Mixed Feelings As Thais Prepare To Vote

[Tony Clifton]

There was a provincial election 2 weeks ago. Tents and poll stations are set up in front of our house. Same today. The turnout is unreal, 10 times the amount of traffic and parked vehicles.

[John K]

Tony, take some photos and post them, it would be nice to see some from a non media source.

[codfish]

Wife just got 500bht for her vote. then said "I should get 5000bht, because I have farang!"

Now that is the Thai way of thinking . This time it was going to be different, But we all know that vote buying well always be there.

[MILT]

I live up north and my wife and her family have not been approached by anyone offering money, gifts et. They put the word out loud and clear that they would report anything of this nature to the proper authorities. But alas they are surrounded by folks that do not understand or careless about the future of Thailand because after all is said and done people will go back to thier lives trying to keep afloat and get ahead. For myself I think that people who put thier faith in politics and politicians have forgotten one important thing. Goverments are there to serve the people in all aspects concerning the secured future of thier country and welfare of the future generations. That means having a real voice. That means going deep within themselves and knowing what is good and what is not. I do have to say that I am impressed at the voter turnout. The US pales in comparison. Even though the hidden corruption is quite obviuos. I just pray for no violence

[hilly]

Critics say this clause is deliberately vague and could include censorship of the internet.

They've been living under a rock from the last 5 years or what ? Internet in Thailand is indeed censored and we didn't have to wait for the junta for that !

I agree 100% but censorship under Thaksin could well be the downfall of PPP. The newspapers were heavily censored by TRT and you upset the press at your peril in any country. As a result the Thai press (unless financed by TRT) has done it's best to promote other parties and one thing we do know is that the better educated Thai's do read newspapers. If you can win this group over then they do the job of pointing out to the less well educated who they think they should vote for.

To a large extent it seems that the message has got across and an old massive TRT majority has been eaten away to what seems to be now a very close race with The Democrats.

It could be very hard for Thai's to accept that TRT let them down when they would have been so enthusiastic before when voting for their favouite party and maybe the strong support still from traditionally TRT areas is spurred on by loss of face. One thing I have noticed in the last month is that Thai's I have known for a long while, that were staunch supporters of TRT before, are going down the Democrat route this time. Abhisit has been campaining for this moment for many years and maybe today will be his moment in history.

Abhisit is no fool and he is firmly in the race. I hope he makes it as he could be the first democratic leader this country has seen that could start Thailand to the next level. He says that corruption will not be tolerated in his party in any shape of form and if he becomes prime minister he is going to have his work cut out to achieve that but in that scenario I expect examples to be made of wrong doers very quickly to prove his ethics are where his mouth is.

All parties are campaining in education reforms but if I had a vote I would back Abhisit alone because of his strong background in a modern education system. He knows how it should work and educating the educators to teach Thai's about lateral thinking is not going to be at all easy. Until Thai's in general understand the need for forward thinking nothing much is likely to change. That of course is years away but it has to start somewhere.

Example

I plugged my Christmas trees lights into a floor socket yesterday but the socket did not work. I called the condo engineer and in a flash he was there to fix the problem. I was busy with other things so left him to it but kept a close eye on him.

I had already lifted the two floor sockets out of the one million Baht polished oak floor to check for a cable fault behind the socket but they were OK and I told him that but he insisted on checking it again as being falang what do I know? The fact that I am the officially appointed consulting engineer for the block and had sorted many problems, including a major electrical problem three months ago for him, seemed of no importance as this was his job and fair enough.

I had also found a tripped circuit breaker in the main box and it would not reset so I knew there was a short on the system somewhere after the live left the breaker. He called up his mate when he could not find the problem and his mate proceeded to play with the circuit breaker. No matter how many times his mate reset the unsettable breaker and went to look to see if the Christmas tree lights had come on his was always dissapointed at finding they had not.

