Letter From A Thai Voter

[webfact]

Letter from a voter

By Achara Deboonme

The Nation

I cast my ballot yesterday with a feeling of relief and hope all voters turning out at the polling booths shared the same feeling.

Eventually, Thais expressed what they thought about the past five turbulent years that sent the nation into its deepest abyss. What's left to be seen now is what course the winner chooses - the cause of some politicians or that of the entire country.

Television footage from many parts of the country showed long queues at polling booths. In Bangkok, traffic snarls were witnessed across town. In my housing estate, some families left their houses at 8am, and my neighbours called others to enquire whether they had already cast their votes. At the polling booth in my constituency, the book of eligible voters was full of signatures. That was a big surprise to me as I was always among the last people to cast a vote and have never seen the page so full of signatures.

It convinced me that all Thais had had enough of the political wrangling that has gnawed at the country since the coup in 2006. TPBS showed a voter in Kantharalak district in Buri Ram, near the border where Preah Vihear is located, return home from Rayong to cast her vote. Her hope was that a good prime minister would help bring back peace to the border town. Likewise, citizens nationwide, particularly those in Bangkok, wanted to exercise their voting power to help guide the country in a preferred direction.

Their frustration was understandable. For five years, conflicts have raged in this and that direction, with the citizens held hostage. The country has been divided with people sharing similar political ideologies or beliefs forming their own groups. Sadly, they were all ears and eyes only to those of the same opinions and shut their doors to voices from other groups.

All types of vengeance have been deployed to attack other camps, while paying lip service to "reconciliation".

With this election, everyone prayed that all this wrangling would come to an end. The beginning is not heartening. As news of Pheu Thai's victory spread, some fans of the Democrats and small parties exclaimed "This shows Thais remain uneducated". As a start, it's time for everyone to start listening to the opinions of others. If they want politicians to give up their own interests for the sake of the country, they should start with themselves. Whatever, they can't change the result, given that constitutionally, the one-man one-vote applies to all. To me, any attempt to demean Pheu Thai's victory is equivalent to being opposed to the philosophy. If they think that the poor in provinces are uneducated and should not enjoy a right to vote, they should challenge the Constitution. And as that would go against international standards, they should just forget it.

For the sake of the country, politicians should commit themselves to undoing their past mistakes in a fair manner. Pheu Thai will need to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Appointing red-shirt leaders like Natthawut Saikua as ministers - figures whose role in the bloody crisis last year remains unclear - would be very stupid, as it goes against the party's pledge for reconciliation. Also, any amnesty for former leader Thaksin Shinawatra should be delayed as this could spark another fire of conflict. Pheu Thai cannot win the hearts of all voters, but the majority will remain loyal if they act in the interests of the nation.

-- The Nation 2011-07-04

[Britannia]

Spoken from the heart with hope and faith.

No one should post a negative reply here

We all want to see Thailand go forward with peace

Lovely sentiments

[princejohnjay]

This article made my day now i'm off to work with smile. Good luck Thailand and congrats again to PM Yingluck!

[aussiebebe]

It convinced me that all Thais had had enough of the political wrangling that

has gnawed at the country since the coup in 2006.

Not to be negative but is this person actually Thai? It's kind of a Westerner mistake to begin with the coup. History shows that Thaksin himself called another election in 2006 to avoid a parliamentary debate on his sale of ShinCorp following the outrage over the way in which the law had been changed the day before to allow the tax-free sale. This sparked the constitutional crisis of mid-2006 where Thailand had no government and Thanksin was self-appointed 'caretaker-PM'. Then there was the coup.

[Seri]

It convinced me that all Thais had had enough of the political wrangling that

has gnawed at the country since the coup in 2006.

