Bangkok Vote Result Reveals A Divided Nation

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Vote result reveals a divided nation
Pravit Rojanaphruk

BANGKOK: -- Sunday's Bangkok gubernatorial election was more a referendum on Thaksin Shinawatra and what happened in April-May 2010 in Bangkok and beyond, than a normal local election where voters decided who should best administer the capital.

The result was the first in Bangkok history where the runner-up got more than a million votes. Winning candidate incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra received 1.25 million votes to edge out Pheu Thai's pro-Thaksin candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen by 178,332 - revealing Bangkok to be a deeply divided city.

What's more, the 11 districts that Pheu Thai won are all in the outlying areas of the capital, dominated by the working class, while all central districts of Bangkok went sky blue, the Democrat Party's colour.

Sukhumbhand won 39 districts and no independent candidate won a single district.

Suharit Siamwalla, the biggest truly independent candidate not indirectly linked to the anti-Thaksin yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy or any political group, attracted only 78,825 votes - less than a quarter of what then independent candidate MR Nattakorn Devakul received back in 2009. In the final major rally by the Democrats last Friday at Benjasiri Park, many speakers stressed the election was actually about whether or not Bangkokians would be willing to allow ousted and fugitive former premier Thaksin to "take over" Bangkok. Observing the rally myself, I heard party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva ask supporters on stage whether they wanted someone who "works for the people", or someone who "works for Thaksin".

Judging from the lower-than-expected votes garnered by all independent candidates combined - despite Sunday's election showing the highest turnout in the history of Bangkok at 63.98 per cent, as opposed to a low 51.10 per cent in 2009 - it's clear that this wasn't the usual gubernatorial election.

The year 2009 was before the traumatic events of April-May 2010 when Rajdamnoen Avenue and Bangkok's Ratchaprasong intersection were shut down by pro-Thaksin red shirts. Bloodshed followed as the then Abhisit administration quelled the rioting with armed troops and live bullets, culminating in the death of more than 90 people, mostly red shirts. Fires broke out at CentralWorld, Zen Department Store and beyond.

It's difficult to find any Bangkokian who is indifferent to those events. Meanwhile, Thaksin is like durian - you either love him or hate him.

To make matters worse, news spread in the last stretch of the campaign that red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan, a key leader in the occupation of Ratchaprasong, might be appointed deputy governor if Pongsapat won. Pheu Thai refused to kill the story, which was likely the last straw for those who loathe Thaksin.

An acquaintance was overheard after the vote count began as saying that after learning about the prospect of Jatuporn becoming deputy governor of the city "he burnt down", he had to come out and vote for Sukhumbhand. On the other hand, red-sympathiser @methawinner tweeted to me after the election that calling for people to "defend the city from reds demonstrated that we're already people of different races".

As for the class-divide issue, the electoral result again reinforced the hypothesis that poor and less educated people tend to support Thaksin (and sister Premier Yingluck Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai) while those better educated and better off tend to go for the Democrats. The Democrat Party is filled with leaders educated at top universities abroad and hailing from old elite families. Sukhumbhand, Abhisit and deputy party leader Korn Chatikavanij were all educated at Oxford.

Though these elites tend to have difficulties connecting to the masses, their trump card was raising the fear of Thaksin taking over the capital. As a result, Bangkokians have missed the opportunity to hold a proper gubernatorial election and succeeded in making a national political feud part of local politics.

But at what price to Bangkok and the Kingdom?


-- The Nation 2013-03-06

[dcutman]

news spread in the last stretch of the campaign that red-shirt leader
Jatuporn Promphan, a key leader in the occupation of Ratchaprasong,
might be appointed deputy governor if Pongsapat won. Pheu Thai refused
to kill the story, which was likely the last straw for those who loathe
Thaksin.

Have to wonder, how many more voters came out, not to vote for Sukhumbhand, but to vote against the PTP, after this news and Jatuporn joining in on Yinglucks 50 car parade?

Quite possible the PTP may have won, without this tactical error.

Edited March 6, 2013 by dcutman

[whybother]

Vote result reveals a divided nation

REVEALS???? What rock has this reporter been under for the last 8 years?