An hour had passed and I noticed they had gone but there was a ring on the door bell 30 minutes later and our engineer arrived to proudly present me with a new 20amp breaker along with the shop receipt for 210 Baht. It was highly unlikely that this was the fault so I let him change it but it would not reset no matter how many times he tried to.

In the end he decided that the best way to test the new braker was to dissconect the live out wire from the braker to the problem circuit which he held in a pair of insulated pliers and then touched the bare live on the breaker connection. There was of course a loud bang and massive sparks as he fell back over the dustbin behind him and the silly sod landed on the floor. He then had another brainwave and dissapeared for a few minutes only to come back with a bloody hammer and crow bar.

"Problem under floor", he said as he stopped down to start ripping my bloody wood floor up. Of course I stopped him at this point but if I had not been there it is anyones guess how much damage he would have done.

I was finished with my chores and decided to help him figure this out. I got stuck in and dissconected all the cables and connectors at the first socket but he observed with his circuit test screw driver that with the ends of three sets of red green and white sticking up in the air still did not have a live wire. Of course there was no live as the breaker was off so I switched on the breaker and low and behold we had a live and the breaker held in the set position.

We reconnected one at a time and found the circuit with the fault which lead to an outside waterproof balcony socket. When we removed it we found it was burned pitch black where the live was connected. He went off to the shop and got a new one (232 Baht) as well as taking back the new burnt breaker that the shop refused to change of course. 5 minutes after he got back it was all working again.

He is indeed a qualified electrician, or so his papers say he is, but he is still incapable of lateral thinking. He had an idea that the fault may have been under the floor so rather than exploring the easy routes first he was willing to take a sledge hammer to crack a nut and that is where the education system here badly falls down. They have brains that are capable of great things but their teachers just dont tell them how to solve problems. Better education would make life here for them and for us so much easier but it will of course not happen over night.

[kurtgruen]

I live up north and my wife and her family have not been approached by anyone offering money, gifts et.

Ah, you live in the right (or maybe wrong) place then. Here in Chiang Dao, they are handing it out left and right. Ahhh, how I wish I was Thai...all that free beer money. LOL

[kurtgruen]

Without requoting everything, I just want to say that I agree with you 100%. If I could vote in this country, I would vote for the Oxford educated Democrat. This country needs some new ideas and more intelligent thinkers. (There are some, but not all of them are in government ;-)

One thing that I was really impressed with, with the military government - they listened. A few months ago, a convoy of Tourism Athority people showed up here in the North. They were doing a tour of the North, to find out what could be improved to bring more tourists. Among other things, we suggested lowering the National Park fees. I'm sure that they must have heard the same in many other tourist towns. Lo and behold, a few weeks later, the National Park Fees (for foreigners), were slashed between 50-75%.

For once, we felt listened to by the government, which is rare in any country.

As far as the PP Party goes, I can only shake my head. Bringing a guy back, who is under investigation for several criminal activities and making that your main platform, is hillarious. This whole thing seems more like a comedy, than an election.

It's too bad, that it really isn't funny, because many people could get hurt, if things go wrong.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and Happy Christmas and New Year

[John K]

Without requoting everything, I just want to say that I agree with you 100%. If I could vote in this country, I would vote for the Oxford educated Democrat. This country needs some new ideas and more intelligent thinkers. (There are some, but not all of them are in government ;-)

One thing that I was really impressed with, with the military government - they listened. A few months ago, a convoy of Tourism Athority people showed up here in the North. They were doing a tour of the North, to find out what could be improved to bring more tourists. Among other things, we suggested lowering the National Park fees. I'm sure that they must have heard the same in many other tourist towns. Lo and behold, a few weeks later, the National Park Fees (for foreigners), were slashed between 50-75%.

For once, we felt listened to by the government, which is rare in any country.

As far as the PP Party goes, I can only shake my head. Bringing a guy back, who is under investigation for several criminal activities and making that your main platform, is hillarious. This whole thing seems more like a comedy, than an election.