Not to be negative but is this person actually Thai? It's kind of a Westerner mistake to begin with the coup. History shows that Thaksin himself called another election in 2006 to avoid a parliamentary debate on his sale of ShinCorp following the outrage over the way in which the law had been changed the day before to allow the tax-free sale. This sparked the constitutional crisis of mid-2006 where Thailand had no government and Thanksin was self-appointed 'caretaker-PM'. Then there was the coup.

history shows that thaksin called another election in 2006 period. the rest has already been forgotten and what remains is that thaksin is a champion of democracy who was ousted by a military coup.

now that the red shirts are in power, they are going to make sure Thai history records the May 2010 Bangkok rampage as a "fight for democracy by the people" and that "the military crushed the 'legitimate movement' with heavy tactics causing almost a hundred casualties". and let's not forget that they are going to whitewash thaksin and his actions. in the end it will all pass as 'an honest mistake'. or even worse, that all he did was legal and misinterpreted by 'the elite' and 'the military'.

we are in for a long and uncomfortable ride.

[pisico]

Do I detect sour grapes in statements such as?

quote:

"Appointing red-shirt leaders like Natthawut Saikua as ministers - figures whose role in the bloody crisis last year remains unclear - would be very stupid, as it goes against the party's pledge for reconciliation." end of quote

Will it be OK to have Abhisit and Suthep play a role at Ministry level during Yingluck's administration? They are now the elite, minority opposition that played the most important role in the "bloody crisis", as this "letter" labels, the events of 2010 in which 92 people died.

It would be better to accept the reality of who the majority of Thais want as their leaders. The losing elitist crowd should stop (after losing the elections) trying to set the path that Yingluck's administration should follow. You lost, they won! Good for them!

[Bakseedaa]

Do I detect sour grapes in statements such as?

quote:

"Appointing red-shirt leaders like Natthawut Saikua as ministers - figures whose role in the bloody crisis last year remains unclear - would be very stupid, as it goes against the party's pledge for reconciliation." end of quote

Will it be OK to have Abhisit and Suthep play a role at Ministry level during Yingluck's administration? They are now the elite, minority opposition that played the most important role in the "bloody crisis", as this "letter" labels, the events of 2010 in which 92 people died.

It would be better to accept the reality of who the majority of Thais want as their leaders. The losing elitist crowd should stop (after losing the elections) trying to set the path that Yingluck's administration should follow. You lost, they won! Good for them!

Yes , good for them, but good for Thailand...? only time will tell.... now, where is my passport...?.

[letitbe]

Do I detect sour grapes in statements such as?

quote:

"Appointing red-shirt leaders like Natthawut Saikua as ministers - figures whose role in the bloody crisis last year remains unclear - would be very stupid, as it goes against the party's pledge for reconciliation." end of quote

Will it be OK to have Abhisit and Suthep play a role at Ministry level during Yingluck's administration? They are now the elite, minority opposition that played the most important role in the "bloody crisis", as this "letter" labels, the events of 2010 in which 92 people died.

It would be better to accept the reality of who the majority of Thais want as their leaders. The losing elitist crowd should stop (after losing the elections) trying to set the path that Yingluck's administration should follow. You lost, they won! Good for them!

Yes , good for them, but good for Thailand...? only time will tell.... now, where is my passport...?.

in top drawer now where did i put gold to take out in case this happened.

[chmiroau]

As a westerner, I was always believing that the Thaksin, um sorry, Puea Thai party would get (back) in. I am also believing that Thaksins alleged crimes will be overturned and he will return, possibly before the years out. This will anger the usual suspects so we are very likely in for a hard and difficult ride, just like the last time. Is this democracy? Yes, the people have voted. Is democracy the best form of government? Possibly not. That is the true fact about politics, it will work well in some countries and not so well in others, will it work well here, we will wait and see.What I can say is that under the governments that have been in what could loosely be called government over the last 5 years, have done nothing to better the life styles of the majority of Thais, there has been next to no progression on the half built infrastructure around Bangkok, and even less upkeep of the existing infrastructure. Just on this field most governments would have lost an election, however it does not end here for the government in Thailand over the past 5 years.The people have spoken..

[colinscarr]

The real problem is there are next to no honest politicians, in Thailand or anywhere else.

I don't trust Pheu Thai as I expect them to work for Thaksin's benefit rather than Thailand's.

On the other hand, most of the Democrats are in it for what they can get out of it. Would you for instance buy a used car from Suthep?...

But up to now Thai 'democracy' has been a bit like Franco's rule in Spain in the 1960s, but with elections where the people tell the elites to get out, and coups where the elites tell the people to shut up.