[Locationthailand]

This has to be the most piss-poor piece of journalism I have read in a while. It is biased in areas - "Abhisit administration quelled the rioting with armed troops and live bullets, culminating in the death of more than 90 people, mostly red shirts". Then a weak - "Fires broke out at CentralWorld, Zen Department Store and beyond." - hardly 'broke out' - the placed was torched, then misrepresentation of facts, such as numbers of voters, with roughly 2.7M votes against a population of 8.6M at 2010 does not represent 63.98% per cent of Bangkok but I concede BMA reckons only 4,244,465 eligible voters (why not the rest???). But a divided nation - absolutely. It is about as stupid as schoolies in gangs blindly and violently backing a name/institution when there is nothing real in it. Dems and Reds all the same, it is a political ploy and smoke screen to convince weak minded people these parties have the interests of the country at heart whilst they strip assets and steal the populations' funds. And all this is backed by irresponsible reporting such as this, throwing fuel on the fire. Oooohh ... The Nation said so, so it must be...

Edited March 6, 2013 by Locationthailand

[jayboy]

Vote result reveals a divided nation

REVEALS???? What rock has this reporter been under for the last 8 years?

Agreed.The election result told us nothing new.But the writer is correct to remind us that the Bangkok election should be primarily about city issues not national politics.

I don't really follow the Jatuporn argument.Surely the vast majority of those who dislike the idea of his possible appointment were Democrat voters anyway?

Is Thaksin really like durian - love him or hate him.I would have thought there are quite a few (in the aspiring middle class) that don't much like him but are equally unimpressed by Thailand's starchy elites.

Interesting quote:

"... red-sympathiser @methawinner tweeted to

me after the election that calling for people to "defend the city from

reds demonstrated that we're already people of different races"."

since the ethnic dimension to Thailand's political divide is rarely referred to. (though it was of course often brought up in the PAD demonstrations).

It always amuses me to read that educated people oppose Thaksin and uneducated people don't.There's obviously an element of truth to this though numerous (in the millions) exceptions.But the fallacy is to believe that educated people take a position because they are educated.No, they take a position because they are at the top of the heap and want to preserve and increase what they have.The urban mantra that populism is dangerous ignores the fact that the cities particularly Bangkok already greatly benefit from superior faciliries - infrastructure, hospitals, schools etc.That is simply another kind of populism.

I don't buy the notion that posh toffs can't reate to the masses - Churchill, FDR,Gladstone come to mind.Abhisit obviously can't but Korn could I think.Perhaps that's why Abhisit wanted him to take on the Bangkok governorship - safely out of circulation!

[Bellweather]

Vote result reveals a divided nation

REVEALS???? What rock has this reporter been under for the last 8 years?

Exactly, every democratic country in the world is divided as we vote. Only Saddam's Iraq or Nth Korea has 100% positive vote. This is not poor or irresponsible journalism, It's simply not journalism

[chainarong]

Yeah same as John Howard Australia, going to look for WMD in Iraq, only that's the past ,this just keeps rolling on , there sure is a divided nation here and the present government hasn't the guts to do anything about it except, reconciliation bullsh!!t, face the issues like a real gov should. I like to see that

[Thai at Heart]

So, if they all voted 100% for one candidate, that would reveal national unity and all would be good?

[waza]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

[coma]

Somehow I don't think an election was required to prove that this nation is politically divided.

[PaullyW]

Vote result reveals a divided nation

REVEALS???? What rock has this reporter been under for the last 8 years?

It's OK. Thais don't really understand the concept that words matter. It's not so much about their lack of aptitude for truly mastering languages... Rather, it is because their own language, Thai, lacks much of the sophistication of English and its more finely tuned vocabulary.

You need only pay attention to professionally created Thai subtitles of major English language movies to realize that Thai is lacking in nuanced vocabulary and instead relies heavily on context and visual displays of disposition.

So, a word "confirms" might have been suited to the headline, but it's lost on them.

[jayboy]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

Er right.Message sent "get rid of Thaksin" through huge PTP vote short of victory by less than 200,000 in a traditional Democrat stronghold.Dream on.

[jamhar]

I guess, the UK,US,Japan,So.Korea,France,Oz, Canada, ect are all divided nations.

Its called the democratic process. A process where difference in opinions are aired, publicly debated, and openly voted upon.

Divided nation, No

a nation with divided opinions? Yes

a nation with a working democratic process? Yes,,,,,,, for now.

