Is Isan The Most Left Wing Region Of Thailand?

[bluegibbon]

Are they generally most in favor of left wing economics like taxing the wealthy & powerful, more equal resources, etc? I'm left wing myself! so I'm just wondering if Isan is generally known as the most left wing bloc of Thailand?

[bluegibbon]

So really, is Isan least tainted by the oppression and psychological abuse of Thailand's ruling elite?

Edited January 17, 2008 by bluegibbon

[thaihome]

I'm afraid you have no clue of the political structure of Thailand, particular the rural areas.

The basic fact is there is no ideology. It is almost a pure client-patron system in which local influential people control how government money is spent at the local level, in return for making sure the people in the central government stay in power (by getting the people to vote for them).

That was the system that, using the ’97 constitution, the TRT perfected and infuriated the “old” power elite. All those “populist” programs (that you think of as left wing) were nothing more then spreading the money down to a level (local leaders) that was not done in the past.

TH

[kdvsn]

Are they generally most in favor of left wing economics like taxing the wealthy & powerful, more equal resources, etc? I'm left wing myself! so I'm just wondering if Isan is generally known as the most left wing bloc of Thailand?

The error that you are making is try to characterize Thai political thought by binning it into contempary Western categories of Left and Right. Sure, Isaan is very poor and poor people are almost always in favor of taxing the rich more, but that doesn't make them "left wing" in the western sense.

Edited January 18, 2008 by kdvsn

[Irene]

Are they generally most in favor of left wing economics like taxing the wealthy & powerful, more equal resources, etc? I'm left wing myself! so I'm just wondering if Isan is generally known as the most left wing bloc of Thailand?

Not in my book. They are mostly lack of any idealogy. They are true buddhists and even poor but relatively contented. The left wing of your category are mostly in the central and Bangkok area and tend to be well educated.

[LivinLOS]

Isaan could be described as most working class.. But left wing / socialist etc doesnt work really in the Thai context.

[makrook]

there's a problem with leftist thoughts here, and maybe especially in esarn : recent history of thailand (I mean , '70s and '80s) is a history of us-backed communists and leftists smashing and a huge amount of propaganda have been made in those years to convince people that leftists are non-thai, non buddhists etc...

our beloved samak even saying that the shooting on protestors in '73 was fairly acceptable as they were communists and then non-thais.

being or not a communist or a socialist one can only admit that almost prohibiting to even think about it leads to lack of real political debate, as the whole spectrum of ideas can't be heard or thought.

I had a very hard time being actualy able to even speak about socialist ideas with my GF.I won't comment on the buddhist values and traditionnal thai culture on this point as I feel not so competent but just add that fatalism and the general feeling that there's nothing that can be done about politics and economy is prevalent from what I saw and heard.

plus back in a not so far past (up to the '90s if I'm not wrong) being some kind of an activist could prove extremely dangerous as you could as well and prety easily get yourself murdered if you were making your voice heard to the point people would feel uneasy with the fact that esarn farmers could actually begin to think for themselves and ask for more social justice.not acceptable by a lot of the possedant class here.

lack of education and culture are to be blamed for the impossibility to think about those ideas as well.so don't expect to find too much poor farmers understanding those issues or even willing to think about how it could change.

I would agree that, as well as in the '70s, it's amongst the educated urban youth that leftism is to be found, if at all.

[Khun ?]

I would say the Isarn left are migrated in areas where money is easier to get ie; tourist areas Pattaya and the likes.

The ones that stay in Isaan are probably more right wing where you earn it and do not think yourself smarter

than everyone else and it should be handed out through taking it for some reason thought up of or

a person just has a need for it.

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Edited February 13, 2008 by Khun ?

[thaihome]

I would say the Isarn left are migrated in areas where money is easier to get ie; tourist areas Pattaya and the likes.

The ones that stay in Isaan are probably more right wing where you earn it and do not think yourself smarter

than everyone else and it should be handed out through taking it for some reason thought up of or

a person just has a need for it.

[.....

I think I know what you think you thought you might be saying but I can't be sure you understand yourself what you meant to say.

TH

[makrook]

I would say the Isarn left are migrated in areas where money is easier to get ie; tourist areas Pattaya and the likes.

The ones that stay in Isaan are probably more right wing where you earn it and do not think yourself smarter

than everyone else and it should be handed out through taking it for some reason thought up of or

a person just has a need for it.

[.....

I think I know what you think you thought you might be saying but I can't be sure you understand yourself what you meant to say.

TH

now, seriously, I doubted it was worth replying to the post or if it was some kind of a stealth troll.because it leads all the time to that kind of reaction.there's no debate or argument here, nor was it necessary to have one, question is not "do you like leftists", but rather "do esarn people are more on the left side".

and the thing is... that is actually the kind of reaction you get all the time in thailand when speaking about this.

[makrook]

and one day I will learn to see member's profile before rushing to reply

seing khun?'s posts, it is not at all stealth as a troll

Edited February 13, 2008 by makrook