Thaksin Allies In Thai Election Landslide: Exit Polls

[LevelHead]

Its also funny how the losers on the internet always point to percentage of the vote and how the winner was vote buying.

Lets remember.

The lowest voter turn out was in Isaan. So all those people were paid not to vote ? Thats not vote buying......... Vote buying is where you pay for a majority to vote, eg not Isaan.

Isaan has the lowest voter turnout as vote buying is not needed and people will vote with PTP, so the opposition do not vote buy and nor do the winners, as the people (the majority of Thai's) will vote PTP therefore meaning most people do not even bother voting, let alone have their vote bought.

But of course this low voter turnout of the PTP voters is then twisted to be that their support is not as wide as the statistics (which ignore the non-voters) can then be manipulated to say.

Imagine the figures if the perhaps 65% of Isaan who did not bother to vote actually did vote PTP - what would the statistics say then.

[whybother]

Irrespective of what we think, the Thai people have given a 'land-slide' decision that wholly supports Thaksin. S - the campaign was fought on the basis of a potential return for khun T and that is what the overwhelming majority of Thais wanted.

It was not the outcome I would have wanted but I believe PTP must now be allowed the opportunity to govern.

Well, not really "the overwhelming majority of Thais". Only about 45% of them (the voters).

But they are still the majority and thats democracy, whybother, you need to get over it .

You need to learn the definition of "majority". 45% isn't it.

The PTP got a majority of the seats (ie MORE THAN 50%).

[LevelHead]

Why are sooooo many Thai Visa forum members sooooo Anti-Phua Thai? The Thai people have made their choice! Many TV forum members say they want democracy to flourish in Thailand. But the very same people do not walk the talk. I find this hilarious but at the same time - somewhat sad.

I'd be interested to hear from others but for me it is solely about Thaksin. In my heart of hearts I know that Thailand cannot truly move forward as long as he is pulling the strings or even appearing to pull the stings. Forget about his past and everything about his current situation .. there is simply no other Thai who represents division like Thaksin. I personally would have liked to see Abhisit win but would rather have seen him agree to bow out as long as Thaksin did to truly pave the way for reconciliation.

I truly believe Yellows or all the other anti-Reds would have accepted any election results with one exception and that is a results that gives Thaksin back power be it directly or having a puppet in place. I hope I am wrong but somehow I know I am not and am confident within the year we will see more turmoil in Thailand unless the party turns on Thaksin. And to be clear, it is not even his policies (which I disagree with) but simply him and what he represents. He represents division and now 5-years later he refuses to go away and the division and hatred between Thais has not either.

I think that most members here who take an anti-PTP stance would go along with that, it isn't about the party, but most of the pro-PTP in here fail to understand that.

Thaksin does not represent division. The Thai people keep voting for him and his party. They are not divided.

It is the minority who abuse their guns and tanks and influence who see Thaksin as a severe threat to their continued existence as "privileged".

Thailand was not divided by Thaksin, it is the freedom and liberty that was in the process of giving to Thai's that represented a threat the minority could not take anymore.

The minority have tried to divide the country since 2006 - but the single biggest thing that unites the normal Thai people is Thaksin - which is why they keep winning elections.

Can you not grasp that principle of election and democracy ????

[toybits]

I've got news for you dude... THIS is how DEMOCRACY Works. Happy Independence Day to you.

Why are sooooo many Thai Visa forum members sooooo Anti-Phua Thai? The Thai people have made their choice! Many TV forum members say they want democracy to flourish in Thailand. But the very same people do not walk the talk. I find this hilarious but at the same time - somewhat sad.

I'd be interested to hear from others but for me it is solely about Thaksin. In my heart of hearts I know that Thailand cannot truly move forward as long as he is pulling the strings or even appearing to pull the stings. Forget about his past and everything about his current situation .. there is simply no other Thai who represents division like Thaksin. I personally would have liked to see Abhisit win but would rather have seen him agree to bow out as long as Thaksin did to truly pave the way for reconciliation.

I truly believe Yellows or all the other anti-Reds would have accepted any election results with one exception and that is a results that gives Thaksin back power be it directly or having a puppet in place. I hope I am wrong but somehow I know I am not and am confident within the year we will see more turmoil in Thailand unless the party turns on Thaksin. And to be clear, it is not even his policies (which I disagree with) but simply him and what he represents. He represents division and now 5-years later he refuses to go away and the division and hatred between Thais has not either.