I do think the Isaan farmer has become far more politically aware in recent years and hope against hope that the grassroots can slowly achieve something resembling real democracy. Yes it will be messy and I fear some heads will be broken in the process.

By the way, if anyone thinks Western 'democracies' serve their electorates, ask why international banks have not been severely reined in and their recent profits taxed to bail out Greece, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Ireland. Ask why most of Wall Street is not in jail.

Time to stop before I get into full RANT mode :-)

[hyperdimension]

What I can say is that under the governments that have been in what could loosely be called government over the last 5 years, have done nothing to better the life styles of the majority of Thais

Two of the governments over the past 5 years were Thaksin's proxies, and I'd agree that they "have done nothing to better the life styles of the majority of Thais".

Abhisit was only in government for 2 years during the global financial crisis and rising world oil prices, neither of which were the Abhisit government's fault, but the simple rural folk do not follow world news and so all they know is that their lives have been harder over this time and blame it on the government. Pheu Thai probably understands that the causes of rising living costs have not been the Abhisit government's fault, but would blame them anyway in their propaganda to the naive masses in their push to regain power.

Edited July 4, 2011 by hyperdimension

[afarang]

Spoken from the heart with hope and faith.

No one should post a negative reply here

We all want to see Thailand go forward with peace

Lovely sentiments

Just one little problem. For those whose knowledge of Thai geography is not so good, Khao Phra Viharn is in Si Sa Ket ,not Buriram , about 160 kilometres away. Buriram hosts The Prasat Ta Muen group of 3 and Phanom Rung.

[Chris Lawrence]

As a westerner, I was always believing that the Thaksin, um sorry, Puea Thai party would get (back) in. I am also believing that Thaksins alleged crimes will be overturned and he will return, possibly before the years out. This will anger the usual suspects so we are very likely in for a hard and difficult ride, just like the last time. Is this democracy? Yes, the people have voted. Is democracy the best form of government? Possibly not. That is the true fact about politics, it will work well in some countries and not so well in others, will it work well here, we will wait and see.What I can say is that under the governments that have been in what could loosely be called government over the last 5 years, have done nothing to better the life styles of the majority of Thais, there has been next to no progression on the half built infrastructure around Bangkok, and even less upkeep of the existing infrastructure. Just on this field most governments would have lost an election, however it does not end here for the government in Thailand over the past 5 years.The people have spoken..

What were his crimes?

[Chris Lawrence]

It was a good letter to read.

[pisico]

Spoken from the heart with hope and faith.

No one should post a negative reply here

We all want to see Thailand go forward with peace

Lovely sentiments

Just one little problem. For those whose knowledge of Thai geography is not so good, Khao Phra Viharn is in Si Sa Ket ,not Buriram , about 160 kilometres away. Buriram hosts The Prasat Ta Muen group of 3 and Phanom Rung.

Yes, Prasat Phanom Ruing is in Buriram and it is dedicated to Shiva, a goddess in the Hindu pantheon. However, even if once upon a time it was part of Cambodia, this country has accepted that now it is part of Thailand.

For those who are not aware of historical facts, Angkor Wat was a city estate, the capital of the Khmer kingdom of 1million people, at the time when London was a a sleepy little city of barely 50,000 people. Thais invaded and ransacked Angkor Wat repeatedly and Khmers, tired of being raided moved their capital to the margins of the Tonle Sap-Mekong rivers where the current capital Phnom Penh stands.

[Thaddeus]

It would be better to accept the reality of who the majority of Thais want as their leaders. The losing elitist crowd should stop (after losing the elections) trying to set the path that Yingluck's administration should follow. You lost, they won! Good for them!

Actually, 56% of Thais don't want them.

[hellodolly]

It convinced me that all Thais had had enough of the political wrangling that

has gnawed at the country since the coup in 2006.

