Pheu Thai Aim To Win A Large Chunk Of 'Silent Majority'

[webfact]

ANALYSIS: EYE ON THE ELECTION

Pheu Thai aim to win a large chunk of 'silent majority'

By The Nation

The opposition Pheu Thai Party has crafted a strategy to win over the "silent minority", which will be the pivotal factor in which political party will triumph in the upcoming general election.

Polls show that those who do not belong to any political colour or are undecided make up 32.7 per cent of all eligible voters.

Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Wim Rungwattanakit said yesterday that the party believes the silent minority does not care about voting because they are bored sick of politicians who deliver only lip service or do not keep their campaign promises.

The party believes that to win the hearts and minds of the alienated group, it has to come up with concrete policies that can be translated into action and address the problems facing the nation.

The party will recruit MP candidates who are accepted and respected by the silent group. Pheu Thai also realises that the silent minority is not happy with the incumbent government's overspending while sending the country deeper into debt.

The party will tell them it will not borrow loans to manage the country and will tell them what the alternatives are.

It will also tell the silent minority, which is sick of political divisions, how to heal national rifts. The party will not promise that it can totally wipe out corruption but will keep graft manageable, Wim said.

If the silent minority hands Pheu Thai a landslide victory so that it can form a single-party government or needs little support from the second or third party, the party will have the power to keep corruption under control.

Pheu Thai also believes the silent minority is in favour of the high-speed train project as it will benefit the public and reduce the use of cars and the transport of goods by trucks, as well as cut the cost for road repairs.

A minimum daily wage of Bt300 is also one of the party's key election planks.

The party has already found a way to prevent businesses from passing rising labour costs onto consumers. The party will use the contributions that workers and employers already pay to the state to hike their wages, he added.

A source said Pheu Thai has admitted it was worried about the red movement causing the silent minority to shun politics and lose confidence in supporting the party. It plans to ask former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to rein in the red shirts and ask them to stage only a true democratic movement that does not cause further political turmoil.

The stakes are high and the party's ultimate aim is to form a single-party government. The public will have to wait and see if its strategy is successful in convincing the silence minority to help it achieve its goal.

-- The Nation 2011-04-18

[whybother]

It will also tell the silent minority, which is sick of political divisions, how to heal national rifts.

Is promising to bring back Thaksin and whitewash his crimes an example of how they think they can heal national rifts?

[Buchholz]

The party will recruit MP candidates who are accepted and respected by the silent group.

High caliber individuals like Chalerm's son, Mr. Happy Toilet Wan, and Thaksin's cousin, General Chaiyasit, as well as a half-dozen Red Shirt Terrorist Suspects Out On Bail.

Indeed, quite an impressive set of new recruits the PTP is lining up.

.

Edited April 18, 2011 by Buchholz

[givenall]

It will also tell the silent minority, which is sick of political divisions, how to heal national rifts.

Is promising to bring back Thaksin and whitewash his crimes an example of how they think they can heal national rifts?

They can have silent vote. How much will they pay

[PlastikbinLina]

"Pheu Thai also believes the silent minority is in favour of the high-speed train project as it will benefit the public and reduce the use of cars and the transport of goods by trucks, as well as cut the cost for road repairs."

And let's hope they have a plan to bring in serious Road Safety management and reduce the now "silent" road victims.

[janverbeem]

If the silent minority hands Pheu Thai a landslide victory so that it can form a single-party government or needs little support from the second or third party, the party will have the power to keep corruption under control

Read : Have the power to keep corruption in own ranks

[hyperdimension]

1/3 is not a majority, so the title is completely wrong. The body of the article, however, uses "minority" which is correct. Who wrote the title?

[siampolee]

A minimum daily wage of Bt300 is also one of the party's key election planks.

The party has already found a way to prevent businesses from passing rising labour costs onto consumers. The party will use the contributions that workers and employers already pay to the state to hike their wages, he added.

So it would seem as if the actual funding of the salary of 300 baht a day is going to paid from from the public purse via taxation and social welfare policies payments that are being diverted to other causes..

The realty is that the minimum daily wage of 300 baht is nothing more than a glorified ponzi scheme. The truth is that the employers are not actually paying out anymore monies at all. It is the taxpayer doing the paying out.