It's too bad, that it really isn't funny, because many people could get hurt, if things go wrong.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and Happy Christmas and New Year

In a way very similar to some politicians in the USA who can’t seem to grasp the concept of global warming. It is all about the money. However you are right about being under investigation and being the center piece of a party, it defies any type of logic.

[waveydavey]

I'm really disappointed, my girlfriend says there's been no vote buying in our village. I was counting on the money going towards an Xmas present for me....

Maybe it's because PPP are a shoe-in here anyway. I've spoken to about a dozen neighbours and every one of them is voting for 'Taksin' as they say.

[hammered]

On a lighter note but covering subjects the real Thai media wont (like even mentioning 1976), from

Not The Nation: http://www.notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=228

Samak Vows to Double Per Capita Wealth by Killing Half of Population

Playing up his reputation as a 'man of action', former governor outlines bold but polarizing intiative which will give half the population twice as much

BANGKOK, DEC 17, 2007 - In the first detailed presentation of the economic platform of the People’s Power Party, appointed party leader and former Bangkok governer Samak Sunaravej announced a bold initiative to double the average wealth of each Thai by killing half of the Thai population. “It’s easy math” Samak explained at a news conference Tuesday. “If we divide the same assets among half as many people, each will be twice as rich.” When pressed for details of which half of the population would be eliminated and in what method, Samak responded that he would favor “whoever voted for us and endorsed this policy” and that he was more than willing to carry out the executions personally.

Opposition Democrats were quick to attack the policy as “short-sighted economics” as well as “possibly unconstitutional.” A statement released to the press from party headquarters read in part that “the People’s Power Party continues to show itself as an opportunistic group determined to continue the failure of Thaksinomics.” However, a member of Chart Thai commented off-record that it was a possibly clever tactic, playing up Samak’s strengths as a “man of action.” With years of police experience, including personally overseeing the extrajudicial slaughter of dozens of unarmed leftist university students during the October 1976 uprising, Samak’s fascist disregard for human life could play well with voters tired of “stagnant political impasse,” the source concluded.

Political analysts aconomics experts were quick to highlight flaws in the plan, citing both the severe downturn in GDP that would follow the massacre of half the country’s workforce, as well as the political risks of threatening voters with death immediately before the election. “Thais don’t respond well to confrontation,” explained Jiriporn Siriyathohin, a political academic at Chulalongkorn University. “It’s considered impolite and reflects badly on the populist ideals of the former TRT.” However, an ABAC poll of likely voters in Isaan revealed a generally positive response among PPP faithful, with 74% of respondents certain that Samak would be killing “someone else.”

In additional statements made at the same press conference, Samak also outlined his foreign policy of eating the puppies of nations that he did not like.

Edited December 23, 2007 by hammered

[tartempion]

<br />It is a joke. Every member of my wife´s family got offered baht to vote for certain parties.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Well some man stopped by our house to promote some one to vote for.

In a very unfriendly way the wife told him to get lost.

She went to vote, takes along time to come back!

Dunno who she will vote for (seem she does not know herself , most certainly NOT for PPP

[Lourens]

. . . .As far as the PP Party goes, I can only shake my head. Bringing a guy back, who is under investigation for several criminal activities and making that your main platform, is hillarious. This whole thing seems more like a comedy, than an election.

It's too bad, that it really isn't funny, because many people could get hurt, if things go wrong.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and Happy Christmas and New Year

In a way very similar to some politicians in the USA who can’t seem to grasp the concept of global warming. It is all about the money. However you are right about being under investigation and being the center piece of a party, it defies any type of logic.

A known rapist with corruption charges was just elected as leader of the ruling ANC party in South Africa. He is also in line for the presidency in 2008. How F**ked up is that??

Thailand has nothing to worry about. Life goes on.

[Hawkinschris]

Thais vote Sunday in first post-coup election

BANGKOK: -- More than 40 million eligible Thai voters will cast their ballots tomorrow in the country's first general election since the military carried out a bloodless coup and toppled the elected government of then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19, 2006, to select the kingdom's 25th prime minister since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

Thirty-nine political parties are fielding more than 5,000 candidates.