[OZEMADE]

The new figure is 299 with her partners. definitely a landslide.

PM candidate Yingluck Shinawatra Monday announced afive-party coalition with 299 MPs.

The five Yingluck coalition parties are Pheu Thai, Chat ThaiPattana, Chat Pattana Phua Pandin, Palang Chon and Mahachon.

"299 is a beautiful number", Yingluck said of hergovernment's strength

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/07/04/national/Yingluck-announces-five-party-coalition-30159412.html

[Babcock]

The reds are coming. Too bad they never found any of those men in black. The army anklets fired

2500 bullets but DP Suthep said folks just ran into the bullets. The spin from the dems and army was believed by

Many posters on here but not by ordinary Thais

Imagine if pheu thai had control of gov media what the vote could have been. I hope we have a full investigation of shootings

And who was responsible for central world.

[OZEMADE]

The reds are coming. Too bad they never found any of those men in black. The army anklets fired

2500 bullets but DP Suthep said folks just ran into the bullets. The spin from the dems and army was believed by

Many posters on here but not by ordinary Thais

Imagine if pheu thai had control of gov media what the vote could have been. I hope we have a full investigation of shootings

And who was responsible for central world.

They could blame that Aussie bloke again.

[hammered]

The reds are coming. Too bad they never found any of those men in black. The army anklets fired

2500 bullets but DP Suthep said folks just ran into the bullets. The spin from the dems and army was believed by

Many posters on here but not by ordinary Thais

Imagine if pheu thai had control of gov media what the vote could have been. I hope we have a full investigation of shootings

And who was responsible for central world.

If PTP have sense they will leave any investigations to very independent bodies, so they dont just get accused of exactly what they accused others of. It is all likely heading to a deal and a group amnesty after maybe some initial manouvers and charges to make sure enough from a variety of sides are enmeshed in it all, so the whole thing appears even handed enough and about cross party/society reconcilliation

[whybother]

The new figure is 299 with her partners. definitely a landslide.

PM candidate Yingluck Shinawatra Monday announced afive-party coalition with 299 MPs.

The five Yingluck coalition parties are Pheu Thai, Chat ThaiPattana, Chat Pattana Phua Pandin, Palang Chon and Mahachon.

"299 is a beautiful number", Yingluck said of hergovernment's strength

http://www.nationmul...n-30159412.html

All they would need to do is add the Democrats and that would give them an huge landslide.

But it doesn't work like that. Adding coalition partners doesn't make it any more of a victory for PTP as far as the election is concerned.

All it has done is stopped the new coalition partners from ratting on the PTP when the corruption starts.

[hammered]

The polite addresses last night, the quick formation of coalition that usually takes ages and the standing down of the Dem top two. Everything seems so smooth almost choreographed about this handover. Long may it remain this way

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Congratulations Pheu Thai. Now, please prove to me that I was wrong; I would like nothing more than to be proven wrong and to find that Pheu Thai does indeed intend to work for the total good of Thai society. As for myself, even though I voted Democrats, I will wholeheartedly support the new government, while continueing to criticise it should it abuse its power...which hopefully it won't do! As to the guy above who said that Thaksin didn't divide Thailand. Of course he did. Not everyone voted for Pheu Thai, not much over half of the population did...the rest went to other parties. And the hatred for each side here is deep and strong. Pheu Thai won fair and square, but that doesn't negate the vast numbers of votes which were not cast for them. Thaksin is divisive, but I am, tentatively, hopeful that he will stay in the background and allow Yingluck to fulfil her promises.

[koosdeboer]

The polite addresses last night, the quick formation of coalition that usually takes ages and the standing down of the Dem top two. Everything seems so smooth almost choreographed about this handover. Long may it remain this way

Everything was planned in advance by the invisible hand. Sondhi had to take away votes from the democrats. Phua Thai had to win, the only way to keep the red shirts from the streets. Now comes the tricky part for the Phua Thai. They have promised so much they can't deliver so within a year the people will be disappointed. There will be many problems for Phua Thai because of the red shirt leaders. If they want to find the truth there can be no double standards and the red shirt leaders don't want to see the whole truth.

[Jingthing]

Thaksin does not represent division. The Thai people keep voting for him and his party. They are not divided.

It is the minority who abuse their guns and tanks and influence who see Thaksin as a severe threat to their continued existence as "privileged".

