Farang, Elected As Politician In Thailand

[harrry]

Not in this millenium.

Hmmm....interesting. Some might suggest that our current PM belongs to this class. Thai on the outside and Farang on the inside.

Couldn't the same be said about Pibun?

Clever Harry

Well he did force the adoption of western dress and falang greetings in a similar way to Attaturk in Turkey. In many ways a copy.

[LaoPo]

Perhaps we could all pool together and raise enough tea money to nominate LaoPo as a candidate in the next election. Lets call it the Peoples Panda Party (PPP).

Can you explain why I would like to become a (Thai) politician ?

Only fools want to become politicians. I'm a Panda, not a fool

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

you never know, this girl might one day become one.

Pretty, articulate, farang

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5201688683986791040&hl=en#docid=-6261777081626060578

Who's she and what's her background ie family history ?

LaoPo

American parents, born and grew up in Thailand. It is all in the story, no?

Maybe for you Samran, who speaks Thai and having a Thai mother..no?

Not for me ..........and a few more I suppose

LaoPo

[Travel2003]

you never know, this girl might one day become one.

Pretty, articulate, farang

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5201688683986791040&hl=en#docid=-6261777081626060578

Who's she and what's her background ie family history ?

LaoPo

American parents, born and grew up in Thailand. It is all in the story, no?

What story?

[skippybangkok]

I think there are a few scenario's.

1) know some farangs here who were born here and have thai nationality

2) naturalized - not sure PM, but i think some lower posts possible.

At the end of the day most of the above are usually professionals with business / work to do and have little interest in getting into politics.........

[skyaslimit]

forget about it

[vont]

you never know, this girl might one day become one.

Pretty, articulate, farang

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5201688683986791040&hl=en#docid=-6261777081626060578

samran

Thank you for the video clip.

But it does not contain the news that you intend us to see.

The lady announcer in the clip reported news about a brother and sister who have been trying to obtain Thai citizenship since the brother--Udorm was two year old. The sister was granted the Thai citizenship already but the brother, a college graduate from usa in Education and has been teaching Thai to Thais here in Esarn.... for some reasons has not been successful in his quest to obtain his Thai citizenship. Their father and mother were Koreans, I believe. And Udom and his sister were born in Thailand.

Samran, i still like to view the video clip about the foodie lady though.

[Pakboong]

Not in this millenium.

not so pessimistic elkangorito....

..when was the first black student admitted to a university in the US and when was the first black president in the US elected? There are a mere few decades in between....

If the kids of poor Chinese immigrants can make it in Thailand, why not a Farang?

Stranger things have happened in LOS.

LaoPo

The 20th century capitalist Chinese immigrants were mostly wealthy by 3rd world standards and in many cases first world standards.

[zzaa09]

Not in this millenium.

Hmmm....interesting. Some might suggest that our current PM belongs to this class. Thai on the outside and Farang on the inside.

Couldn't the same be said about Pibun?

Clever Harry

yes...clever indeed. As such lost twist gains Harry brownie points amongst some.

[samran]

you never know, this girl might one day become one.

Pretty, articulate, farang

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5201688683986791040&hl=en#docid=-6261777081626060578

samran

Thank you for the video clip.

But it does not contain the news that you intend us to see.

The lady announcer in the clip reported news about a brother and sister who have been trying to obtain Thai citizenship since the brother--Udorm was two year old. The sister was granted the Thai citizenship already but the brother, a college graduate from usa in Education and has been teaching Thai to Thais here in Esarn.... for some reasons has not been successful in his quest to obtain his Thai citizenship. Their father and mother were Koreans, I believe. And Udom and his sister were born in Thailand.

Samran, i still like to view the video clip about the foodie lady though.

something got mixed up, cause I definetly posted a link to a video of the sister getting her ID card.

And they are 'farang', as the brother in the interview you see talks about his identity, whether he sees himself as Thai or Farang. Not Korean for sure.

But everyone has kind of missed my point (probably cause the wrong video comes up). The girl and her brother have had to play some pretty hard politics to get their rights as Thai citizens recognised.

The sister eventually won as she was born here and recent 2008 changes to the law allow long term residents, born here, but previously not afforded Thai citizenship to take it up. Still, she had to battle with the Ampur to make it happen. Good politicians, me think. And farang as well.