Not to be negative but is this person actually Thai? It's kind of a Westerner mistake to begin with the coup. History shows that Thaksin himself called another election in 2006 to avoid a parliamentary debate on his sale of ShinCorp following the outrage over the way in which the law had been changed the day before to allow the tax-free sale. This sparked the constitutional crisis of mid-2006 where Thailand had no government and Thanksin was self-appointed 'caretaker-PM'. Then there was the coup.

history shows that thaksin called another election in 2006 period. the rest has already been forgotten and what remains is that thaksin is a champion of democracy who was ousted by a military coup.

now that the red shirts are in power, they are going to make sure Thai history records the May 2010 Bangkok rampage as a "fight for democracy by the people" and that "the military crushed the 'legitimate movement' with heavy tactics causing almost a hundred casualties". and let's not forget that they are going to whitewash thaksin and his actions. in the end it will all pass as 'an honest mistake'. or even worse, that all he did was legal and misinterpreted by 'the elite' and 'the military'.

we are in for a long and uncomfortable ride.

Personally I hope you are wrong as to the future. I am reasonably sure you hope so also.

The original article was written with a sincere hope that peace will return to Thailand.

How ever he did say that the people did not want the disharmony that the last five years haver brought.m There only choice was to vote for Thaksin.

He paid them for it and all though Thailand has a long roaed to go in the education field they are smart enough to know that if he dosen't get his way he will continue to disrupt the legitamate government in all of it's endeavors to help Thailand.

One other line he posted and I will copy it exact it his words not mine.

"any amnesty for former leader Thaksin Shinawatra should be delayed"

delayed in other words lets let him go free from punishment for his crimes and the ones he has yet to answer for just not do it today.

[hellodolly]

Spoken from the heart with hope and faith.

No one should post a negative reply here

We all want to see Thailand go forward with peace

Lovely sentiments

Just one little problem. For those whose knowledge of Thai geography is not so good, Khao Phra Viharn is in Si Sa Ket ,not Buriram , about 160 kilometres away. Buriram hosts The Prasat Ta Muen group of 3 and Phanom Rung.

Yes, Prasat Phanom Ruing is in Buriram and it is dedicated to Shiva, a goddess in the Hindu pantheon. However, even if once upon a time it was part of Cambodia, this country has accepted that now it is part of Thailand.

For those who are not aware of historical facts, Angkor Wat was a city estate, the capital of the Khmer kingdom of 1million people, at the time when London was a a sleepy little city of barely 50,000 people. Thais invaded and ransacked Angkor Wat repeatedly and Khmers, tired of being raided moved their capital to the margins of the Tonle Sap-Mekong rivers where the current capital Phnom Penh stands.

You might want to add that Siem Reap stands for Siam defeated.

[pisico]

It convinced me that all Thais had had enough of the political wrangling that

has gnawed at the country since the coup in 2006.

Not to be negative but is this person actually Thai? It's kind of a Westerner mistake to begin with the coup. History shows that Thaksin himself called another election in 2006 to avoid a parliamentary debate on his sale of ShinCorp following the outrage over the way in which the law had been changed the day before to allow the tax-free sale. This sparked the constitutional crisis of mid-2006 where Thailand had no government and Thanksin was self-appointed 'caretaker-PM'. Then there was the coup.

history shows that thaksin called another election in 2006 period. the rest has already been forgotten and what remains is that thaksin is a champion of democracy who was ousted by a military coup.

now that the red shirts are in power, they are going to make sure Thai history records the May 2010 Bangkok rampage as a "fight for democracy by the people" and that "the military crushed the 'legitimate movement' with heavy tactics causing almost a hundred casualties". and let's not forget that they are going to whitewash thaksin and his actions. in the end it will all pass as 'an honest mistake'. or even worse, that all he did was legal and misinterpreted by 'the elite' and 'the military'.

we are in for a long and uncomfortable ride.

Personally I hope you are wrong as to the future. I am reasonably sure you hope so also.

The original article was written with a sincere hope that peace will return to Thailand.

How ever he did say that the people did not want the disharmony that the last five years haver brought.m There only choice was to vote for Thaksin.

He paid them for it and all though Thailand has a long roaed to go in the education field they are smart enough to know that if he dosen't get his way he will continue to disrupt the legitamate government in all of it's endeavors to help Thailand.

One other line he posted and I will copy it exact it his words not mine.