Thailand was not divided by Thaksin, it is the freedom and liberty that was in the process of giving to Thai's that represented a threat the minority could not take anymore.

The minority have tried to divide the country since 2006 - but the single biggest thing that unites the normal Thai people is Thaksin - which is why they keep winning elections.

Can you not grasp that principle of election and democracy ????

Not divided you say? 38 percent of votes voted PTP. Not divided you say?

Another factor completely ignored by the media is the actual mandate Thaksin's party, who claims the majority of Thais stand behind, has to run the country. Out of Thailand's eligible voters, only 74% actually came out to vote. Of that 74%, Thaksin's party secured only 263 of 500 seats in the parliament, a mere 52% of the parliament with many of these seats won by very slim margins. 52% of the 74% that bothered to even vote gives Thaksin's Peua Thai Party (PTP) a mere 38% mandate, a far flung, embarrassingly low number for a party that claims support from the majority of the nation.

http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/

[Nisa]

Why are sooooo many Thai Visa forum members sooooo Anti-Phua Thai? The Thai people have made their choice! Many TV forum members say they want democracy to flourish in Thailand. But the very same people do not walk the talk. I find this hilarious but at the same time - somewhat sad.

I'd be interested to hear from others but for me it is solely about Thaksin. In my heart of hearts I know that Thailand cannot truly move forward as long as he is pulling the strings or even appearing to pull the stings. Forget about his past and everything about his current situation .. there is simply no other Thai who represents division like Thaksin. I personally would have liked to see Abhisit win but would rather have seen him agree to bow out as long as Thaksin did to truly pave the way for reconciliation.

I truly believe Yellows or all the other anti-Reds would have accepted any election results with one exception and that is a results that gives Thaksin back power be it directly or having a puppet in place. I hope I am wrong but somehow I know I am not and am confident within the year we will see more turmoil in Thailand unless the party turns on Thaksin. And to be clear, it is not even his policies (which I disagree with) but simply him and what he represents. He represents division and now 5-years later he refuses to go away and the division and hatred between Thais has not either.

I think that most members here who take an anti-PTP stance would go along with that, it isn't about the party, but most of the pro-PTP in here fail to understand that.

Irrespective of what we think, the Thai people have given a 'land-slide' decision that wholly supports Thaksin. S - the campaign was fought on the basis of a potential return for khun T and that is what the overwhelming majority of Thais wanted.

It was not the outcome I would have wanted but I believe PTP must now be allowed the opportunity to govern.

I have to wonder if it would be better to just get the coup over with now as opposed to dragging it out. But you are right, people need to give them a chance to see if they will break from Thaksin's control over the party now that the party has gained control and don't need him as much. If they don't do this and Thaksin remains the next defacto PM then there will certainly be an uprising.

The fact Thaksin clearly runs the party, let alone is invited to influence it, while he is banned from politics, a fugitive from justice, accused of terrorism against his own people, took a job in Cambodian government and may have given up his Thai citizenship "would seem" to likely allow for the disbanding of this party legally. Not to mention I would think a number of the party officials, who have gone to meet him and/or not reported his whereabouts could actually be charged with aiding a fugitive as well as a wanted terrorist.

Bottom line is that because the EC allowed Thaksin to be so influential with the P-T party, it has caused this election to be far from paving the road for democracy to flourish or any kind of road to reconciliation. In fact, it has simply put Thailand back to where it was during Thaksin's last puppet PM.

It is what it is and we have to watch it play out but just very sad. If PT or ANY other party won without Thaksin involved, I truly believe Thais would accept the vote regardless if during the next 4-years that party ran the country into the ground. It would simply be a lesson in how to vote. However, Thaksin's involvement only ensures that this will be another unfinished term of leadership because he should never have been allowed to be part of this .... unless PT turns their back on him.

[toybits]

The simple fact is Apisit and the Democrat Party lost.

The Army representative has said that the Thai Armed Forces accepts the results (which to me was a rather curious statement because the Army does not elect the government). It seems to be a tacit reference to the power that they carry - in that they could topple a government if they wished to. Ha ha.. so much democracy here huh...

Apisit conceded defeat. So did the Bhum Jai Thai party.

The result of the election speaks for itself. Only thing is that you're still living in a nightmare from which you cannot wake up.

So you can moan and groan all you like but that won't change the results of the election.

