Thaksin Allies In Thai Election Landslide: Exit Polls

[vanheusden]

Shows how out of touch the Thai Visa news section regulars are with the opinions of the majority of Thai people IMO.

Great day for Thailand - putting the military and elite firmly in their places once and for all.

Spot on!!

Spot on? I'm sorry but that's just laughable. Do you know anything about Thailand or its history? Please tell me what basis you can support that?

Typical response of a Thai Visa bully. Yes I do. Do you????

[pattaya_girl]

Great day for Thailand!!! Great day for its people. Justice.

It sure is

[SteeleJoe]

Democracy was always dead in Thailand, as proven by the 2006 coup. It wasn't a democracy before, it wasn't then and it certainly hasn't magically become one today.

That much I agree with. But I personally think that the fact that this will be seen as a victory for democracy and that this is the choice that Thais made...it is sad. And significant.

[Samuian]

'TheWalkingMan' timestamp='1309682619' post='4530196']<br />

First step completed - winning the election.

Second step - Flowery speech.

Third step - Thaskin returns before Christmas.

Fourth step - Another flowery speech.

Fifth step - Thaskin becomes PM.

TheWalkingMan

Or, possibly:

Step 1- completed

Step 2 - huge celebrations in the northeast and north

Step 3 - courts investigate elections

Step 4 - both PT and Dems found guilty of vote-buying

Step 5 - elections invalidated and major parties disbanded

Step 6 - army steps in to take "temporary" control; martial law declared

Step 7 - G_d knows.

Alternative Step 6 - Sections of military attempt coup; opposed by other sections

Alternative Step 7 - Internecine war; volunteers flock to support "red" side

Step 8 - Red victory secured by military a la Portugal 1975

If those "polls" are true and PT really comes up, without re-elections already with an absolute majority... I am stunned how this could happen.. however this country will be suffering badly, very badly and be facing a bad division.

Wel hasn't yinluck promised to raise the paddhy price from 4xx to 6xx? One Kilo of A Quality costs the consumer today already 40 baht up in no time from 14-20!

Well we'll see...

[MrChangers]

It seems the people listened when the Army General said they should vote for good people.

[CosmicSurfer]

How many times do people have to be told that "A majority of Votes" is NOT the ONLY criteria for a democracy...

Been saying that for years. And just spent the morning trying to get it across to some people in my neighborhood.

Show them the definition in ANY dictionary or Encyclopedia...

Majority vote is only one of the Criteria.

MUCH more important is a FREE and UNCORRUPTED election of Responsible ACCOUNTABLE People.

and Respect for the MINORITY!!!

A True Democracy can Not exist without Freedom (Mostly including Free Speech and Press) and Human Rights.

Both sorely Lacking here in Thailand.

CS

[lovetotravel]

A very sad day. This is not a democracy, it is all about money.

Last night my g/f's mother confirmed that all 7 members of her family and virtually everyone in the village (Korat) received 300thb each.

It is a bloody disgrace.

Are you sure it was from P.T.? if so ,they are cheap skates. In Buriram Bhum. Jai Thai was apparently handing out B500.

well there is the answer.. The Democrats weren't paying enough !

a few from our village, Mrs G & other family members included, piled into a pick up a couple of weeks ago & headed off to a large Democrat rally in Saraphi.. They each surprisingly & unexpectedly received a crisp 100 baht note!

Relatives said they got 500B each to vote for either PT or BJT. The one who drove the truck up with everybody in it got 1000B or so extra. Most say it doesn't influence their decision....but to many, it does.

[austbuslis]

Well democracy has given a result and the people have spoken.

Of course lots of people will not like the results and so will want to undermine it all again and send Thailand through the wringer again.

Wouldn't it be great to accept it and move on to make Thailand a great place for business and living life to the fullest.

I guess we will have to wait and see if Thais can actually embrace democracy or if they have to many other agendas.

I do like the skytrain and new airport so hopefully we can look forward to same more great initiaves.

All I can say is let them rule and if they do not work out then vote them out.

[dmcguire70]

It appears that PTP have won.

Now, will they keep their promises?

The first one will be coalition partners.

Another one will be who will be the PM ...