"any amnesty for former leader Thaksin Shinawatra should be delayed"

delayed in other words lets let him go free from punishment for his crimes and the ones he has yet to answer for just not do it today.

Your words do not address the other side of the coin: Will Abhisit and Suthep be punished for causing 92 deaths of Thais when ordering the army to fire with live ammunition on mostly unarmed civilians? There is a plethora of graphic evidence to this effect and only scanty evidence that the Men in Black had a critical mass of members equal to the army. It was disproportional use of force. Even people inside temples were injured and killed. Investigations? Trials to bring to justice the perpetrators? The assassination of General Se Dang, was it done by an independent contractor? The area was saturated by police and the army and yet, this sole marksman sneaked in and out of the area without being detected. Has everyone forgotten? It is really sad that people exclusively focus on Thaksin's crimes. Who has hands not tainted with blood in this sad chapter of Thai history? Democrats? Red shirts? Army?

Edited July 4, 2011 by pisico

[kmj]

It would be better to accept the reality of who the majority of Thais want as their leaders. The losing elitist crowd should stop (after losing the elections) trying to set the path that Yingluck's administration should follow. You lost, they won! Good for them!

Actually, 56% of Thais don't want them.

yawn, yes but you see it's still better than any of the other parties, that's why they won...

[peebee]

It's a good letter. Thais need to think of their country now and stop thinking of the politics and personal gain if they want the situation to improve. The election is over. All politicians now need to show some statemanship and leadership and work for the good of Thailand instead of themselves or their political parties. I think most people are tired of red shirts, yellow shirts, demonstrations, disruptions, violence, threats and of course promises that can't or won't be fulfilled. If some think Pheu Thai voters are uneducated and that is a bad thing, then fix it - provide them with improved education or stop complaining. Democracy isn't perfect in any country but if you value your freedom, it is a long way ahead of the alternative.

[sirchai]

Spoken from the heart with hope and faith.

No one should post a negative reply here

We all want to see Thailand go forward with peace

Lovely sentiments

Just one little problem. For those whose knowledge of Thai geography is not so good, Khao Phra Viharn is in Si Sa Ket ,not Buriram , about 160 kilometres away. Buriram hosts The Prasat Ta Muen group of 3 and Phanom Rung.

Khao Pha Vihan is near Kantharalak, which belongs to the province Sisaket. :jap:

[ballpoint]

Your words do not address the other side of the coin: Will Abhisit and Suthep be punished for causing 92 deaths of Thais when ordering the army to fire with live ammunition on mostly unarmed civilians? There is a plethora of graphic evidence to this effect and only scanty evidence that the Men in Black had a critical mass of members equal to the army. It was disproportional use of force. Even people inside temples were injured and killed. Investigations? Trials to bring to justice the perpetrators? The assassination of General Se Dang, was it done by an independent contractor? The area was saturated by police and the army and yet, this sole marksman sneaked in and out of the area without being detected. Has everyone forgotten? It is really sad that people exclusively focus on Thaksin's crimes. Who has hands not tainted with blood in this sad chapter of Thai history? Democrats? Red shirts? Army?

Writing rubbish in large font doesn't make it any truer you know. I'm sure a psychiatrist could tell us why you feel the need to do it.

[Egalite]

What I can say is that under the governments that have been in what could loosely be called government over the last 5 years, have done nothing to better the life styles of the majority of Thais

Two of the governments over the past 5 years were Thaksin's proxies, and I'd agree that they "have done nothing to better the life styles of the majority of Thais".

Abhisit was only in government for 2 years during the global financial crisis and rising world oil prices, neither of which were the Abhisit government's fault, but the simple rural folk do not follow world news and so all they know is that their lives have been harder over this time and blame it on the government. Pheu Thai probably understands that the causes of rising living costs have not been the Abhisit government's fault, but would blame them anyway in their propaganda to the naive masses in their push to regain power.

'but the simple rural folk', 'the naive masses'. Quite some assumptions you take here, is it simple and naive to vote for the party and person that actually makes your life less hard? They are just using their brains, something you clearly have not done in ages.

I hope Peua Thai members know (surely they do, they are organised) how many foreigners (residing) in Thailand speak and write about THEIR people. People like you just ask for much stricter visa rules.

