If A Thai Election Was Held Today And You Could Vote!

[Jingthing]

Hmmm. I think at least by USA standards, a 60 percent popular vote is considered a LANDSLIDE.

[Texpat]

Abhisit has entertaining qualities as well.

Yes, he is rather fetching.

Alas, we have boiled down Jing's affliction. It's not so much about hating Thaksin, he's got a schoolboy crush on Abashit.

I feel ill.

[Jingthing]

Abhisit has entertaining qualities as well.

Yes, he is rather fetching.

Alas, we have boiled down Jing's affliction. It's not so much about hating Thaksin, he's got a schoolboy crush on Abashit.

I feel ill.

He isn't actually my type at all, but I can certainly understand the attraction. Also, your schoolboy comment is inflammatory as I am quite past boyhood and so is Abhisit.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[wackysleet]

the result may be quite different.

OR NOT.

Jingthing surely your not hinting that you maybe a little biased towards the yellows.

[Jingthing]

the result may be quite different.

OR NOT.

Jingthing surely your not hinting that you maybe a little biased towards the yellows.

I don't even know what you are saying, but I do think Abhisit is a good man and should be given ample time to stabilize this country. I do understand the actions of the yellows created the scenario that put Abhisit into power, but that is not the same thing as being explicitly pro yellow. I hope the Thais grow up and give up this color coded child's play anyway.

[wackysleet]

the result may be quite different.

OR NOT.

Jingthing surely your not hinting that you maybe a little biased towards the yellows.

I don't even know what you are saying, but I do think Abhisit is a good man and should be given ample time to stabilize this country. I do understand the actions of the yellows created the scenario that put Abhisit into power, but that is not the same thing as being explicitly pro yellow. I hope the Thais grow up and give up this color coded child's play anyway.

But don't you think that they started this stupid tit for tat business, it seems to me the general view amongst the protagonists is exactly that, if it's good enough for you then it's good enough for me, will the electorate in this country ever grow up?.

[Jingthing]

will the electorate in this country ever grow up?.

Not soon, that's for sure. Its a mess.

[timekeeper]

will the electorate in this country ever grow up?.

Not soon, that's for sure. Its a mess.

i think your poll has proved the point (at least amongst expats on Thaivisa) Abhisit is the more favoured man

well done Jing

[wackysleet]

the result may be quite different.

OR NOT.

Jingthing surely your not hinting that you maybe a little biased towards the yellows.

I don't even know what you are saying, but I do think Abhisit is a good man and should be given ample time to stabilize this country. I do understand the actions of the yellows created the scenario that put Abhisit into power, but that is not the same thing as being explicitly pro yellow. I hope the Thais grow up and give up this color coded child's play anyway.

Abhisit may well be a good man but that does not necessarily make him a good P.M. I think it all depends if he is his own man and does not allow himself to be guided along a path that suits a minority group rather than the electorate as a whole, and my view is he will not be strong enough.

[NovaBlue05]

I doubt Abhisit is much more than a puppet installed to put a youthful, pretty face on the party. I suspect whomever is pulling the strings is a bit more insidious

[wackysleet]

I doubt Abhisit is much more than a puppet installed to put a youthful, pretty face on the party. I suspect whomever is pulling the strings is a bit more insidious

I have a tendency to agree with you but with all the main parties, "whichever name they choose to use today" having vested interested parties behind them and until this stops Thailand will always be riddled with corruption and cannot ever become truly democratic, ie; government for the people by the people.

[Jingthing]

No! He has much more substance than that.

Abhisit though still young has been a rising star in Thai politics for quite some time. Most people in the know expected him to someday be PM. Perhaps that happened earlier than expected, but I can't fault him for doing what he can to be a success for himself, for his party, and for Thailand. Of course, he has needed to make some unsavory political alliances to get this far. In the current Thai structure, that is a given and a necessity, and may well be indefinitely. Not very different from most countries in that. He has to work within the real world as it exists in Thailand. When I say he is a good man and may become a great PM, I still have hope that his efforts to work towards compromise and reasonable reforms that are currently possible are actually sincere. Call me a fool, but I think he has better intentions than you naysayers.

Thaksin, on the other hand, has shown his true colors for the world to see. He is a dangerous tragically DIVISIVE figure.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[wackysleet]

No! He has much more substance than that.

Abhisit though still young has been a rising star in Thai politics for quite some time. Most people in the know expected him to someday be PM. Perhaps that happened earlier than expected, but I can't fault him for doing what he can to be a success for himself, for his party, and for Thailand. Of course, he has needed to make some unsavory political alliances to get this far. In the current Thai structure, that is a given and a necessity, and may well be indefinitely. Not very different from most countries in that.