It's a MAJORITY... No Coalition Needed!!

CS

Checkmate!!

[TomJoad]

I used to believe in democracy too.......until Bush got re-elected.

[whybother]

It appears that PTP have won.

Now, will they keep their promises?

The first one will be coalition partners.

Another one will be who will be the PM ...

It's a MAJORITY... No Coalition Needed!!

CS

But it's what they promised.

Thaksin: Pheu Thai to Form Govt with Small Parties

Ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has expressed confidence that the Pheu Thai Party will win the upcoming election and be able to form a coalition government with smaller parties.

[HowardH]

i don't know why so many whites on this site are complaining so much, with the outgoing government new laws were being made almost weekly to seemingly get rid of farang.

Certainly to make life harder for farang to stay and/or live in Thailand.

This never happened under Thaksin, so i can only imagine that life will be much better for farang if he is in power.

So whats with all the complaining?

[TomTom55]

sheep that are easily influenced. it is sad and the people at the top sure know how to pull the strings. thailand in it's history has had more coups than elections. I asked my girlfriend why she likes thaksin, she responded with the reply, 'I don't know exactly' lol. She didn't actually vote, which doesn't really matter now I guess.

[SkyHigh]

2538+ people reading this.

Hottest thread I have ever seen !

Edited July 3, 2011 by SkyHigh

[SteeleJoe]

Shows how out of touch the Thai Visa news section regulars are with the opinions of the majority of Thai people IMO.

Great day for Thailand - putting the military and elite firmly in their places once and for all.

Spot on!!

Spot on? I'm sorry but that's just laughable. Do you know anything about Thailand or its history? Please tell me what basis you can support that?

Typical response of a Thai Visa bully. Yes I do. Do you????

Oh, I'm a bully? OK. Sorry.

So how about some support based on your knowledge of the facts? Please tell me what evidence or even indications you have that this election will 'put the military and elite firmly in their places once and for all'.

Oh, and as to your question (love the multiple punctuation -- very effective): yes, I do. Possibly more than most, but not as much as many I'm sure.

[Awohalitsiktoli]

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

It is a sad day for Thailand.

Extremely sad day for Thailand. I was hoping thing would not get worse.

[Arkady]

As far as Yingluck, I give her at a maximum of 6 month and then she will disappear from the political arena...but PLEASE, let us all enjoy at least one interview of her on BBC Hard Talk or similar before she is gone, will you! ;-)

I wonder if she will accept the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand traditional invitation to the PM to speak at a dinner. I seem to remember her brother did a couple of times and then got fed up with the impudent questions from the foreign press and gave it up as a bad job. I'm not holding my breath but it would be interesting, if she were to accept, and it would definitely be a sell out.

Edited July 3, 2011 by Arkady

[Gonsalviz]

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

It is a sad day for Thailand.

If you don't like it then go home. It's called democracy. Deal with it.

Simplistic response, and no sense of Thai history at all.

My thoughts exactly. The sad part is, most of Asia thinks the same, until after 30+, they tire of the policies. ie, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria,Yemen,etc.

[Awohalitsiktoli]

i don't know why so many whites on this site are complaining so much, with the outgoing government new laws were being made almost weekly to seemingly get rid of farang.

Certainly to make life harder for farang to stay and/or live in Thailand.

This never happened under Thaksin, so i can only imagine that life will be much better for farang if he is in power.

So whats with all the complaining?

In fact, it was the person you mentioned that started all of the negative immigration laws against farangs.

[JemJem]

Disgustingly, I turned off the TV shortly after the first results came through. Just the thought of the highly likelihood that in the near future, Thaksin will get an amnesty and freely lead the country again is sickening.

Jem

[letitbe]

Maybe the courts can invalidate this if massive PT corruption is found. Yes that would be violent, but is that worse than allowing Thaksin to take total power. And you know their family will NEVER let it go again, once burned, you know.

This is the problem. The Shinawatra family will dominate Thailand for many years to come now. Prime Minister 1: Yingluck. Prime Minister 2: Thaaksin Prime Ministers 3 and 4: His other children. Then Repeat. Perhaps we should rename Thailand "Shinawatraland Corporation".

if only it was only that bad People lived under Saddam ok and other 1 party places but not ok under mugabwie and rest

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Champaign for Abhisit, he made it six losses in a row. A great achievement. And the win seems to be big enough for thr courts and army to think twice of messing again with the good people of Thailand.

