Thai Students Believe July 3 Election Won't End Political Conflict

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Students believe July 3 election won't end political conflict

By Sirared Cherdchusilp,

Budsarakham Sinlapalava

The Nation

Students who will have the right to vote for the first time in the coming July 3 election said yesterday the poll would not end political conflict in the country, so many would vote for former massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit, just for their amusement.

The country is still deeply divided, they said.

"Thailand's colour-coded politics is far from over and will remain so even after the election," said Wiripone Artitraungroj, 19, from the Faculty of Science at Kasetsart University.

The only one good point for this election, said Watthanavut Phathidee, 20 - also from Kasetsart - is that Thailand would become more democratised.

The caretaker government under Abhisit Vejjajiva did not win a previous election but used parliamentary tactics to come to power, he said. "In the view of foreigners, Thailand was not truly democratic. This coming election will give the country a better image," he said.

Kasetsart University's Na-Bhattara Ongwaranon and Montree Somjai said they often discussed politics and the election among close friends, but steered away from talking with others whose political views they did not know.

"Politics is really a boring topic for youth," said Noppadon Sroything of Dhurakij Pundit University's Political Science Faculty. "But [taking part in] the election, I think, is better than street protests."

But Boonporn Ungsomboon, 19, from the same university, disagreed. The situation during campaigning is tending to become even more violent, she said.

The only way to improve the situation after the poll would be for all factions to accept the result whether they win or lose, he said. "We should be neutral as much as possible to solve the conflict and not take any sides."

Wattanapol Charoenpongteera, 21, from Srinakarinwirot University said people of his generation should pay more attention to politics and, if possible, have a role in it. "I think many of us are interested in political parties and their policies. We are now thinking about them seriously, not just simply ignoring them as we did previously," he said.

Many students said they liked Chuwit because of his extreme, colourful, straight and funny campaign.

"Personally, I think Chuwit campaigns colourfully while other parties are simply boring," said Wiripone.

Other political parties have simple campaigns of visiting and greeting people, but Chuwit's is interesting, said Watthanavut. "It is easy to recognise and remember Chuwit's posters while others are all the same," he said.

"Chuwit is interesting as he has a clear stance and looks sincere, not pretentious," said Boonporn.

Wattanpol felt "Chuwit emerges to make the election more colourful but I don't think he is the person who would run the country".

"Chuwit is sincere as he is a single campaigner who stands to be in the opposition," said Thammasat University's Thannutkorn Kaidmanee.

Voters should consider small parties since the two major rivals, Democrat and Pheu Thai, would bring the same ideas back into politics, she said.

"If the small parties become the government, they might be able break out of the circle of red and yellow," she said.

"Unfortunately, people keep talking about the Democrat Party and Pheu Thai Party because the mass media gives them too much publicity. We want to know about small politics and other parties too," she said.

Purita Suwannatat, 21, from Srinakarinwirot University's Faculty of Humanities said none of the political parties in the race really had concrete policies. "They just do something to call attention to themselves and ask us to vote for them," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-06-06

[sirchai]

Purita Suwannatat, 21, from Srinakarinwirot University's Faculty of Humanities said none of the political parties in the race really had concrete policies. "They just do something to call attention to themselves and ask us to vote for them," she said.

Seems that she's got a brain............:jap:

"Politics is really a boring topic for youth,"

Edited June 6, 2011 by sirchai

[chmiroau]

Sadly I believe that this is not the end of the political trouble here in Thailand. There are much more troublesome times on the cards. There is a situation that will happen soon, and should it happen at a time when there is the inevitable protests following the election then there will most likely be trouble.

[anterian]

Sadly I believe that this is not the end of the political trouble here in Thailand. There are much more troublesome times on the cards. There is a situation that will happen soon, and should it happen at a time when there is the inevitable protests following the election then there will most likely be trouble.

unfortunately it is a future situation that no one can discuss, most particularly Thais. Thais seem to have a head in the sands attitude towards the future in certain situations.