Sad to say the gullible workforce will be taken in by this first class scam.

[jayboy]

The party will recruit MP candidates who are accepted and respected by the silent group.

High caliber individuals like Chalerm's son, Mr. Happy Toilet Wan, and Thaksin's cousin, General Chaiyasit, as well as a half-dozen Red Shirt Terrorist Suspects Out On Bail.

Indeed, quite an impressive set of new recruits the PTP is lining up.

.

For those weary of puerile insults and tired partisan gibes, I suggest an intelligent and perceptive analysis of election prospects may be found in Shawn Crispin's latest piece in Asia Times

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MD13Ae01.html

[hyperdimension]

The party believes that to win the hearts and minds of the alienated group, it has to come up with concrete policies that can be translated into action and address the problems facing the nation.

They've already had plenty of chance to do that (years). It's too late now to try to win "hearts and minds" of non-supporters.

The party will not promise that it can totally wipe out corruption but will keep graft manageable, Wim said.

This could be an admission that they will still allow corruption, probably that which is done by their own part members. "will keep graft manageable" implies that they expect to be the managers (perpetrators) of the corruption. Maybe they only plan to wipe out corruption that is done outside of their own party.

The party has already found a way to prevent businesses from passing rising labour costs onto consumers. The party will use the contributions that workers and employers already pay to the state to hike their wages, he added.

So workers get their own money back?

It plans to ask former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to rein in the red shirts and ask them to stage only a true democratic movement that does not cause further political turmoil.

This is an admission that the red shirt movement is not a true democratic movement. They already tried distancing Thaksin (e.g. in 2010) and it fooled a lot of people, including the leftists and sociology academics who like to write about democracy and human rights. But the connection couldn't remain hidden as red shirt followers have increasingly been pressured to vote for Pheu Thai, and many of the protest leaders are now candidates to join Pheu Thai. It has now become fully transparent that the protest movement has been all about Thaksin all along and nothing to do with true democracy other than as a tool.

[asiawatcher]

Shouldn't this headline read Peu Thai to "pay" the silent majority?

[Buchholz]

The party will recruit MP candidates who are accepted and respected by the silent group.

High caliber individuals like Chalerm's son, Mr. Happy Toilet Wan, and Thaksin's cousin, General Chaiyasit, as well as a half-dozen Red Shirt Terrorist Suspects Out On Bail.

Indeed, quite an impressive set of new recruits the PTP is lining up.

For those weary of puerile insults and tired partisan gibes, I suggest an intelligent and perceptive analysis of election prospects may be found in Shawn Crispin's latest piece in Asia Times

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MD13Ae01.html

The only "recruit MP candidates" that is mentioned in the linked article for PTP is Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Thank you for adding her to the list of the other new PTP candidates mentioned above.

[Pib]

Most every political party in the world has a plan to win the silent majority. I expect what happens most of the time is the silent majority splits its volt among a bunch of parties. So much for the plan, but it sure sounds good during election season.

[animatic]

A minimum daily wage of Bt300 is also one of the party's key election planks.

The party has already found a way to prevent businesses from passing rising labour costs onto consumers. The party will use the contributions that workers and employers already pay to the state to hike their wages, he added.

So it would seem as if the actual funding of the salary of 300 baht a day is going to paid from from the public purse via taxation and social welfare policies payments that are being diverted to other causes..

The realty is that the minimum daily wage of 300 baht is nothing more than a glorified ponzi scheme. The truth is that the employers are not actually paying out anymore monies at all. It is the taxpayer doing the paying out.

Sad to say the gullible workforce will be taken in by this first class scam.

Yes well spotted.

Lets not let the workers drag everyone else down, by being paid a daily wage they can live on, let's charge everyone by reducing taxes and pass it on that way to the people, but add 'PTP value added paperwork' to the mix. And of course the bosses running the companies make the same money so they won't abandon PTP. What a total scam to keep their friends rich, while charging all Thais for paying the poorest a decent wage, rather than solely the purchasers of some products.

A better wage always means more money to spend, and that boosts the economy. Not solely the pocket books of the company bosses, via the public coffers being raped yet again.