Do you really want to have another coup to wrest power from PT?

I have to wonder if it would be better to just get the coup over with now as opposed to dragging it out. But you are right, people need to give them a chance to see if they will break from Thaksin's control over the party now that the party has gained control and don't need him as much. If they don't do this and Thaksin remains the next defacto PM then there will certainly be an uprising.

The fact Thaksin clearly runs the party, let alone is invited to influence it, while he is banned from politics, a fugitive from justice, accused of terrorism against his own people, took a job in Cambodian government and may have given up his Thai citizenship "would seem" to likely allow for the disbanding of this party legally. Not to mention I would think a number of the party officials, who have gone to meet him and/or not reported his whereabouts could actually be charged with aiding a fugitive as well as a wanted terrorist.

Bottom line is that because the EC allowed Thaksin to be so influential with the P-T party, it has caused this election to be far from paving the road for democracy to flourish or any kind of road to reconciliation. In fact, it has simply put Thailand back to where it was during Thaksin's last puppet PM.

It is what it is and we have to watch it play out but just very sad. If PT or ANY other party won without Thaksin involved, I truly believe Thais would accept the vote regardless if during the next 4-years that party ran the country into the ground. It would simply be a lesson in how to vote. However, Thaksin's involvement only ensures that this will be another unfinished term of leadership because he should never have been allowed to be part of this .... unless PT turns their back on him.

[scorecard]

Having read through the threads awhile back it is amusing to see how out of touch the 'bigger' posters on here were with the actual electorate

What do you mean by 'bigger posters'? Please share.

[thaibeachlovers]

They may not realize it now, but they will eventually.

It is a sad day for Thailand.

No surprise to see all the old cynics here complaining.

Who's Thailand is this a sad day for - Thai people's or sexpats?

I think you are doing a disservice to most of the people here (in this thread) - I would suggest that most that said or believed that it is sad day for Thailand, believe it so when considering their home, families, businesses, friends etc . We all know that whoever wins will do nothing helpful for us expats diectly, but we who live here have more to consider than you seem to beleive we do - this suggests to me that you either do not live here, are not an exat (and thus have no idea what one would be thinking!) or are one of the sexpats (with no committment to the country) you refer to.

The inferences you've taken from my post are embarrassingly off-base.

Neither of the main 2 parties will do much for expats but it's no secret which party has a history of unfavorable decisions in regards to expats. Most people here speak selfishly and do little to consider the actual citizens of this country. objectively read most of the posts here and that will be quite clear.

What a strange post! Are you of the opinion that expats should support the party that is WORSE for them if it helps some peasant in Issan? Perhaps you are of the opinion that expats should just donate all their money to Thais and go home to live an inferior life.

Dunno about you, but I'm no saint, and I support the party that is best for ME ( not that I get a vote ), just like all the Thais that voted for PT did so because they thought they'd get a better deal from them. If you think that's selfish, then I'm selfish- SO WHAT!

Anyway, who, other than some misguided or brainwashed individuals, believes that the PT will be better for Thailand than the other party? They're all the same, rich and influential people out for themselves, just like in every so called democratic country.

[LevelHead]

Thaksin does not represent division. The Thai people keep voting for him and his party. They are not divided.

It is the minority who abuse their guns and tanks and influence who see Thaksin as a severe threat to their continued existence as "privileged".

Thailand was not divided by Thaksin, it is the freedom and liberty that was in the process of giving to Thai's that represented a threat the minority could not take anymore.

The minority have tried to divide the country since 2006 - but the single biggest thing that unites the normal Thai people is Thaksin - which is why they keep winning elections.

Can you not grasp that principle of election and democracy ????

Not divided you say? 38 percent of votes voted PTP. Not divided you say?

Another factor completely ignored by the media is the actual mandate Thaksin's party, who claims the majority of Thais stand behind, has to run the country. Out of Thailand's eligible voters, only 74% actually came out to vote. Of that 74%, Thaksin's party secured only 263 of 500 seats in the parliament, a mere 52% of the parliament with many of these seats won by very slim margins. 52% of the 74% that bothered to even vote gives Thaksin's Peua Thai Party (PTP) a mere 38% mandate, a far flung, embarrassingly low number for a party that claims support from the majority of the nation.

http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/

Yes not divided.

Because look at the voter turnout in Isaan and PTP strong holds.

