Rich Teacher:

I'm sure you are aware of the socio-economic breakdown of each parties voter base and the need for lower socio-economic groups from depressed areas to have higher geographical labour mobility.

The socio-economic breakdown has never been independently calculated in any detail. You are falling into the trap of using poor vs rich (your name even displays it), left-wing vs right-wing, Democrat vs Republican comparison that the foreign media uses in their shallow thinking about Thailand. I doubt if many poor people in Pattani support PTP. It's only conjecture about who the local non-Bangkokians support.

Thai politics is not poor versus rich. The PTP contain some of the richest elite in Thailand. The red-shirt leaders are not poor (although Thaksin may well have made a difference there). PTP don't support the poor anyway - it's just the majority of voters that they want, by whatever means necessary.

I'm sure you are aware of the socio-economic breakdown of each parties voter base and the need for lower socio-economic groups from depressed areas to have higher geographical labour mobility.

Actually, I'm not aware of the socio-economic breakdown of each parties voter base. What I do know is that a majority of people from the North and North East (poor, middle class and rich) vote for PTP, and a majority of the people from the South (poor, middle class and rich) vote Democrat, and people from Bangkok and Central areas (poor, middle class and rich) are pretty much split down the middle.

The Gross 'Provincial' Product in the Northeast (Isaan) and to a lesser extent in the North, is substantially lower than in Bangkok, the Central and the Eastern Region. The Gross Provincial Product of the Southern and Western Regions is situated in between.

GDP in Bangkok and surrounding provinces is close to 8 times bigger than in the poorest (and most populated) Isaan Region of Thailand.

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/thailand-GDP.asp

Usual 'thinking' from one who thinks that an election is the be all & end all of democracy. Luckily there are a few checks & balances that Thaksin hasn't been able to prevent this time around.

Surely better than those who think that a government installed only as the result of the Army general's meddling was legitimate.

More propaganda. Any government taking power as a result of their parliamentary majority is legitimate under the Westminster system that exists in Thailand. The question of a government installed as a result of vote buying & red-shirt intimidation is of course legitimate. Hypocrisy rules in the land of the rich teachers.

For those with persistent claims of vote buying could you please submit your evidence for scrutiny. And, 'my girlfriend's uncle said' really doesn't cut it.

PT asked for independent international observers to be allowed in for the election but the sitting government would not allow it.

Yes I'll do that when you submit your 'evidence' that the army or army interference installed Abhisit. And ' Jatuporn said' won't work.

As to how international observers might have prevented vote buying - ridiculous.

More propaganda. Any government taking power as a result of their parliamentary majority is legitimate under the Westminster system that exists in Thailand. The question of a government installed as a result of vote buying & red-shirt intimidation is of course legitimate. Hypocrisy rules in the land of the rich teachers.

PT asked for independent international observers to be allowed in for the election but the sitting government would not allow it.

never mind....

For those with persistent claims of vote buying could you please submit your evidence for scrutiny. And, 'my girlfriend's uncle said' really doesn't cut it.

PT asked for independent international observers to be allowed in for the election but the sitting government would not allow it.

http://thailand-busi...rs#.ULOZJeTqnzk

Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) Welcomes Foreign Observers

- Sat, Jul 2nd, 2011

Thailand rejects foreign election monitors

(AFP) – Mar 24, 2011

BANGKOK — Thailand on Thursday dismissed suggestions that foreign observers were needed to monitor its upcoming election, with the deputy prime minister saying he does "not respect" Westerners.

It would be "inappropriate" to allow outside involvement in the poll, which is due in June or July and comes after deadly street protests last year, said Suthep Thaugsuban.

"I don't respect 'farangs'. We do not have to surrender to them," he said, using the Thai word for "Westerners".

Anti-government "Red Shirts" have recently called for international observers to be present.

"I am surprised that Red Shirts do not respect our country's sovereignty... I don't understand why they constantly call for foreign involvement, it is inappropriate," Suthep told reporters.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jbskIhRU8pUbIf01qN5DMOgrfgSg?docId=CNG.6027ed157c1ed0f92695446e0790ec77.401

http://thailand-busi...rs#.ULOZJeTqnzk

Thailand's Election Commission (EC) Welcomes Foreign Observers

Sat, Jul 2nd, 2011

Thailand rejects foreign election monitors

Mar 24, 2011

Which one is the later article?

.

Considering most commentators agreed that Obama's recent victory was convincing we can definitely say PT's was resounding. Apart from the votes they got you can factor in those millions of red/PT supporters that live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket that don't have the means to return to their village & vote &/or the nous to go to the government office and fill out a form to vote outside of their electorate.

