Where Is The Youth?

[sutnyod]

Hi,

sorry if there were thoughts to this topic in some of the threads, but I would like to ask where is the youth? It USED to be the case that political activism came from the universities. The students often were the first to demonstrate. But now it seems from the pictures one sees that it is another generation... Of course, the reasons for this have been discussed and are quite well known. Still, I am interested to know what is the position of Thailand's young in all this mess? Too busy with Ragnarok?

Cheers

s.

[myauq]

what's ragnarok?

[Camelot]

A popular online game. Ragnarok is Korean in origin but just as popular here.

[IMA_FARANG]

Hi,

sorry if there were thoughts to this topic in some of the threads, but I would like to ask where is the youth? It USED to be the case that political activism came from the universities. The students often were the first to demonstrate. But now it seems from the pictures one sees that it is another generation... Of course, the reasons for this have been discussed and are quite well known. Still, I am interested to know what is the position of Thailand's young in all this mess? Too busy with Ragnarok?

Cheers

s.

I don't think that it is a different generation, it is just that they feel no connection with Thai politics. I know from speaking with my Thai companion in BKK on the telephone, she just doesn't really care about the current political situation. They are not a rich family, at best you could say lower middle class. They are much more concerned about food prices and the cost of rice going up, than what happens at the airport. They simply regard all politicians as corrupt, mostly useless, and certainly irrelevant to their life. For the record, they don't really support anyone, but they do have a lingering feeling that Thaksin wasn't given a fair break by the powers that be. But beyond that they really don't trust any politicians.

And I believe many of the young people feel that same way. In their view politics in Thailand is just meaningless, you can't win either way. So why bother?

[siam4ever]

This is a gang fight between the Army (PAD) and Thaksin supporters (some good, some bad). There is no motivation for students to get involved. The students are useless to the PAD as they recruit ammunitions experts and riflemen as guards and ladies and children as human shields.

[garyh]

Maybe the students have enough brains to know what closing the airports will do to Thailand.

[myauq]

i don't blame them for not getting involved. there seems to be nothing worth fighting for in this dispute, as both sides are completely brain-dead and obviously completely self-interested. i've spoken to lots of younger thais and they are embarrassed by what is going on. admittedly they have had exposure to foreign countries, but they don't feel like there is or will be a place for them in the current dispute.

i don't blame them for playing ragnarok. i would be doing that too, and finding for a good overseas visa service to get my ass out of this country.