Hi all,

There is local election coming and my wife is heading back home again.

Because I was going to do some work that requires her assistance tomorrow, I asked her to skip the journey this time-expecting "no problem".

She was rather upset about my request and said "I must go home and vote, if I don't they(BIG BROTHER(?))will cause I and my family a lot of problem"

Is it possible?

thanks

JC

Yes

Yes

How?

Is the work that time critical? Smile and let her go and vote.

Yes

How?

As far as I know it is required by Thai law to vote. However, I'm not positive if that applies to local elections.

Is the work that time critical? Smile and let her go and vote.

It is not the matter of importance between two(voting or my work) but knowing fact.

Of course, she can visit her place whenever she wants to

If p1p is right, it's very STRANGE country indeed

JC

Voting is not mandatory.

However if you don't vote it can have some (minor) repercussions, such as not being allowed to run for elected office yourself, later on.

My wife would vote, if there actually was something to choose.

Voting is not mandatory.

However if you don't vote it can have some (minor) repercussions, such as not being allowed to run for elected office yourself, later on.

My wife would vote, if there actually was something to choose.

The wife believes that there will be some inconveniences(if she doesn't vote) like obtaining building permission, running a business .. etc, etc.

Well, I'm not against the idea of wife visiting her home at all but if what my wife says is true, it's just so unbelievable.

JC

Voting is not mandatory.

It is mandatory/compulsory by legal definition but appears not to be enforced based on several sites, which seems a contradiction.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/features_4992.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

"In Thailand, where voting is mandatory" > http://politicalworld.wordpress.com/2006/0.../thailand-coup/

"However, in nations such as Costa Rica and Thailand, there is no enforcement of compulsory voting." Soutsearepublic

These are the penalties > "The absent voter may lose certain political rights, e.g. the right to propose legislation, impeach ministers or hold political positions."

So with this information it would seem that the wife must be concerned about local poo yais or family and not the letter of the law.

Voting is not mandatory.

It is mandatory/compulsory by legal definition but appears not to be enforced based on several sites, which seems a contradiction.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/features_4992.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

"In Thailand, where voting is mandatory" > http://politicalworld.wordpress.com/2006/0.../thailand-coup/

"However, in nations such as Costa Rica and Thailand, there is no enforcement of compulsory voting." Soutsearepublic

These are the penalties > "The absent voter may lose certain political rights, e.g. the right to propose legislation, impeach ministers or hold political positions."

So with this information it would seem that the wife must be concerned about local poo yais or family and not the letter of the law.

Thanks for the links Tywais,

Now I get the picture. To me, this whole "MUST GO ELECTION" thing is just SO strange .

May be it's one more thing that I must get use to.

Thanks

JC

Sorry if this will appear somewhat negative - but there can often be another reason. A Thai student friend of mine went back to his remote Mae Hong Son village to vote in the general election last December........... a long, arduous journey by bus and hour-long walk there and back for what was just an overnight visit. I complimented him on his dedication to Thai democracy. His response: "Mai chai....... I get 200 baht from each candidate. Three candidates - 600 baht.........".