Very very low voter turnout because they do not need to vote as PTP will win and they are not getting paid to vote.

If the perhaps 65% of Isaan that did not vote were to vote then the amount of voting percentage to PTP would have been far far greater.

Look at where voter turnout is most high, this is where vote buying is rife, and its not Isaan..... !

[JemJem]

I am curious and this question is especially for the PTP supporters here :

Do you want to see Thaksin to get an amnesty from his crimes and also be able to get into politics again ?

Or...do you prefer him to do his time in jail for his crimes and THEN be able to get into politics again ?

Jem

[Aromaz]

If you believe so much in the goodness and clever governing of the Shinawatra clan then maybe you could take a look at the inserted link below,and wake up.

http://www.jubileeso..._3/thailand.htm

Maybe it is you that should wake up? Your own reference is dated 2001 - that is one full year BEFORE Thaksin came into power.

Two years later the debt was reduced by about 30 % and four years later it was PAID OFF - while Thaksin was in power.

[Jingthing]

Thaksin does not represent division. The Thai people keep voting for him and his party. They are not divided.

It is the minority who abuse their guns and tanks and influence who see Thaksin as a severe threat to their continued existence as "privileged".

Thailand was not divided by Thaksin, it is the freedom and liberty that was in the process of giving to Thai's that represented a threat the minority could not take anymore.

The minority have tried to divide the country since 2006 - but the single biggest thing that unites the normal Thai people is Thaksin - which is why they keep winning elections.

Can you not grasp that principle of election and democracy ????

Not divided you say? 38 percent of votes voted PTP. Not divided you say?

Another factor completely ignored by the media is the actual mandate Thaksin's party, who claims the majority of Thais stand behind, has to run the country. Out of Thailand's eligible voters, only 74% actually came out to vote. Of that 74%, Thaksin's party secured only 263 of 500 seats in the parliament, a mere 52% of the parliament with many of these seats won by very slim margins. 52% of the 74% that bothered to even vote gives Thaksin's Peua Thai Party (PTP) a mere 38% mandate, a far flung, embarrassingly low number for a party that claims support from the majority of the nation.

http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/

Yes not divided.

Because look at the voter turnout in Isaan and PTP strong holds.

Very very low voter turnout because they do not need to vote as PTP will win and they are not getting paid to vote.

If the perhaps 65% of Isaan that did not vote were to vote then the amount of voting percentage to PTP would have been far far greater.

Look at where voter turnout is most high, this is where vote buying is rife, and its not Isaan..... !

Counting non-voters, are we? MEANINGLESS.

[thaibeachlovers]

VIVA Yingluck Shinawatra ! ! !

I think many people here make the same mistake the EX-prime minister made. Folks, believe me Yingluck Shinawatra is a very strong minded business woman (as are most Thai women). do not underestimate this Tungsten Lady; and for campaign promises - she is going to do exactly as her older brother did - she is going to make it happen!

I came to Thailand soon after the economic collapse of 1997/1998. My first impression driving along the highways of Bangkok was that of countless buildings incomplete, somewhat looking like a war zone. The baht was trading at 47.00 to the US$, unemployment was massive since huge factories that employed thousands of workers closed down. Thailand, as with all ASEAN countries were in deep financial sh....

Thaksin came to power in 2001, I have lived here through the periods when Thaksin pulled Thailand out of that IMF debts. I remember the Amazing Thailand campaign; but for me it was amazing that Thailand paid its debts to the IMF off in 2006 - long before any of the others were even able to start paying back; and two years ahead of schedule. To this date Thailand and Singapore are the only two countries that paid their debts off. Since 2004 Thaksin embarked on a campaign to eradicate poverty; what he did for the man-on-the-street was amazing.

Unfortunately that was not loved by the Elite; lifting poverty will also result in educated general population and that will be threat to their comfortable lives. Thus they had to get him out, by whatever means, even if it means they have to replace high court judges.

Thus I do not care if Yingluck Shinawatra is a proxy or only being guided by her older brother. I can only see one good thing coming to Thailand.

It is remarkable when I look back on this past 12 years in Thailand to notice, during this past FIVE years of wrong government, how little was achieved when comparing it to the fast paced six years of S. Thaksin!

As for the political 'inexperienced sister'. This whole strategy of her party, brother's advice and time frame was a magnificent political move. Their opponents were completely caught off-guard, pants down. More than anything else I love her campaign; NEVER did she attack Abhist! It was a clear, clean, no-mud-or-pie-in-the-face-insults from her.

