Yingluck Seeks Bangkok Win As Opposition Weakens

[webfact]

Yingluck Seeks Bangkok Win as Opposition Weakens: Southeast Asia
By Daniel Ten Kate & Suttinee Yuvejwattana

BANGKOK: -- Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s party is on course to win Bangkok’s governor election for the first time, dealing a blow to opponents aligned with royalist groups who have held the capital since 2004.

Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a former deputy police commissioner, is leading in polls for the March 3 election to run the city of about 7 million people. He is challenging Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a member of the opposition Democrat Party and a great-grandson of former King Chulalongkorn.

A ruling party victory would further weaken the opposition and add to pressure on Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, whom Yingluck unseated as prime minister 18 months ago by winning a parliamentary majority. It would also boost Yingluck’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted as prime minister by the military in 2006 and is seeking an amnesty to return to Thailand after fleeing a jail sentence on charges stemming from the coup.

Full story: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-28/yingluck-seeks-bangkok-win-as-opposition-weakens-southeast-asia.html

-- Bloomberg 2013-03-01

[chainarong]

All governments have their day of sunshine, governments are only as good as the opposition allows it (memo Democrats) , as they say, change is good as a holiday, to have the Yingluck ,Thaksin type of government backing , it wont be long before the gravy train is up and running , the only sad part, I'm not on board.

[Locationthailand]

She must have consulted Dr Future...

[Katipo]

Disappointing that the Democrats let this happen, and they did let this happen. Sad for Bangkok, sad for Thailand.

[A Member]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

[geriatrickid]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

No, it is based upon the polling results. Is it that difficult for you to accept?

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

The PTP ran a better election campaign. It is that simple.

[moe666]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

No, it is based upon the polling results. Is it that difficult for you to accept?

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

The PTP ran a better election campaign. It is that simple.

no, they promised more goodies

[geriatrickid]

Disappointing that the Democrats let this happen, and they did let this happen. Sad for Bangkok, sad for Thailand.

Really? You don't think the PTP ran a better campaign? It seems that the PTP has been running a rather tight operation, relying on its neighborhood organizers and avoiding major gaffes. The people appear to want a change, a change that the Democrats cannot provide.

In any case, the only poll counts, as they say, is the poll on election day, and the election isn't over. The Democrats still might pull off a victory. Many people expressing support for the PTP candidate may not even be eligible to vote. Bangkok is filled with people from other regions that are not registered voters.

[jonclark]

Disappointing that the Democrats let this happen, and they did let this happen. Sad for Bangkok, sad for Thailand.

Really? You don't think the PTP ran a better campaign? It seems that the PTP has been running a rather tight operation, relying on its neighborhood organizers and avoiding major gaffes. The people appear to want a change, a change that the Democrats cannot provide.

In any case, the only poll counts, as they say, is the poll on election day, and the election isn't over. The Democrats still might pull off a victory. Many people expressing support for the PTP candidate may not even be eligible to vote. Bangkok is filled with people from other regions that are not registered voters.

If PTP do manage to swing it then hats off to them, it would be a massive about turn considering the margin of the Dems lead in the last election, what ws it 300'000 or something. I think it will be a lot tighter than ABAC polls and the like indicate.

I wonder just how much of an influence the roles of the DSI allegations by tarit will have on the voting public.

[A Member]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

No, it is based upon the polling results. Is it that difficult for you to accept?

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

The PTP ran a better election campaign. It is that simple.

Thank you K. Chalerm now I understand and I apologise for not trusting K. Thaksin, the real one I mean

[catmac]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

No, it is based upon the polling results. Is it that difficult for you to accept?

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

The PTP ran a better election campaign. It is that simple.

Thank you K. Chalerm now I understand and I apologise for not trusting K. Thaksin, the real one I mean

Your rather pathetic reply has all the hallmarks of clutching at straws!

[jbrain]

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

No one should rather expect that a prime minister refrains from making comments like this, and consider these comments low ethics.

[NCFC]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

[hellodolly]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

No, it is based upon the polling results. Is it that difficult for you to accept?

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

The PTP ran a better election campaign. It is that simple.

You apparently have much more respect for polls in Thailand than I do.

What bothers me is the fact that who ever wins has to have such close ties with there national party. Bangkok would do much better if they didn't have to deal with Yingluck or Abhist other than on a professional level. Unfortunately that is not the case.

If the PT gets in Bangkok will receive far more from Yingluck than if the Democrats get in even if they are both asking for the same thing. Such is politics the strangest business in the world you pay some one to line there own pockets and if they make a mistake you might get some thing out of it. Like a place for a quick private whizz. In a place built by a company the mayor has an interest in.

[OzMick]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

And this supposedly 57yo looks like a ventriloquist's dummy - possibly intentionally.

[geriatrickid]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

In fairness, all of the photos are doctored to a certain degree. Blemishes, acne scars, pockmarks, yellow teeth all magically cleaned up.

Thailand does have some crafty advertising agencies that can make some of the ugliest people look loveable.

Look at PM Yingluck's adverts - she's positively gorgeous and in Abhisit's, he loses his brown discolourations and droopy jowls.