They may be good, but SMART, they ain't.

Lets not go to fast with critisism of the Thai people. Just look at my country. We have an illegal in the White House. He was elected by about 25.2 % and McCain got about 24.8% and half did not vote at all. I think we have a bigger bunch of fools then any country in the "free world"

[DiamondKing]

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

It is a sad day for Thailand.

The People have Spoken NOW HOPEFULLY the BKK elite will listen but we all know the truth this is not over yet.

I do have to say I told you so to all the Red shirt bashers I TOLD YOU SO the people not only spoke up they did it in Massive numbers

NOTHING CAN BE CLEARER

Now let them get to work and if the yellows and the elite accept the choice of the people then just maybe we will have democracy in Thailand but I wont hold my breathe

DK

[SteeleJoe]

Majority vote is only one of the Criteria.

MUCH more important is a FREE and UNCORRUPTED election of Responsible ACCOUNTABLE People.

and Respect for the MINORITY!!!

A True Democracy can Not exist without Freedom (Mostly including Free Speech and Press) and Human Rights.

Both sorely Lacking here in Thailand.

CS

Don't forget Rule of Law (or some semblance thereof).

[yaangcome]

Very strange to see how Farangs, outside their home country are narrow-minded and against democracy.

The results are what they are. No need to cry, lament or cheer. Just accept.

The vote is all about the voice of the people & the people of Thailand have spoken. All Farangs should accept there decision or go back to where they came from.

[corkman]

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.

This is not a post aimed at you, Jingthing, just a question in general.

From my limited understanding, they're all a rotten bunch - corrupt to the core, self rigteous, sanitmoniuos tossers..... the lot of them (politicians that is). However, again from my limited understanding the current (seemingly outgoing) government was not elected..... following a military outing of Thaksin, and all the BS that followed, the powers that be simply refused to let the "red" gang stay in power, and so appointed the current government - without consultation or voting of the public / populous...... and they have clung to the office appointed to them (as distinct from being appointed to the office) for as long as possible......

So, whilst I do not believe there is anything superior about the reds - if democracy is to be the war cry, then how can the current crowd be considered "democratic"?

Re-reading that, it sounds like a rhetorical question..... its not meant to be.

Edited July 3, 2011 by corkman

[lounger]

We have had Thaksin before and it was not a bad thing by 3rd world standards.

He was strict on crime and drugs. progressive for business and in many ways a more western style leader. His methods , on the other hand, were over zealous but is that, dare I say it, the only way to genuinely shake up the embedded attitudes . The Chinese autocracy/democrats dont want progress they want the ants to stay ants and the foreigners kept out of any situation that allows them to compete. Are those days over will they move over and let some new faces be given opportunities, will the radical wing become left centre as in developed countries?

If I went against Thaksin I would be afraid. Amnesty may need redefinition just as Clinton and Bush redefined certain words.

All in all a new power with a new broom but I cant really see any difference filtering down to the masses apart from a police force with a clearer mandate. The masses have been here before and strangely thought Thaksin the first time round made a difference to their lives. He didnt. Global growth did the work for him. This time its a far more difficult climate and it is going to be hard work achieving anything for them unless borrowings are increased on a massive scale. Of course large amounts of money mean corruption..........

for the expat I think things can only get better

[Oberkommando]

I wonder if Taksin will let Abbisit have his digs in Dubai, got a feeling he might need it. "Night of the long knives" and all that

Back 'oop North' to tend his ferrets and whippets.

[sangfroid]

Disgustingly, I turned off the TV shortly after the first results came through. Just the thought of the highly likelihood that in the near future, Thaksin will get an amnesty and freely lead the country again is sickening.

Jem

Accidents happen!!

[ukrules]

I can't say I'm surprised by this result, I wasn't expecting an outright majority though. From what people have been saying a coalition was pretty much expected.

If it turns out that there's a full majority I'd expect Thaksin to return sooner rather than later.