And there are no Democrat supporters that live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket that couldn't return home to vote??

According to the ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) report, there was another problem in that voters that had voted elsewhere in 2007 also had to re-register if they returned to their home provinces this time around. Many didn't know about this: "Unfortunately, the ECT failed to inform non-resident voters sufficiently about the need to re-register in their home provinces in case they had registered to vote elsewhere in 2007, resulting in many disenfranchised and disappointed voters."

"If it would not have been for such clear results in favor of the Pheu Thai party, the Elections Commission might have faced much more criticism and public debate on issues such as the disenfranchisement of voters thanks to advanced voting mismanagement, ballot paper design and distribution, and the various shortcomings on Election Day described above. Perhaps fortunately for them, the wide margin removed some of the pressure."

http://anfrel.org/wp...-final_edit.pdf

Considering most commentators agreed that Obama's recent victory was convincing we can definitely say PT's was resounding. Apart from the votes they got you can factor in those millions of red/PT supporters that live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket that don't have the means to return to their village & vote &/or the nous to go to the government office and fill out a form to vote outside of their electorate.

And there are no Democrat supporters that live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket that couldn't return home to vote??

According to the ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) report, there was another problem in that voters that had voted elsewhere in 2007 also had to re-register if they returned to their home provinces this time around. Many didn't know about this: "Unfortunately, the ECT failed to inform non-resident voters sufficiently about the need to re-register in their home provinces in case they had registered to vote elsewhere in 2007, resulting in many disenfranchised and disappointed voters."

"If it would not have been for such clear results in favor of the Pheu Thai party, the Elections Commission might have faced much more criticism and public debate on issues such as the disenfranchisement of voters thanks to advanced voting mismanagement, ballot paper design and distribution, and the various shortcomings on Election Day described above. Perhaps fortunately for them, the wide margin removed some of the pressure."

http://anfrel.org/wp...-final_edit.pdf

I'm not suggesting that there weren't issues with people getting to vote. I just reject the idea that was put forward earlier that it affected PTPs vote more than others.

Considering most commentators agreed that Obama's recent victory was convincing we can definitely say PT's was resounding. Apart from the votes they got you can factor in those millions of red/PT supporters that live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket that don't have the means to return to their village & vote &/or the nous to go to the government office and fill out a form to vote outside of their electorate.

And there are no Democrat supporters that live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket that couldn't return home to vote??

According to the ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) report, there was another problem in that voters that had voted elsewhere in 2007 also had to re-register if they returned to their home provinces this time around. Many didn't know about this: "Unfortunately, the ECT failed to inform non-resident voters sufficiently about the need to re-register in their home provinces in case they had registered to vote elsewhere in 2007, resulting in many disenfranchised and disappointed voters."

"If it would not have been for such clear results in favor of the Pheu Thai party, the Elections Commission might have faced much more criticism and public debate on issues such as the disenfranchisement of voters thanks to advanced voting mismanagement, ballot paper design and distribution, and the various shortcomings on Election Day described above. Perhaps fortunately for them, the wide margin removed some of the pressure."

http://anfrel.org/wp...-final_edit.pdf

I'm not suggesting that there weren't issues with people getting to vote. I just reject the idea that was put forward earlier that it affected PTPs vote more than others.

Do you live in Thailand? Do you not know that people from Isaan are by far the largest migrant population in Bangkok? I find it hard to believe your claims of ignorance.

I'm not suggesting that there weren't issues with people getting to vote. I just reject the idea that was put forward earlier that it affected PTPs vote more than others.

Do you live in Thailand? Do you not know that people from Isaan are by far the largest migrant population in Bangkok? I find it hard to believe your claims of ignorance.

You're using circumstantial evidence to say that PTP would have got a lot more votes. OK, there is a large migrant population from Isaan in Bangkok. That could easily suggest that with there being such a large population, that many of them were assisted by friends to vote in Bangkok. There were certainly reports of that at the time.

I'm not suggesting that there weren't issues with people getting to vote. I just reject the idea that was put forward earlier that it affected PTPs vote more than others.

Do you live in Thailand? Do you not know that people from Isaan are by far the largest migrant population in Bangkok? I find it hard to believe your claims of ignorance.

You're using circumstantial evidence to say that PTP would have got a lot more votes. OK, there is a large migrant population from Isaan in Bangkok. That could easily suggest that with there being such a large population, that many of them were assisted by friends to vote in Bangkok. There were certainly reports of that at the time.

Lame