Edited April 18, 2011 by animatic

[animatic]

The party believes that to win the hearts and minds of the alienated group, it has to come up with concrete policies that can be translated into action and address the problems facing the nation

They have such a stellar track record of concrete policies translated into action. Seems they just missed Songkran this year with their latest action plan. But they took action the last 2 years.

Edited April 18, 2011 by animatic

[swerver]

"Pheu Thai also believes the silent minority is in favour of the high-speed train project as it will benefit the public and reduce the use of cars and the transport of goods by trucks, as well as cut the cost for road repairs."

And let's hope they have a plan to bring in serious Road Safety management and reduce the now "silent" road victims.

On and On the bullshit rolls

High Speed trains reduce the transport of goods by trucks. What bullshit, freight trains at high speed 330KPH, at the speed they travel now on the normal rail system in developed countries 60-80KPH EU, US, Japan they are already past the point of safe control if they have to stop in a hurry in case of emergency. Ever seriously calculated the total tonnage of a sixty (60) car (US) freight train, it runs into the millions of tons. That’s why the Dutch railway limits its freight trains to about twenty cars. It’s like stopping the Queen Mary when at Full Speed which takes approximately thirty four miles before laying dead in the water. In the US Southern Pacific freight had to slowdown many miles before San Bernardino the only way it slowed down and came to a stop when the whole freight train went off the rail and piled up in the outskirts of San Bernardino destroying whole neighborhood of homes and businesses.

It’s like nuclear power generating, listen to the spin doctors’ bullshit, oh its safe. Yes it’s safe; ask the thousands of Japanese people right now sitting in emergency shelters. Of course the 30,000 deaths have no longer a way of letting you know their feelings.

[rogerdee123]

The party will recruit MP candidates who are accepted and respected by the silent group.

High caliber individuals like Chalerm's son, Mr. Happy Toilet Wan, and Thaksin's cousin, General Chaiyasit, as well as a half-dozen Red Shirt Terrorist Suspects Out On Bail.

Indeed, quite an impressive set of new recruits the PTP is lining up.

.

For those weary of puerile insults and tired partisan gibes, I suggest an intelligent and perceptive analysis of election prospects may be found in Shawn Crispin's latest piece in Asia Times

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MD13Ae01.html

Although I enjoy reading what Shawn Crispin writes as it is usually interesting reading, including this article (13 April) .... still one needs to keep in mind that Asia Times is one of Sondhi Limthongkul's babies.

Both Crispin and Sondhi seem to be able to find more method (or imagination) in the madness that comprises present day Thai politics.

Hmmm ... which raises an interesting question ..... who is Sondhi supporting these daze? Or is he against everyone this time ?

Those who find the Shawn Crispin article interesting, should also enjoy reading the Wikipedia entry on Sondhi, not to mention the article that Crispin co-wrote with Rodney Tasker that got them and the Far Eastern Economic Review in serious trouble (banned from Thailand?) with Thaksin when he was PM.

[isanbirder]

Most every political party in the world has a plan to win the silent majority. I expect what happens most of the time is the silent majority splits its volt among a bunch of parties. So much for the plan, but it sure sounds good during election season.

Nice to see a sensible reply!

[dru2]

I know Shawn and I have written for Asia Times - the editorial line is quite independent of Sondhi. Shawn Crispin is exceptionally well informed and certainly does not follow a Sondhi agenda.

The party will recruit MP candidates who are accepted and respected by the silent group.

High caliber individuals like Chalerm's son, Mr. Happy Toilet Wan, and Thaksin's cousin, General Chaiyasit, as well as a half-dozen Red Shirt Terrorist Suspects Out On Bail.

Indeed, quite an impressive set of new recruits the PTP is lining up.

.

For those weary of puerile insults and tired partisan gibes, I suggest an intelligent and perceptive analysis of election prospects may be found in Shawn Crispin's latest piece in Asia Times

http://www.atimes.co...a/MD13Ae01.html

Although I enjoy reading what Shawn Crispin writes as it is usually interesting reading, including this article (13 April) .... still one needs to keep in mind that Asia Times is one of Sondhi Limthongkul's babies.