Exactly correct in your stating of the unsaviory alliances but remember this, HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER CALLS THE TUNES.

[Jingthing]

Exactly correct in your stating of the unsaviory alliances but remember this, HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER CALLS THE TUNES.

So what is your answer, that half decent men in Thai politics not even TRY to serve their country? Some of us live in the real world and don't believe in miracles. Its a process.

[wackysleet]

will the electorate in this country ever grow up?.

Not soon, that's for sure. Its a mess.

i think your poll has proved the point (at least amongst expats on Thaivisa) Abhisit is the more favoured man

well done Jing

I think that could be a bit premature as the vote was only just a little over 100 and none of us could really vote in the real thing.

I suspect that the average Thai does not view politics in the same light as westerners, but I'm sure Jingthing could actually give the percentage achieved by each party in the last General Election, personally I don't think a lot will have changed because of the tit for tat policy.

[Jingthing]

I think that could be a bit premature as the vote was only just a little over 100 and none of us could really vote in the real thing.

I smell a case of denial.

[wackysleet]

Exactly correct in your stating of the unsaviory alliances but remember this, HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER CALLS THE TUNES.

So what is your answer, that half decent men in Thai politics not even TRY to serve their country? Some of us live in the real world and don't believe in miracles. Its a process.

Jingthing it's exactly because I live in the real world and probably longer than you that I have my reservations about the effectiveness of any person half decent or 100% can achieve much if anything when they make these types of alliances, what I'm really saying of course is that there appears to be so many with vested interests in all parties that they will be will be the ones running the country and not the so called elected. and no I do not know the answer, it's just that I feel uneasy about those alliances.

[wackysleet]

I think that could be a bit premature as the vote was only just a little over 100 and none of us could really vote in the real thing.

I smell a case of denial.

Decidedly not, unlike some posters I have never been one to jump on anyones bandwagon,in actual fact I could not give a monkeys <deleted>> about any of the present or past politicians as I have seen no difference between them in the last twenty years I have lived here, I believe your poll would have had more validity if you had asked people to vote for a party on the premise of what they have done or are going to do for the so called resident falangs who contribute a vast amount of money on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis what we hear all the time is cheap flights, cheap hotel rooms, free tourist visa's for people who are here today and gone tomorrow.

Could it be that we are a necessary evil to be tolerated purely because of our monetary input.

[Jingthing]

f you had asked people to vote for a party on the premise of what they have done or are going to do for the so called resident falangs

I couldn't disagree more with that. Many of us long term residents are sincerely pained by the virtual civil war that has been going on in Thailand, regardless of our own selfish visa issues, etc.

[Ulysses G.]

Could it be that we are a necessary evil to be tolerated purely because of our monetary input?

Could it be indeed?

[wackysleet]

f you had asked people to vote for a party on the premise of what they have done or are going to do for the so called resident falangs

I couldn't disagree more with that. Many of us long term residents are sincerely pained by the virtual civil war that has been going on in Thailand, regardless of our own selfish visa issues, etc.

I certainly do not see my visa requirements as a selfish issue at all, I support my family no one else, I like other long term residents need a visa for that purpose, the only part of your reply I could agree with is about the self induced virtual civil war that has been instigated by certain vested interests to grab power, power in this country has absolutely nothing to do with the man in the street and yes I believe that this country should do something for falang residents after all my country frequently allow Thais in when we have no historical connections, it seems the motto would be perhaps served best if it was changed to gimme gimme I want.

[NovaBlue05]

No! He has much more substance than that.

Call me a fool, but I think he has better intentions than you naysayers.

Ya know..I don't dispute that he personally has good intentions and may even be a decent fellow. I clearly don't know him as well as you.

I question whether he's really calling the shots anymore than a Thaksin proxy would be truly independent of their puppet master.

But hey...he's more telegenic than Samak or Somchai

[Jingthing]

I certainly do not see my visa requirements as a selfish issue at all, I support my family no one else,

Your family. Root of your: YOU.

[wackysleet]

I certainly do not see my visa requirements as a selfish issue at all, I support my family no one else,

Your family. Root of your: YOU.

Really, I deem that my wifes family is also my family and that includes my inlaws plus others and two kids other than my own depend to a large extent on my largesse and reading other posters on T.V. I am certainly not the only falang to willingly help out in this way, I do not consider myself a guest in the Kingdom I live here by choice and I'm not asking for the moon, just cut the longterm paying falang residents a little slack, the tourists coming here are given different treatment than us.

[Jingthing]

Sorry, but you completely missed my point. Somchai on the street does not care about ANY of our visa issues. So when you say farangs should only be interested in visa issues, I say that is a very selfish way at looking at Thai politics.