I cannot believe that you actually think Taksin was a good man with the intent to help the people. Did you not see what he did ( not what he said )?

His crimes are too many to write now, but well known.

His down fall was being too corrupt for even the Thais to tolerate with the Shin Corp scandal. If he was such a good man, why did he have over 63 billion baht? Why did he not use it to help poor Thais ( answer's obvious ).

Even now, his base is only really Issan and the North. Not a single seat in the South. Are you saying no poor people in the South? Perhaps it's because he only helped his base and left the rest to rot.

And, I was in Bangkok back then, and there were not "countless incomplete buildings" nor did they get completed in his time. The last? of them have only just gone.

While he may have said he wanted to eradicate poverty, he didn't. He actually did little for the man on the street. During his time, his policies increased unemployment in Pattaya with a huge increase in crime.

As for more being done during Taksin's time compared to the past 5 years, you must have stayed in for the past 5 years and not watched the news. Huge amount of infrastructure been built and completed since Taksin was kicked out. Most of what was built during his time would have been planned long before he came to power. The airport was severely compromised because of his corruption. He was responsible for delaying the Thonburi extension of the Skytrain. he was responsible for the extrajudicial killings of the War on Drugs.

How could the "elite" change the judiciary when he was in power? Doesn't make sense.

Anyway, you are saying that you want Thailand to be ruled by a convicted criminal? Really?

[whybother]

Vote-rigging allegations rock Thai PM-elect

Allegations of vote rigging have emerged as businesswoman Yingluck Shinawatra prepares to become Thailand's first woman prime minister after her Puea Thai party's landslide victory at Sunday's election.

Read more: http://www.theage.co...l#ixzz1R8BCDh1z

Edited July 4, 2011 by whybother

[janverbeem]

If you believe so much in the goodness and clever governing of the Shinawatra clan then maybe you could take a look at the inserted link below,and wake up.

http://www.jubileeso..._3/thailand.htm

Maybe it is you that should wake up? Your own reference is dated 2001 - that is one full year BEFORE Thaksin came into power.

Two years later the debt was reduced by about 30 % and four years later it was PAID OFF - while Thaksin was in power.

From the article.

Also in September 2001, the Thai government under the leadership of Thaksin Shinawatra announced that it would keep debt service costs, as a percentage of the annual budget, below 16% and the total public debt below 60% of GDP. It was then pointed out by a prominent economist, Ammar Siamwalla, of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), that if total losses incurred by the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) were included, public debt would already rise to 75% of the GDP.⁵

Clear enough for you?

Edit to add:Forgot to ask you,do you remember how Thaksin managed to pay off the debt?I tell you,by borrowing the money somewhere else,but it's all in the article and available through several other sources.Google is your friend.

Edited July 4, 2011 by janverbeem

[thaibeachlovers]

It's still the majority of the votes that win irrelevant of the percentage,

Each country has it's own rules on how the votes are measured for a government to be formed thats why

in the last UK election the only way the tories could win was to form a coalition with the liberals who came in third place

who ousted labour that came in 2nd place, only because the 1st and 2nd place were too close and didn't reach the required amount of votes.

It may be a majority of the votes that were cast, but it's rarely a majority of eligible voters, so it's usually a minority that elect the government.

And, let's not forget that Al Gore won most popular votes, but bush still became president.

The only really representative system is one like the Ozzies have where voting is compulsory, though even there they ended up with that awful woman in control. I really feel sorry for the Ozzies.

[cup-O-coffee]

Only good thing coming out of all this is going to be that their dreams will soon turn in nightmares for a lot of people and that is when hopefully they will realized what kind of mistake they made voting for them....

It will be too late. Total power will be solidified. Democracy is DEAD in Thailand, starting today.

What democracy? Don't you remember that they had a crackdown on that in 2009?

Anyways, I always wonder why so many foreigners take it so personally that one government or the other is going to literally reach into their pocket books and take all their money. Thaksin did what everyone else is now doing, only he did it better. The "elite" didn't like that. The "elite" ousted him. And what have the "elite" done for Thailand since? Nothing! And so the people have spoken. They have spoken to such a degree that even the "elite" and the military have taken notice, and stepped out of the limelight for the time being. Let the cow-towing begin, Thai-style.

