand it is more or less proportionally --> It is not American presidential elections. Theoretically PTP could form a government without MFP.

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Of course its win or lose MF WON the election For get about the popular vote, its how many seats in Parliament that counts.

Theoretically ANY party could form a goverment but would not last Thats WHY parliamentary seats are the most important

[scorecard]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:33 AM, h90 said:

That earthquake is for sure healthy for Thailand. If asking for good things Prayuth did the last 4 years.....I would not be able to name a single thing.

But there is big risk that MF does big damage with their half communist half fascist ideas....I would pretty much prefer a do nothing Prayuth....but at some point is doing nothing also a big problem

Expand  

" half communist half fascist ideas......."

 

Communist - NO.

Part socialist - YES, and copying sucessful governments in many countries. 

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:41 AM, MikeandDow said:

Of course its win or lose MF WON the election For get about the popular vote, its how many seats in Parliament that counts.

Theoretically ANY party could form a goverment but would not last Thats WHY parliamentary seats are the most important

Expand  

The only important thing is a majority >50% in parliament. That is 251+ votes.

MF has 151

PTP has 141

So MF would need 99 while PTP would need 109 votes from other parties.

If PTP forms a government without MF than MF won nothing....The same and easier MF could form a government without PTP.

That win is meaningless if you can't form a government.

Only if you have >50% than you have a real win that noone can dispute

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:43 AM, scorecard said:

" half communist half fascist ideas......."

 

Communist - NO.

Part socialist - YES, and copying sucessful governments in many countries. 

Expand  

single digital ID for everyone by joining government and private sector data is like a book example of fascism. With no privacy with the state can control everything and everyone......As more socialist countries as worse they get in the long run, because it leads to wasting money and ever increasing taxes. Not because the idea is wrong, because it invites corruption and legal vote buying.

[spidermike007]

A terrible article, with no real basis in fact, likely written by sour grapes. Support is support. MF has the kind of enthusiastic support the army goons can only dream of. They represent the people, not the super wealthy elite. That is the real issue. The desire to keep the wishes of the people suppressed. 

 

For a long time, this nation has been run by old men who worship only the golden calf. Times may be changing, and dinosaurs don't like change or progress. 

 

 

[MikeandDow]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:52 AM, h90 said:

single digital ID for everyone by joining government and private sector data is like a book example of fascism. With no privacy with the state can control everything and everyone......As more socialist countries as worse they get in the long run, because it leads to wasting money and ever increasing taxes. Not because the idea is wrong, because it invites corruption and legal vote buying.

Expand  

Do you know what 1984 is, becuse that is what you describing and which will not happen

[MikeandDow]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:48 AM, h90 said:

The only important thing is a majority >50% in parliament. That is 251+ votes.

MF has 151

PTP has 141

So MF would need 99 while PTP would need 109 votes from other parties.

If PTP forms a government without MF than MF won nothing....The same and easier MF could form a government without PTP.

That win is meaningless if you can't form a government.

Only if you have >50% than you have a real win that noone can dispute

Expand  

you never heard of a minority goverment

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:56 AM, spidermike007 said:

A terrible article, with no real basis in fact, likely written by sour grapes. Support is support. MF has the kind of enthusiastic support the army goons can only dream of. They represent the people, not the super wealthy elite. That is the real issue. The desire to keep the wishes of the people suppressed. 

 

For a long time, this nation has been run by old men who worship only the golden calf. Times may be changing, and dinosaurs don't like change or progress. 

 

 

Expand  

MFP is the party of one of the richest families in Thailand.

Second is PTP with another Oligarch

And you are right the military is supporting the wealth elites as well

 

No one is for the normal hard working Thais. A party for the normal Thais would never have the funds to come into parliament.

That a party will rise to power that is for the normal people is a very naive dream. The best you can hope for is to have some elites being afraid of loosing power.

MFP, PTP, Prayuth, the Democrats are all meeting with the WEF where all the other elites meet together and agree together how to rule

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 3:05 AM, MikeandDow said:

you never heard of a minority goverment

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A minority government must have >50% support in the parliament as well. It means only that some parties accept them, without getting some share of the power. But in case of a non-confident vote they vote with the government. = >50% of parliament.

 

[mfd101]

Let's look on the dark side (so we can only be pleasantly surprised):

(1) MF will disappoint its supporters because it won't be able to implement even 10% of what it wants to do

(2) MF's opponents will still be unhappy because they hate the thought of MF being in power for even 1 day.

[MikeandDow]

  On 6/20/2023 at 3:10 AM, h90 said:

A minority government must have >50% support in the parliament as well. It means only that some parties accept them, without getting some share of the power. But in case of a non-confident vote they vote with the government. = >50% of parliament.

 

Expand  

rubbish

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 3:03 AM, MikeandDow said:

Do you know what 1984 is, becuse that is what you describing and which will not happen

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Yes it is that guide book that many politician try to implement....I would love that you are right and I am wrong.....But everything seems to go the way of more state control....and very easy with the cameras everywhere...look around in Bangkok and AI.

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 3:11 AM, MikeandDow said:

rubbish

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but you don't bother to explain?

[Eric Loh]

  On 6/20/2023 at 3:07 AM, h90 said:

MFP is the party of one of the richest families in Thailand.

Second is PTP with another Oligarch

Expand  

Are you insinuating that MFP's fundings are from this richest family. Do you know how political parties are funded according the law? It is ok not to know. 

[chalawaan]

  On 6/20/2023 at 2:33 AM, h90 said:

That earthquake is for sure healthy for Thailand. If asking for good things Prayuth did the last 4 years.....I would not be able to name a single thing.

But there is big risk that MF does big damage with their half communist half fascist ideas....I would pretty much prefer a do nothing Prayuth....but at some point is doing nothing also a big problem

Expand  

You seem to have this confused idea that MF are radical. That may be true from a conservative Thai perspective, but to the rest of the democratic world, their ideas are hardly reactionary. 

 

No one can seriously accuse the Thai people of being influenced by bots to vote against the coup makers, their own  behaviour from the very beginning caused this backlash, they cannot compromise, and when that happens, they invite unrest. 

Their biggest problem, is they can't see that they are the problem!

[herfiehandbag]

  On 6/20/2023 at 1:52 AM, h90 said:

Well they did not defeat Shinawatras....the Shins have almost as many seats. They defeated Prayuth and the Democrats

Expand  

Umh: Move Forward 151 seats, Pheu Thai 141 seats.

 

I've looked at these numbers from just about every angle save standing on my head. You know, it looks awfully like MFF inflicted a defeat on Pheu Thai.

 

However you count it, 151 is more than 141!

 

What they have gone on to do is to construct a reasonably amicable coalition alliance with Pheu Thai, a coalition which will hopefully endure and reflect most of the wishes of the very large number of Thais ( together a majority) who voted for these two parties.

[h90]

  On 6/20/2023 at 3:15 AM, Eric Loh said:

Are you insinuating that MFP's fundings are from this richest family. Do you know how political parties are funded according the law? It is ok not to know. 

Expand  

Of course! Politicians do illegal funding......that is not exactly unheard of. Future Forward according to Bangkok Post got illegally 200 Million Baht from Thanathorn. And that is only what they got caught.