Vote Buying

[Upcountry]

To Thai TV members, in particular, what do you think of this?

http://www.bangkokpost.com/121107_News/12Nov2007_news17.php

OPINION / GENERAL ELECTION

Anti-vote buying plan appears doomed

It seems that a huge percentage of the Thai population accepts vote buying. This article assumes that the current plan to cut down on vote buying will not have the desired effect. What can be done? Do you agree with this opinion piece?

UC

[soundman]

A little behind the times, the writer of this article.

Gumnans and pooyaibahns have been & are up to their necks in every marginal electorate allready. This happens to be where they make most of their income in influencing local & general elections.......

The party canversers don't go and see the indivual voters, they go to see the pooyaibahn, negotiate a fee for all votes in his little piece of the pond, & once it is all "negotiated, signed, sealed & delivered", the pooyaibahn will instruct the voters which way to vote & inform them how much they will be paid for their vote.

Obviously the pyb keeps a large proportion for himself....

[keemao]

A little behind the times, the writer of this article.

Gumnans and pooyaibahns have been & are up to their necks in every marginal electorate allready. This happens to be where they make most of their income in influencing local & general elections.......

The party canversers don't go and see the indivual voters, they go to see the pooyaibahn, negotiate a fee for all votes in his little piece of the pond, & once it is all "negotiated, signed, sealed & delivered", the pooyaibahn will instruct the voters which way to vote & inform them how much they will be paid for their vote.

Obviously the pyb keeps a large proportion for himself....

exactly..........pyb makes 3000 per month.....the other money comes from these activities. in a village, perhaps only 10% of voters vote how they choose, the rest take the cash.

I don't comment often on here, but Soundman.....you are always on the ball mate.

[tingtong]

seems like vote buying WAS, IS, and WILL BE( at least in the upcoming election still) in Thailand.

The only way is to fix vote buying to cancel election, and stay with military junta. no voting=no buying votes.

anyway, a recent comment was made that an unfavorable result may bring another coup. so, why bother at all.

The so many people accept vote buying is mainly those with income. what would you do in their place? the same. as their life didnt improve a whole lot with the different governments, at least the elections bring a little of the much needed cash.

[lazeeboy]

the only way to stop vote buying is not to have an election ,whatever happens it will take more than one election to sort this mess out

[sriracha john]

Two things...

1. Perhaps this can merged with pre-existing thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=149327

65% Of Voters Ready To Sell Votes

2. It's been Thaivisa's policy not to reprint entire articles by the Bangkok Post (Post #2 of this thread) due to copyright issues..... and yes, I'm frustrated by it as well, although I do comply.

[prakhonchai nick]

It is illegal not only to buy votes but also to sell them. Unfortunately nobody seems to care. There is the election watchdog. What, if anything do they do? (except get paid!) Millions of people receive cash every election, but nobody is prosecuted.

From this week on, there are pick-up trucks touring every village 2/3 or even 4 times a day canvassing for votes from all the political parties. Why don't the electoral commission, the watchdog or the existing government, hire their own trucks and tour every village/town regularly pointing out that not only is selling votes illegal, but that there are spies amongst the villagers who will shop anyone who receives cash or any other form of reward to influence their vote.

If vote buying is not stopped, the 2 billion baht being spent on the election will be largely wasted, since the 15/20 million Isan residents will almost certainly determine the election result, and it will likely neither be the will of the population in general nor the will of the Isan residents that make up their own minds who to vote for.

In fact most of us know already who will gain the most seats!

[hammered]

What always amazes me is that in the villages of my in-laws I know exactly who is paying what for what and it is quite open, and yet the investigating authorities either do not know, do not want to know or dont really care. And as soundman pointed out it is done through the pooyaibahn.

It also seems to be fairly widely known by at least the rural families I know which one of the main parties is dumping huge amounts of money already and how much the going rate is. The use of village headmen and the money being thrown aropund will effect the outcome of this election.

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

Well, consider that vote buying not THAT big a deal. It's tradition, part of the parties and fanfare of elections; in addition to getting a shirt or jacket in party colors, there's also food & drinks and some money. And note that Thailand's archaic election system effectively requires migrant people to travel to their home province to vote.. Traveling is not free, a return bus trip easily costs 400-800 baht. If no money was availabel then those votes would be lost.

Anyway:

Thailand: "Here's some money, vote for me."

USA/Europe/UK/etc: "Vote for me, then I give you money." (through tax cuts or hand-outs, depending on political color)

Same same but different.

Edited November 14, 2007 by TheEmperorOfTheNorth

[sonnyJ]

They are running some anti vote-buying advertising on some tv-channels, if I didn't completely misunderstand it. This guy tries to give money to people and everyone says 'mai au' and runs away.