[JPINBKK]

Spoken from the heart with hope and faith.

No one should post a negative reply here

We all want to see Thailand go forward with peace

Lovely sentiments

FULLY agree with your statement - HOWEVER - let's not forget that our dear friend Thaksin Shinawatra created this turmoil in 2006 with his own personal selfish agenda! This being said - NO AMNESTY - for this guy!!! As for Yingluck, congratualtion and good luck and PLEASE - keep away from your brother!!!

[whybother]

Your words do not address the other side of the coin: Will Abhisit and Suthep be punished for causing 92 deaths of Thais when ordering the army to fire with live ammunition on mostly unarmed civilians? There is a plethora of graphic evidence to this effect and only scanty evidence that the Men in Black had a critical mass of members equal to the army. It was disproportional use of force. Even people inside temples were injured and killed. Investigations? Trials to bring to justice the perpetrators? The assassination of General Se Dang, was it done by an independent contractor? The area was saturated by police and the army and yet, this sole marksman sneaked in and out of the area without being detected. Has everyone forgotten? It is really sad that people exclusively focus on Thaksin's crimes. Who has hands not tainted with blood in this sad chapter of Thai history? Democrats? Red shirts? Army?

Why did "peaceful protesters" have ANY armed militia in their ranks? Given that hald a dozen army personnel died on April 10, the protesters were lucky that there were only 20 people killed ... and there is very little evidence as to who killed them that night.

[pisico]

Your words do not address the other side of the coin: Will Abhisit and Suthep be punished for causing 92 deaths of Thais when ordering the army to fire with live ammunition on mostly unarmed civilians? There is a plethora of graphic evidence to this effect and only scanty evidence that the Men in Black had a critical mass of members equal to the army. It was disproportional use of force. Even people inside temples were injured and killed. Investigations? Trials to bring to justice the perpetrators? The assassination of General Se Dang, was it done by an independent contractor? The area was saturated by police and the army and yet, this sole marksman sneaked in and out of the area without being detected. Has everyone forgotten? It is really sad that people exclusively focus on Thaksin's crimes. Who has hands not tainted with blood in this sad chapter of Thai history? Democrats? Red shirts? Army?

Writing rubbish in large font doesn't make it any truer you know. I'm sure a psychiatrist could tell us why you feel the need to do it.

Obviously you are not addressing the thread. You are just spewing invective; only God knows why. Doubtful that you know it. Your non-sequitur and ad hominem response reflects the extent of your cortical capacity. Why don't try instead to address the issue?

[raro]

Chill pills please, do not get personal!

[Thaddeus]

Your words do not address the other side of the coin: Will Abhisit and Suthep be punished for causing 92 deaths of Thais when ordering the army to fire with live ammunition on mostly unarmed civilians? There is a plethora of graphic evidence to this effect and only scanty evidence that the Men in Black had a critical mass of members equal to the army. It was disproportional use of force. Even people inside temples were injured and killed. Investigations? Trials to bring to justice the perpetrators? The assassination of General Se Dang, was it done by an independent contractor? The area was saturated by police and the army and yet, this sole marksman sneaked in and out of the area without being detected. Has everyone forgotten? It is really sad that people exclusively focus on Thaksin's crimes. Who has hands not tainted with blood in this sad chapter of Thai history? Democrats? Red shirts? Army?

Writing rubbish in large font doesn't make it any truer you know. I'm sure a psychiatrist could tell us why you feel the need to do it.

Obviously you are not addressing the thread. You are just spewing invective; only God knows why. Doubtful that you know it. Your non-sequitur and ad hominem response reflects the extent of your cortical capacity. Why don't try instead to address the issue?

And then switching to a normal font means .... owned.

Edit// btw, you may want to wipe that small amount of foam from the edge of your mouth now.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Thaddeus

[tomyummer]

Coalitions, accusations, maneuvering, blah, blah, blah. Whoever the hell wins, just fix the dam_n traffic and make the roads more navigatable. All this bantering and scheisse is childs play. Tennis players, massage parlor owners, kids reaching puberty, Thai politics is one big joke.