[NanLaew]

I seriously doubt that any really clever, smart or remotely intellectual farang would ever want to run for any sort of public office in LOS. Just look at the perpetual shambles the place is in. Common sense should prevail. Anyone dumb enough to consider Thailand as their second home or even retire here certainly aint smart enough to be a politician IMHO. Certainly wouldn't get my vote in the extremely unlikely event that I could vote. But I can see a certain clutching at straws from those here who have "made their bed and have to lie in it" when it comes to calling Thailand their 'home'.

PS. I do like Samran's post in what it takes to become a politician and I agree; I can't see a farang being able to embrace most of these 'duties'... apart from the mia noi bit and even then just a couple.

[NanLaew]

The sister eventually won as she was born here and recent 2008 changes to the law allow long term residents, born here, but previously not afforded Thai citizenship to take it up. Still, she had to battle with the Ampur to make it happen. Good politicians, me think. And farang as well.

Maybe, like some farangs who have difficulties registering their marriages with a given Amphur, they should have tried another one? IMHO not savvy enough to be a politician if they battled to do things the 'right' way instead of just bunging the recalcitrant Amphur a wedge and a case or two of XO. There's the farang way and then there's the Thai way.

[wintermute]

As far as a real farang politician getting elected in Thailand? I seriously doubt this will happen. Even in the Phillipines where everyone bends over backwards to serve white western people it still doesn't happen. I bet the guy who controls Minor Food group might be able to run for office but there will be a lot of scrutiny on any perceived "foreign" entity getting involved in Thailand.

People also forget that in western countries the person in question usually has to be born in the country to be eligible to run for office. If Thailand has similar rules then probably very very few Farang (even those with Thai citizenship) actually qualify.

May be not elected but a falang held senior decision making positions in the Reign of King Narai. He was Constantine Phaulkran. He was no the only falang in thai history to haold power.

Yeah and he was also executed when they figured out he might be a european puppet used to manipulate the siam court. It was a smart move back then and the truth was he probably really was a double agent of sorts playing both sides for personal gain.

Edited July 28, 2010 by wintermute

[electau]

Even if the westerner was able to obtain citizenship he would have to have a long residency requirement in years, plus high level connections, social status etc.

And then he would not have the ancestry requirement.

[Loz]

Andrew biggs for minister of foriegn affairs!!!

Get the tee shirts made up, now

[harrry]

May be not elected but a falang held senior decision making positions in the Reign of King Narai. He was Constantine Phaulkran. He was no the only falang in thai history to haold power.

Yeah and he was also executed when they figured out he might be a european puppet used to manipulate the siam court. It was a smart move back then and the truth was he probably really was a double agent of sorts playing both sides for personal gain.

Maybe not executed anymore but how many ex thai PMs have lived out their retirement in Thailand without first having to leave quickly.

[barky]

Lao po, I believe you knew the answer to your question before you asked it (rhetorical).

My considered answer is not in any of the current viewers of this thread's lifetime.

Will it ever happen? I think yes. In possibly 50 years or more from now as Thais become far less racist, xenophobic and more politically correct.

Just to make it clear, I'm talking about a white skinned caucasian (greater chance) or black skinned african (less chance) who does not have either one or both Thai parents.

Question: Does anybody have accurate figures on the number of westeners, who do not have any Thai relatives/blood, that have been granted full voting citizenship, say, over the past 10 years or so?

I suspect the answer will not reach tripple digets.. But to my way of thinking the number should, in all fairness, be around 30,000 to 50,000.

You are obviously not residing in Thailand.

Farangs with full voting rights and citizenship in Thailand? 30k to 50k?

I would venture to say, just a handful, if any.

Comprhension lesson Vont: "I susspect the number will not reach tripple digets" means I believe the number to be extremely low!!

Suggestion just read carefully and don't assume so much before making half baked comments.

[wolf5370]

Lao po, I believe you knew the answer to your question before you asked it (rhetorical).

My considered answer is not in any of the current viewers of this thread's lifetime.

Will it ever happen? I think yes. In possibly 50 years or more from now as Thais become far less racist, xenophobic and more politically correct.