Both Crispin and Sondhi seem to be able to find more method (or imagination) in the madness that comprises present day Thai politics.

Hmmm ... which raises an interesting question ..... who is Sondhi supporting these daze? Or is he against everyone this time ?

Those who find the Shawn Crispin article interesting, should also enjoy reading the Wikipedia entry on Sondhi, not to mention the article that Crispin co-wrote with Rodney Tasker that got them and the Far Eastern Economic Review in serious trouble (banned from Thailand?) with Thaksin when he was PM.

[jayboy]

I know Shawn and I have written for Asia Times - the editorial line is quite independent of Sondhi. Shawn Crispin is exceptionally well informed and certainly does not follow a Sondhi agenda.

That's certainly my impression as in fact is rather obvious from the content of Crispin's articles.As an insider is it true that the Manager Group still controls Asia Times?

I have a lot of faith in Crispin because he's excellently informed and has an intelligent analytical approach.Remember he has sometimes been criticised for taking too sympathatic a position on the elite agenda, and there';s no danger of him succumbing to, let us say, the usual New Mandala line.

Reading the latest article again, it does actually does contain some startling suggestions - notably that the Abhisit-Thaksin rapprochement has already begun.

[Crushdepth]

The opposition Pheu Thai Party has crafted a strategy to win over the "silent minority"

Did they mean another campaign of bomb-throwing, shootings, burning down prominent buildings and of course, lying?

[animatic]

This may crimp PTP's plans...

The Election Commission has approved the request of the European Union to observe the next general election, EC Chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said Monday....

-- The Nation April 18 2011

Edited April 18, 2011 by animatic

[animatic]

Many should cheer this development above long and loudly.

[Emptyset]

This may crimp PTP's plans...

The Election Commission has approved the request of the European Union to observe the next general election, EC Chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said Monday....

-- The Nation April 18 2011

Why would it? Did you read ANFREL's report on the last (2007) election? Most of the problems with the election cited by the report weren't PPP's fault and the ones that were (i.e. trying to intimidate the EC) occurred on Newin's turf. Do you think Banharn, Newin and even the Dems (least when they compete in the N/NE) fight fairly? Especially as they're likely to have ISOC support, as in the last election. Also, wasn't it the red shirts that asked for international observers? I suspect the idea is likely to be vetoed by the government/military still though, especially given Suthep's comments.

[lungmi]

Many should cheer this development above long and loudly.

Oh yeah! They did a good work in Ukraine. They cannot avoid the cheating but testify who is cheating.

[lungmi]

This may crimp PTP's plans...

EC approves EU's request to observe election

The Election Commission has approved the request of the European Union to observe the next general election, EC Chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said Monday....

-- The Nation April 18 2011

Why would it? Did you read ANFREL's report on the last (2007) election? Most of the problems with the election cited by the report weren't PPP's fault and the ones that were (i.e. trying to intimidate the EC) occurred on Newin's turf. Do you think Banharn, Newin and even the Dems (least when they compete in the N/NE) fight fairly? Especially as they're likely to have ISOC support, as in the last election. Also, wasn't it the red shirts that asked for international observers? I suspect the idea is likely to be vetoed by the government/military still though, especially given Suthep's comments.

and Jatuporn will confirm before they start to work the International surveyors are "fake" surveyors.

[SomTumTiger]

I wish the PTP were a "silent" minority.

[SomTumTiger]

I know Shawn and I have written for Asia Times - the editorial line is quite independent of Sondhi. Shawn Crispin is exceptionally well informed and certainly does not follow a Sondhi agenda.

That's certainly my impression as in fact is rather obvious from the content of Crispin's articles.As an insider is it true that the Manager Group still controls Asia Times?

I have a lot of faith in Crispin because he's excellently informed and has an intelligent analytical approach.Remember he has sometimes been criticised for taking too sympathatic a position on the elite agenda, and there';s no danger of him succumbing to, let us say, the usual New Mandala line.

Reading the latest article again, it does actually does contain some startling suggestions - notably that the Abhisit-Thaksin rapprochement has already begun.

Hope Thaksin doesn't stay in a certain hotel in Chiang Mai - as a "foreigner" me might eat some bad seaweed lol.