[NCFC]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

In fairness, all of the photos are doctored to a certain degree. Blemishes, acne scars, pockmarks, yellow teeth all magically cleaned up.

Thailand does have some crafty advertising agencies that can make some of the ugliest people look loveable.

Look at PM Yingluck's adverts - she's positively gorgeous and in Abhisit's, he loses his brown discolourations and droopy jowls.

True enough, but the Sukhumbhand posters are screamingly fake. He looks like a grinning corpse.

[geriatrickid]

Is her confidence based on the fact they've bought more votes ?

No, it is based upon the polling results. Is it that difficult for you to accept?

Would you rather she adopt a pessimistic postion and start making lame excuses as you are with your unfounded allegation?

The PTP ran a better election campaign. It is that simple.

You apparently have much more respect for polls in Thailand than I do.

What bothers me is the fact that who ever wins has to have such close ties with there national party. Bangkok would do much better if they didn't have to deal with Yingluck or Abhist other than on a professional level. Unfortunately that is not the case.

If the PT gets in Bangkok will receive far more from Yingluck than if the Democrats get in even if they are both asking for the same thing. Such is politics the strangest business in the world you pay some one to line there own pockets and if they make a mistake you might get some thing out of it. Like a place for a quick private whizz. In a place built by a company the mayor has an interest in.

Actually, I have doubted the reliability of the polls because they rely on residents as opposed to registered voters. It's tough to get a good indication in Bangkok. The only place much worse is Phuket where there are 300,000 residents but a total population in excess of 1million. For example, a poll in Phuket would show the PTP was popular. However, the reality is that the resident voters prefer the Democrats.

What else can a political leader do? Ignore them? A party leader, is also cheerleader and motivator in chief. It's part of the job to crow about good polling results as part of building the momentum. If Abhisit had the results, I'd expect him to do the same. One thing I have noticed is that the PTP aren't getting cocky and acting as if they have won. That shows campaign discipline. Over confidence in a victory could cause some PTP voters to stay home and encourage some Democrats to go and vote. In fairness to the Democrats, they are responding well, by publicly remaining calm. They are not panicing in public (yet).

[BrianCR]

Disappointing that the Democrats let this happen, and they did let this happen. Sad for Bangkok, sad for Thailand.

Really? You don't think the PTP ran a better campaign? It seems that the PTP has been running a rather tight operation, relying on its neighborhood organizers and avoiding major gaffes. The people appear to want a change, a change that the Democrats cannot provide.

In any case, the only poll counts, as they say, is the poll on election day, and the election isn't over. The Democrats still might pull off a victory. Many people expressing support for the PTP candidate may not even be eligible to vote. Bangkok is filled with people from other regions that are not registered voters.

Why can't the democrats provide a change, too busy "building" police stations?

[Buchholz]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

Indeed. Cartoons seem to work better.

[bigbamboo]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

And this supposedly 57yo looks like a ventriloquist's dummy - possibly intentionally.

He could almost be a Thaksin clone........

[Pimay1]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

Indeed. Cartoons seem to work better.

Yes especially with the real PM in a school uniform.

[Pimay1]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

And this supposedly 57yo looks like a ventriloquist's dummy - possibly intentionally.

He could almost be a Thaksin clone........

Especially with a little face squaring. No problem they have doctors in Bangkok that can do that.

[pipchatel]

I say Bring back Mr T, its not just about corrupt politicians, its about which corrupt politician will get Thailand into the 21st century!, Bring back Mr T

[DP25]

Very difficult for Dems to win without PAD/yellow shirts on board. Not only are they running their own candidates that split the vote, they spend all their energy attacking the Democrats rather than PTP.

[Thai at Heart]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

And this supposedly 57yo looks like a ventriloquist's dummy - possibly intentionally.

The pictures are genuinely bizarre aren't they. He looks startled, or in pain

[jonclark]

Democrats were crazy to use those heavily photoshopped posters of Sukhumband. What message does that send out?

And this supposedly 57yo looks like a ventriloquist's dummy - possibly intentionally.

The pictures are genuinely bizarre aren't they. He looks startled, or in pain

Personally I think he has very lizard like eyes - perhaps his tongue will whip out and lick them if his is voted in.

[tragickingdom]

Pressure on a democrat leader who doesn't win an election? Don't think so. The Democrat party never win elections they push rogue generals to overthrow governments and than they will whitewash any coup in a rubber stamp parliament and grant them immunity from prosecution. That is really the only purpose of that party.

[ginjag]

Pressure on a democrat leader who doesn't win an election? Don't think so. The Democrat party never win elections they push rogue generals to overthrow governments and than they will whitewash any coup in a rubber stamp parliament and grant them immunity from prosecution. That is really the only purpose of that party.

Not been here long ??? or you have not got all the facts, why post like this when the main wrong is with Democrats opposition. Maybe you post just to stir some dung up.

It really does NOT matter who wins BKK as long as the leadership stays as it is.

[rubl]

Interesting. The last poll was on Sunday 24th of February. Since then no polls allowed for the Bangkok governor elections, by law. Earlier this week we saw topic about 'close call', 'PM Yingluck spending more time to promote her candidate', etc., etc.

Maybe the Bloomberg article is based on somewhat older news ?