Most of these posts remind me of the reactions I read of the defeated Japanese people, when the American GI's landed. The Japanese people were convinced that the American GI's ate babies and were going to slaughter the remainder mercilessly. Well; look at Japan now, compared to then. Maybe for the atrocities of their actions, they had reason to believe, but in the end, things turned out pretty good for them.

Maybe the Thai "elite" fear what is inevitable, and their chickens are coming home to roost. They had their chance and they botched it. If what all these anti-Thaksin farangs are harping on about is true, then one has to wonder why millions of Thai voters are so wrong, and the offended farangs are so right.

As I said in another post, I believe it's possible that Saul could indeed become Paul, and that the Pharisees ("elite") are afraid of that, because a converted soul. who really does love the little guy, and who knows the deep secrets of his former enemies, is a dangerous thing indeed; for the "elite" that is.Now just watch how fast people tuck their tails and make nice. That in itself will tell you things that the news or the events could never show; the truth behind how fair things were dealt out over the last few years.

Innocent people don't get maudlin in the face of defeat; people with a guilty conscience do!

[SkyHigh]

I am curious and this question is especially for the PTP supporters here :

Do you want to see Thaksin to get an amnesty from his crimes and also be able to get into politics again ?

Or...do you prefer him to do his time in jail for his crimes and THEN be able to get into politics again ?

Jem

I refuse to accept that Thaksin was criminal. He didn't get the fair trial since the beginning.

By asking for amnesty, it means I accept coup 2006 and the rest of corrupted process leaded by BKK elites.

I'm sure as hell millions think the same. And if the dems, Thaksin hater and alike still insist he must be jailed to respect the rule of law

Then, so be it. I'll keep voting for whoever Thaksin choose.

As long as double standards go, mark my words this will not change - same as election results.

Edited July 4, 2011 by SkyHigh

[thaibeachlovers]

Oh, I remember the celebrations when Obama won. Look at the good ol' USA now - a spiraling out of control country with massive debt, loser wars, abhorrent laws turning into a police state, falling home prices and deep unemployment. Hope became hopeless. Change was a make over. Jeez... and I'm an American that voted for that clown. Let's hope that LOS doesn't descend any further down the trail to oblivion.

I would say that it was Bush that caused all that but don't let the facts get in the way of a bias rant. I would say that Obama should not be President because he has commited war crimes & ordered the murder of Bin Ladin & others

Even bush didn't increase the debt to 14 trillion $ by wasting it bailing out rich bankers and industrial tycoons. Nor did he stop oil production in the US and rely on the Mexicans. Nor did he say that electricity prices would "necessarily skyrocket" because of the policies he was bringing in.

Shovel ready!!!! what an idiot.

He's also a liar- remember "Guantanamo Bay WILL be closed in a year".

Obama has had over 2 years. Time to man up and stop blaming bush for everything that has gone wrong.

Of course Bin Ladin is just a misunderstood patriot and all those people deserved to die- Jeez.

[Moonrakers]

I refuse to accept that Thaksin was criminal. He didn't get the fair trial since the beginning.

All the times he's spent in Dubai, he has spent money and time on attacking his opponents and doing all he can to discredit them.

Not once (to my knowledge) has he made a concerted effort to prove his innocence and clear his name. Of all the media outlets that would love to see evidence of his innocence and an unfair trial, we have seen nothing. Surely, proving his innocence would be the most important thing to clear up but he hasn't.

Why do you think that is?

[thaibeachlovers]

Happy to see the Thai people elect who *they* want & not some installed by military action type puppet.

That aside....I also think many voters all over the world these days will vote based on memories of better times...or in search of better times as the world is slipping into an economic abyss.

Yet sadly for most it is akin to a bus that has driven off a cliff & it does not much matter if you switch drivers. ( tough economic times ahead for all )

Albeit Asian countries do seem much better positioned than others to possibly have a safer landing.

Lastly the driver who is fortunate enough to have been in the seat during said safe landing will become immortalized.

Sadly, they seem to be voting for the party with the biggest "bribes", which is precisely why the west is in the poo now. For too many years voters have gone for whichever party offers the most goodies, not the one that offers good governance and a balanced budget. Look at Greece and Ireland for the end result of out of control government incompetence and voter greed. Completely self inflicted and totally deserved.

If the PT attempts to fulfill their election bribes they can only do it by going into debt, and they will end up in the same poo as the west.