Under the dual voting system, voters will directly elect 400 members of the House of Representatives (Lower House) while 80 party-list candidates selected by political parties are chosen according to the proportion of votes each party receives on a separate ballot.

Several polls show that the People Power Party (PPP), formed by a group of former members of the now dissolved-by-court order Thai Rak Thai Party founded by Mr. Thaksin, is leading the fiercely contested election, with Thailand's oldest political party, the Democrat Party close behind.

The two leading parties -- along with most of the others -- have offered attractive incentives to voters in their campaign in a bid to become the new government, but observers said the next government would certainly be a coalition because none would be assured of an absolute majority vote of more than 240 seats.

Besides offering populist policies like the Thai Rak Thai, the PPP also told the public while campaigning that it would bring back Mr. Thaksin from exile in London if the party wins a majority of seats election and was able to form the government.

Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, had also promised free education, improving the national economy and resolving the almost four-years of bloody violence in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, an insrgency in which over 2,500 victims have died.

The interim government has set a target of at least 70 per cent of total eligible voters must cast their ballots. Thirapat Serirangsan, minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, said Saturday he was confident that the target could be achieved.

When asked whether there would be a problem if the PPP wins and is able to form a government, Mr. Thirapat said if the Thaksin-aligned party does things correctly there should not be a problem. Any government that can create benefits to the country could continue without a problem but it would be opposed if it corrupts.

Everybody has to prevent corruption and exercise their electoral rights, Mr. Thirapat added.

Pongsak Semsan, permanent secretary for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), said Saturday while inspecting final preparations at polling booths on the that preliminary results in Bangkok are expected to be available by 8pm Bangkok time (1300 GMT), or five hours after the booths are closed, while unofficial results for all over the country to be announced by the Election Commission (EC) are expected before midnight.

With advance voting held last weekend and election campaigns coming to a halt Saturday evening, Election Commissioner Prapan Naikowit said his agency had already received over 20 complaints of election fraud and that officials were investigating them.

Elected candidates will be stripped of their victories if they are found and proven to have cheated in the election.

The EC has announced that most funds which would be used in vote-buying would appear Saturday or early Sunday at latest. It urged election authorities to monitor the fraud closely.

Viroon Thongjaron, rector of Srinakharinwirot University, showed concern about the cost of political promises made by all partied, noting that whether large and established or small, all were focusing heavily on populist programs promising free prizes or other incentives if they become the government after the election.

Such policies could be considered as insulting the people and their election campaigns are another form of vote-buying by giving away too much, Dr. Viroon said. Some parties demonstrated they did not understand the country's educational system.

"If (our) politicians aren't smart enough to improve our education system, then I think the new government won't last more than a year," Dr. Viroon said.

"Younger candidates contesting the election are campaigning like comedians and don't show any capability (to do the job)," he added.

--TNA 2007-12-22

Mixed feelings as Thais prepare to vote Sunday

BANGKOK: -- More than 40 million eligible voters will cast their ballots nationwide this Sunday as ongoing canvassing intensifies and political parties go all out in their last-ditch attempts to win as many seats as possible in the House of Representatives.

The election is seen as an internationally-recognised platform to usher the kingdom that has seen 18 coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 into full democracy despite skepticism on post-election political stability.

Many optimists are hopeful that the election will at least return the country to democratic rule after a September 2006 military coup. Some pessimists on the other hand are less convinced the general election will reflect the people's voice.

"We will see some instability but at least the election will get rid of the coup period. We had the coup in September 2006. It's been almost 15 months now—the post-coup period. This coup period will be put behind. It's a good sign," said Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, political scientist from Chulalongkorn University.

Good as it is but Dr Thitinan is on the bandwagon of skeptics who do not believe the election will either solve Thailand's ongoing political crisis or provide political stability.