Just to make it clear, I'm talking about a white skinned caucasian (greater chance) or black skinned african (less chance) who does not have either one or both Thai parents.

Question: Does anybody have accurate figures on the number of westeners, who do not have any Thai relatives/blood, that have been granted full voting citizenship, say, over the past 10 years or so?

I suspect the answer will not reach tripple digets.. But to my way of thinking the number should, in all fairness, be around 30,000 to 50,000.

Well, I hope to still be around in 50 years - we're not all upwards of our 60's you know!

Most of the farang Thai citizen's (without a Thai parent) I have met were either born before the law changed that allowed people born in Thailand to be Thai and/or the law that allowed adults to be adopted by Thai 'parents' (and thus qualify too).

I believe there is a law (may be rumour???) that even on naturalisation, its a ten year wait before you get the right to vote here - thus it seems likely that naturalised citizens are still barred from somethings - like they are in the USA (naturalised citizens can't beome president). My understanding here is that naturalised foreign devils (i.e. not farang noi) only ever really become sub-citizens.

On a side note. I met a guy and his sister in a bar last year that had just beome a citizen - he showed me his sparkling new ID card. His sister hadn't bothered. They had a Thai parent, but had never been to Thailand. They had no Thai accents and spoke no Thai at all. They were quite ignorant of all things Thai and said so. Interesting I thought. Not sure why they did it, but didn't think to ask at the time.

[howto]

Not in this millenium.

not so pessimistic elkangorito....

..when was the first black student admitted to a university in the US and when was the first black president in the US elected? There are a mere few decades in between....

If the kids of poor Chinese immigrants can make it in Thailand, why not a Farang?

Stranger things have happened in LOS.

LaoPo

The difference between Thailand and the USA in this example is that the first black student and the first black president were citizens of the USA.

How many Falangs are Thais citizens?

It has not been proven that Obama, the first black president is a citizen of the USA.

It is not even proven he is "black". He is Muslim by his own admission.

He (they) have spent considerable sums to hide this >than 5 mil USD.

His birth registration (Hawaii) is on the "short form", not the long form.

That means he was not born in the USA, and at that time his parents were not US citizens.

The first black student was a citizen, an American.

As for a non-Thai in politics in LOS "not within the lifetime of whomever I know".

And "Samram" in post #17 sums it up well.

[lectito]

The 2007 Thai Constitution states as follows:

Section 99. A person having the following qualifications has the right to vote at an election:

(1) being of Thai nationality; provided that a person who has acquired Thai nationality by naturalisation must hold the Thai nationality for not less than five years;

Section 101. A person having the following qualifications has the right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(1) being of Thai nationality by birth;

Section 115. A person having the following qualifications and not being under the following prohibitions has the right to be a candidate in an election of senators or to be nominated for the selection of senators:

(1) being of Thai nationality by birth;

[LaoPo]

The 2007 Thai Constitution states as follows:

Section 99. A person having the following qualifications has the right to vote at an election:

(1) being of Thai nationality; provided that a person who has acquired Thai nationality by naturalisation must hold the Thai nationality for not less than five years;

Section 101. A person having the following qualifications has the right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(1) being of Thai nationality by birth;

Section 115. A person having the following qualifications and not being under the following prohibitions has the right to be a candidate in an election of senators or to be nominated for the selection of senators:

(1) being of Thai nationality by birth;

Good post! Thanks.

Anything in the Constitution about posts for lower levels than House of Representatives and Senators; a position in a local town/village/amphur ?

Note:

The Thai Constitution doesn't seem too democratic if I read the above; western democracies are more open.

Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger, President Obama for example as well as many official high posts in Europe for citizens, NOT born in their European country and even, in many cases, holding 2 passports (from Morocco* for instance, living in a European country).

* (Morocco doesn't allow it's citizens, even if born from just one Moroccan parent and even if living abroad and never been to Morocco, to abandon their Moroccan citizenship/identity...)

The present Mayor of Rotterdam/The Netherlands -Ahmed Aboutaleb- is a fine example.

He was born in Morocco, is a dual citizen of both Morocco and The Netherlands and was even a State Secretary (Under-Minister) in 2007/2008 in the then Government and a practising Muslim.

If Thailand will ever reach that kind of Democracy remains to be seen....

LaoPo