[keemao]

They are running some anti vote-buying advertising on some tv-channels, if I didn't completely misunderstand it. This guy tries to give money to people and everyone says 'mai au' and runs away.

running away to what???

The fact is over half of thailand needs cash and will take it.....advertising won't change that

Its the same in every country. people vote for where the money is. The money being thrown around by government in Australia now is crazy. Personally I'd prefer the cash in hand. I should run this past my local member in sydney!!!

[sonnyJ]

They are running some anti vote-buying advertising on some tv-channels, if I didn't completely misunderstand it. This guy tries to give money to people and everyone says 'mai au' and runs away.

running away to what???

The fact is over half of thailand needs cash and will take it.....advertising won't change that

Its the same in every country. people vote for where the money is. The money being thrown around by government in Australia now is crazy. Personally I'd prefer the cash in hand. I should run this past my local member in sydney!!!

What was your point to quote me? To state that Australia is in the same sad state as Thailand? :D

If you really believe in what you are saying I think your voting rights should be taken away from you.

Figuratively speaking I guess they would be running towards fair elections and democracy.

Over half of me needs money too..

[sweetchariot]

"Vote Buying, how to fix?"

Exactly, that's how you fix it!!

[LinkPopularity]

this can easily be solved; make the people understand that they can take money from all the parties, then don't go voting at all ... total crash of this system

[sonnyJ]

this can easily be solved; make the people understand that they can take money from all the parties, then don't go voting at all ... total crash of this system

Or a genocide. But you do have a point there.. The crash could be the whole political system collapsing as never seen before though.

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

Indeed.

[Beardog]

My girl is from the Buriram area(whose isn't?)

She tells me they just come cruisin down the roads & hand out 300-500 baht for people to vote for them.

I asked her how the hel_l they know if you actually voted for them & she replied they have no way of knowing as like all countries that part isn't revealed. Her family enjoys taking the money from the fools.

I guess it is best to wait for 8-10 to show up Take their money & vote the person you were going to vote for anyway!

the canvassers are probably lining their pockets as well.

The corruption runs deep. At least in the western countries they try to hide it better.

Same Same 36 million baht in a pipe probably another 60+ missing compared to $80,000 U.S. in a freezer Whoops.

Don't want the money getting to hot!

In the west they do it with the lobbyists,some day who knows they might adopt more civilized ways of masking the corruption.

The outcome will most likely be the same. It is the I think therefore I am principal at work!

Beardog

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

My girl is from the Buriram area(whose isn't?)

Mine aren't.

She tells me they just come cruisin down the roads & hand out 300-500 baht for people to vote for them.

I asked her how the hel_l they know if you actually voted for them & she replied they have no way of knowing as like all countries that part isn't revealed. Her family enjoys taking the money from the fools.

I guess it is best to wait for 8-10 to show up Take their money & vote the person you were going to vote for anyway!

It doesn't quite happen that way. It's not like its actually heavy ontested within within a small region. There's usually one (two maximum) guy/group that (almost) everyone will vote for, who organizes some sponsored events and as part of that hands out some money too 'to come vote', never mind who to vote for, though it's of course implied. If elected, this person/group then takes care of the people in the region.

Thai politics is VERY regional. Like feudal rulers, or mafia clans, actually.

Edited November 15, 2007 by TheEmperorOfTheNorth

[Artisi]

Are cash handouts in Thailand any different than the hundreds of promises which will cost millions, reduced taxes, increased pensions, more handouts for utilities, more child support etc etc currently being offered in the run up to the Australia elections on the 23rd of this month?

Remember, in Thailand most of the people taking the few hundred Baht don't pay taxes or get any social welfare so cannot be bought with these promises - so direct payment is the only way to influence them to your way of thinking.

[sriracha john]

My girl is from the Buriram area(whose isn't?)

Mine aren't.

She tells me they just come cruisin down the roads & hand out 300-500 baht for people to vote for them.

I asked her how the hel_l they know if you actually voted for them & she replied they have no way of knowing as like all countries that part isn't revealed. Her family enjoys taking the money from the fools.

I guess it is best to wait for 8-10 to show up Take their money & vote the person you were going to vote for anyway!

It doesn't quite happen that way. It's not like its actually heavy ontested within within a small region. There's usually one (two maximum) guy/group that (almost) everyone will vote for, who organizes some sponsored events and as part of that hands out some money too 'to come vote', never mind who to vote for, though it's of course implied. If elected, this person/group then takes care of the people in the region.

Thai politics is VERY regional. Like feudal rulers, or mafia clans, actually.

Just perhaps... but since your associates aren't from Buriram, that maybe... just possibly... that the way she described it is as how it IS done in Buriram and that your experiences outside of Buriram differ???

Otherwise, I believe you're saying that Beardog's missus is lying.