Populism, the key campaign policy of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, had been heavily condemned and then TRT leader Thaksin Shinawatra was criticised for spending the national budget at the grassroots level for his own and his party's popularities.

"Thaksin combined the national policies with the lives of people. He connected voting with policies that we could say 'edible policies,' the policies that you can eat. Policies that help people, giving loans to people. Policies which support products from villages and find markets for them," says Viengrat Nethipo, political lecturer at Chulalongkorn University.

Ironically enough, not a single political party has failed to include populism in its policy. What most parties offer are almost the same. Free elementary schooling and generous healthcare schemes are just a few examples.

"Whether populist policies will help the grassroots in the long run, no one knows. This populist policy may end up breaking the budget," warned Dr Thitinan.

Various opinion polls have put the pro-Thaksin People Power Party or PPP ahead of the Democrat Party, the main Thaksin opponent. They predicted the PPP to win over 200 seats in the 480-seat Lower House, mainly from its strongholds in the North and Northeast.

Despite the forecast, many political observers believe the Democrats will be the driving force in setting up a coalition government.

Whoever leads the coalition, analysts predict the new government will be short-lived.

--TNA 2007-12-22

PPP to win, and bring Mr Thaksin home....

He has turned City round, so I am sure with a little help from Sven he can sort outThailand.

[Hawkinschris]

Abhisit says he will call Thaksin once he becomes PM

BANGKOK: -- Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he will call former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatre immediately if he becomes the next prime minister.

He said he would call Thaksin to invite him to Thailand to defend himself in court.

He said Thaksin should not wait until February 14 before returning to the country but should come back right away.

Abhisit said he may have to use legal measure if the former prime minister refused to come back to defend himself in court.

-- The Nation 2007-12-22

This guy (Abhisit) has copied all Thaksins ideas and polices......Thaksin is/was the best leader for Thailand, always was and always will be.......Come on PPP......LETS BRING THAKSIN HOME!

All you farrangs with ISAN wifes should be up for him also, he takes care of all the poor people.....they need him.

[BPayette]

Wife just got 500bht for her vote. then said "I should get 5000bht, because I have farang!"

mine got the same offer. Wish she'd thought of asking for more too!

[Ned]

How soon after the election is the killing going to start? Any predictions?

[slapout]

Mr. Samak was quoted in Bangkok Post on 23/12/07 as saying corruption is common and " Its like influenza, but the coup makers have tried to make it seem like bird flu" Now I am not sure what point he was making but WHO figures estimate 40 to 50 million deaths worldwide from influenza in the 20th century whereas bird flu has killed 207 since 2003. I am sure he was aware of these numbers when he made this statement (snicker) I guess he is insinuating, the Coup makers have not made nearly enough out of past corruption and they should get tougher on it. Sure hope this attitude is forthcoming in the new government . Maybe Mr Samak could ask the courts to hand out more jail time on those people who are presently in the appeal process as well as go after all those individuals who are being investigated, and those others that should be.

[meemiathai]

Well some things seems to never change - I just got told by one very good Thai friend of mine who I trust 100% that 300 baht secured his vote for one of the major parties :]

I don't think he was telling the truth. My wife got 50 baht only.

[hammered]

Mr. Samak was quoted in Bangkok Post on 23/12/07 as saying corruption is common and " Its like influenza, but the coup makers have tried to make it seem like bird flu" Now I am not sure what point he was making but WHO figures estimate 40 to 50 million deaths worldwide from influenza in the 20th century whereas bird flu has killed 207 since 2003. I am sure he was aware of these numbers when he made this statement (snicker) I guess he is insinuating, the Coup makers have not made nearly enough out of past corruption and they should get tougher on it. Sure hope this attitude is forthcoming in the new government . Maybe Mr Samak could ask the courts to hand out more jail time on those people who are presently in the appeal process as well as go after all those individuals who are being investigated, and those others that should be.

