July 3 Thai Election Seems To Be Very Much A Family Affair

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July 3 election seems to be very much a family affair

By Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

Though a lot of new candidates in the July 3 election have familiar surnames, they still have to depend very much on themselves to win the hearts of voters.

"Obviously, a father must help his daughter, but voters won't accept her if she doesn't prove herself," said Boontida Somchai, who is running under the Democrat banner in Ubon Ratchathani's Constituency 8 in place of her father Issara, who is a party-list candidate.

In Ang Thong, Korrawee Prissananantakul, son of Chart Thai Pattana Party's adviser Somsak, is running for Constituency 2 in place of his younger brother Pakin, who quit politics to further his studies. His older brother Paradorn is running in the province's Constituency 1.

"An MP position cannot be inherited, and it depends very much on the voters as to who becomes an MP," he said, adding that he wanted to contest an election a long time ago, but was not the member of a political party as required by law.

Korrawee started visiting constituents after Somsak was disqualified due to the dissolution of Chart Thai Party in 2008.

In comparison though, Pheu Thai's Wan Yoobamrung - who is running for a seat in Bangkok's Constituency 28 against Democrat Samart Muangsiri - is confident his father's popularity will help him win votes. "The Election Commission has designated me a constituency in Bang Bon and Nong Khaem, where most of the voters are supporters of my father and the Yoobamrung family," he said.

Wan's assistant added yesterday that the politician was maintaining his main strategy of "meeting as many people as possible".

Meanwhile, Surachart Thienthong, son of veteran politician Snoh, is trying his best to win votes in Bangkok's Don Muang Constituency 11 under the Pheu Thai Party.

Nutt Bantadtan, son of Democrat adviser Banyat, is wooing voters in Bangkok's Constituency 15, while Akanat Promphan, stepson of the party's secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban, is running in the capital's Constituency 29.

Jirawat Siripanich, son of veteran politician Prayut, is contesting under the Pheu Thai banner in Maha Sarakham's Constituency 4. Democrat's Kriangkrai Tharapoom, son of the late Democrat MP Nipon, is running in Lop Buri, while Sucheen Engchuan is trying his luck at his father's stronghold of Krabi.

Peeradej Siriwansant, Chart Thai Pattana's MP candidate for Nakhon Sawan's Constituency 4, who was first elected as MP in 2007, does not believe that being the son of an established politician is that big a deal.

"My father had achieved a lot as an MP and minister. The older generation might remember his work, but now that I am an MP myself, people want me to prove myself," he said referring to his father Dhiravat, who won the MP seat four times.

Many children or relatives of politicians seem to be running as party-list candidates, especially in the case of the Pheu Thai Party, but none seem to be doing anything too outstanding. Instead, many are actually just trying to inherit their parents' MP status, counting on the fact their chance of winning votes depends very much on the party's popularity.

The July 3 election might be a good chance for newcomers, but if they are really serious about making a mark in politics, they have to work really hard to prove that they are not just representing veteran politicians or trying to cash in on their parents' popularity.

-- The Nation 2011-06-21

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