Thai artists put a display on entitled "corruption doesnt hurt anyone" (a quote from Samak). Amongst other things, they displayed pictures of children covered in skin lesions from water pollution in Rayong resulting from bungs to avoid having to properly dispose of waste. Samak is a real piece of work but anyone who dares talk about 6 October 1976 knows that.

[kurtgruen]

Abhisit says he will call Thaksin once he becomes PM

BANGKOK: -- Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he will call former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatre immediately if he becomes the next prime minister.

He said he would call Thaksin to invite him to Thailand to defend himself in court.

He said Thaksin should not wait until February 14 before returning to the country but should come back right away.

Abhisit said he may have to use legal measure if the former prime minister refused to come back to defend himself in court.

-- The Nation 2007-12-22

This guy (Abhisit) has copied all Thaksins ideas and polices......Thaksin is/was the best leader for Thailand, always was and always will be.......Come on PPP......LETS BRING THAKSIN HOME!

All you farrangs with ISAN wifes should be up for him also, he takes care of all the poor people.....they need him.

Common', get your fact straight about who is copying who? It was the Democrats who initiated the 30 Baht Program, before Thaksin came to power. He just managed to make it totally ineffective.

It was after one of Thaskins cronies got a truckload of Southerners killed, so the uprising in the South intensified. You have thousands of Thai's living on the Street now, because Thaskin told them that they could borrow money, without paying interest for three years (the interest then becoming due at once). He has been great at lining his and his families pockets and to keep all his cronies happy, but the poor are still poor, except that a lot of them now live on the streets, instead of on their family land and homes that had been owned by them for generations.

Then the guy buys a Football team, in order to get back in. Common', the guy is a total egomaniac. Would you really vote for a guy like that in your own country? I think not.

To me, Thaksin is very scary. Good thing that people don't have to vote for those who pay them. Let's see how the results come out. I think that we are in for a surprise.

Thai People love their country, their Buddhist Religion and their King. Thaskin got what he deserved, in my opinion. (if it was me judging him, he would have gotten a lot worse already)

Thailand need a direct attack on corruption, better health care and education, an enforced, higher minimum wage (esspecially in light of high fuel costs). The only good that I have seen so far, that really stands out, is the numerous Royal Projects, which actually help the poor.

One thing, that I do appreciate about this forum is, that people are outspoken, no matter what they believe is right. That shows courage in a country like Thailand and even though, I might not agree with everyone's views, I am glad that here we are expressing them.

[bulmercke]

Wife just got 500bht for her vote. then said "I should get 5000bht, because I have farang!"

My wife is also from the north-east. Today she told me that with any election comes anxiety and insecurity which are entirely sane responses to the 'mad-house' that is Thai politics. Her english is dead good.

And with all the bars closed today - well the farang ones - I even had the luxury of taking up to an hour and a half to evacuate my bowels after breakfast. An hour and a half with my owns thoughts was unbearable. In future I will make sure there is always a book in the toilet - Who Needs Democracy would be a good start.

[eagleflyinghigh]

The "mai pen rai" attitude!

This time they will not get away with it and they may well have the dictatorship they deserve should the military choose to intervene "for national security". At least they may finally become used to some discipline !

I think for us foreigners little will change anyway: One of the big focuses of any new government will be how to get as much farang money with as little as possible farang physical presence . Tricky isn't it.

[bulmercke]

Anyway - who really needs democracy here - when we've got wonderful air-conditioned shopping malls, karoake bars and delicious hot and spicy Thai food. (Not my own views but those of my Thai next door nighbour who also coincidentally is from the north-east. Considers himself a bit of an advanced thinker when it comes to politics - it's magic listening to him -)

[sriracha john]

Samak Vows to Double Per Capita Wealth by Killing Half of Population

Opposition Democrats were quick to attack the policy as “possibly unconstitutional.”

Leave it to the Democrats to find fault with his initiative.

[hammered]

Samak Vows to Double Per Capita Wealth by Killing Half of Population

Opposition Democrats were quick to attack the policy as “possibly unconstitutional.”

Leave it to the Democrats to find fault with his initiative.

John I do take it u realise the story was satire

[kurtgruen]

Anyway - who really needs democracy here - when we've got wonderful air-conditioned shopping malls, karoake bars and delicious hot and spicy Thai food. (Not my own views but those of my Thai next door nighbour who also coincidentally is from the north-east. Considers himself a bit of an advanced thinker when it comes to politics - it's magic listening to him -)

Yes, I do believe he is an advanced thinker and totally right. I'll drink to that ;-)

[kurtgruen]

On a lighter note but covering subjects the real Thai media wont (like even mentioning 1976), from

Not The Nation: http://www.notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=228

Samak Vows to Double Per Capita Wealth by Killing Half of Population

Playing up his reputation as a 'man of action', former governor outlines bold but polarizing intiative which will give half the population twice as much

BANGKOK, DEC 17, 2007 - In the first detailed presentation of the economic platform of the People’s Power Party, appointed party leader and former Bangkok governer Samak Sunaravej announced a bold initiative to double the average wealth of each Thai by killing half of the Thai population. “It’s easy math” Samak explained at a news conference Tuesday. “If we divide the same assets among half as many people, each will be twice as rich.” When pressed for details of which half of the population would be eliminated and in what method, Samak responded that he would favor “whoever voted for us and endorsed this policy” and that he was more than willing to carry out the executions personally.

Opposition Democrats were quick to attack the policy as “short-sighted economics” as well as “possibly unconstitutional.” A statement released to the press from party headquarters read in part that “the People’s Power Party continues to show itself as an opportunistic group determined to continue the failure of Thaksinomics.” However, a member of Chart Thai commented off-record that it was a possibly clever tactic, playing up Samak’s strengths as a “man of action.” With years of police experience, including personally overseeing the extrajudicial slaughter of dozens of unarmed leftist university students during the October 1976 uprising, Samak’s fascist disregard for human life could play well with voters tired of “stagnant political impasse,” the source concluded.

Political analysts aconomics experts were quick to highlight flaws in the plan, citing both the severe downturn in GDP that would follow the massacre of half the country’s workforce, as well as the political risks of threatening voters with death immediately before the election. “Thais don’t respond well to confrontation,” explained Jiriporn Siriyathohin, a political academic at Chulalongkorn University. “It’s considered impolite and reflects badly on the populist ideals of the former TRT.” However, an ABAC poll of likely voters in Isaan revealed a generally positive response among PPP faithful, with 74% of respondents certain that Samak would be killing “someone else.”

In additional statements made at the same press conference, Samak also outlined his foreign policy of eating the puppies of nations that he did not like.

I love it. LOL ...ROFL

[John K]

One thing we should not forget. Wanting Thailand to be more like where we came from is not exactly what some have in mind but is exactly what we are asking for. Corruption contributed to what makes Thailand so enjoyable to many of us as heads are turned to look the other way. Thaksin attempts to become a dictator is what this is all about and not so much about corruption. It was his greed with Shin that broke the camel’s back. Thaksin’s ideas can be implemented with a competent leadership, however the TRT showed none of that. At the moment the closest we can come to that is with Abhisit. On the other hand Samak with the PPP is at the other end of the spectrum. Thailand can exist with corruption but not with a greedy dictator.

[hammered]

Exit poll shows PPP to get 250 ish seats. Seems about right to me

[bulmercke]

BREAKING NEWS

Exit poll results show PPP wins

Suan Dusit Rajabhat University

Exit Poll

As of 3 pm, 23 December 2007

How many constituency-based MPs and party-list MPs each party get?

People Power Party, 221 + 35 = 256

Democrat Party, 127 + 35 = 162

Chart Thai Party, 24 + 5 = 29

Ruamjai Thai Chart Pattana, 14 + 1 = 15

Peua Paendin, 8 + 2 = 10

Pracharaj Party, 3 + 1 = 4

Matchima Thipataya Party, 3 + 1 = 4

Matchima Thipataya, 3 + 1 = 4