[bigbamboo]

You don't think Thaksin's arrogant stupidity in saying that he could put up an electric pole and the BKK people would vote for it might have pissed off a lot of the electorate.

This wasn't Isaan.

[waza]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

Er right.Message sent "get rid of Thaksin" through huge PTP vote short of victory by less than 200,000 in a traditional Democrat stronghold.Dream on.

But I guess that the little ray of hope the Thaksin's lickspittles cling to. I prefer the big picture this is the PTPs 5th electral defeat in a row, the other 4 being in Thaksin heartlands.

PS: Use your stella intellect and read between the lines and you will understand you missed the point again.

Edited March 6, 2013 by waza

[ramrod711]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

Er right.Message sent "get rid of Thaksin" through huge PTP vote short of victory by less than 200,000 in a traditional Democrat stronghold.Dream on.

I think the point was that Sukhumbhand has a lot of baggage and couldn't be considered a stellar candidate......and he still won.

[hellodolly]

Vote result reveals a divided nation

REVEALS???? What rock has this reporter been under for the last 8 years?

It bears repeating.

One might add what kind of a airhead would swallow the need for it to be editorialized. Just fanning the fires uis all the Nation is doing.

Edited March 6, 2013 by hellodolly

[hellodolly]

So, if they all voted 100% for one candidate, that would reveal national unity and all would be good?

Pie in the sky.

What would have been proper was they all vote for who they felt could do the best job not how much clout their party has with the National Party.

This works both ways. The winner is handicapped in what he can do for the city by the National party and the National party winds up spending time and resources on what is not their job.

From where I sit it is a lose lose situation and the losers are the citizens of Bangkok.

The blame here lies with Thakson using any means he can to get white washed. A PT win would have been followed up immediately by a PT national bid to exonerate him of all charges and reverse the results of the one verdict that has already been levied on him.

[hellodolly]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

Er right.Message sent "get rid of Thaksin" through huge PTP vote short of victory by less than 200,000 in a traditional Democrat stronghold.Dream on.

But I guess that the little ray of hope the Thaksin's lickspittles cling to. I prefer the big picture this is the PTPs 5th electral defeat in a row, the other 4 being in Thaksin heartlands.

PS: Use your stella intellect and read between the lines and you will understand you missed the point again.

Earlier he referred to the fact that this was the first time the PT had ever got over 1,000,000 conveniently omitting it was the biggest turn out ever and it was a 7% rout for the Dems.

Normally I would not say 7% rout but the National party called a 4% margin a landslide so as long as we are talking drivel I through that in.

[GazR]

You don't think Thaksin's arrogant stupidity in saying that he could put up an electric pole and the BKK people would vote for it might have pissed off a lot of the electorate.

This wasn't Isaan.

Well, those wierd shining eyes of Thaksin's candidate indicate that he did indeed field an electric (light) pole.

Nice one, Tacky.

[rubl]

The Netherlands mostly had coalition governments with at least three or more parties needing to work together to get a very slim majority in parliament. Makes for (slow) progress through thoroughly debated changes.

Of course this means we're a divided nation, similar to Thailand. Like lots of Thai in their relation with the capital, I didn't like Amsterdam :-)

[jayboy]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

Er right.Message sent "get rid of Thaksin" through huge PTP vote short of victory by less than 200,000 in a traditional Democrat stronghold.Dream on.

But I guess that the little ray of hope the Thaksin's lickspittles cling to. I prefer the big picture this is the PTPs 5th electral defeat in a row, the other 4 being in Thaksin heartlands.

PS: Use your stella intellect and read between the lines and you will understand you missed the point again.

Earlier he referred to the fact that this was the first time the PT had ever got over 1,000,000 conveniently omitting it was the biggest turn out ever and it was a 7% rout for the Dems.

Normally I would not say 7% rout but the National party called a 4% margin a landslide so as long as we are talking drivel I through that in.

"Thaksin lickspittle" and other insulting language,some of it barely literate, for pointing out a few salient and undeniable facts!

The position is this.Sukhumband won a good victory.The PTP demonstrated it has a solid foothold on Bangkok.It was a disappointment for the government but the overall significance for national politics was limited.There was no resounding message for Thaksin (or anybody else to be honest).

[rubl]

And here we go again.

'A disappointment for the government' should actually be 'a disappointment for the Pheu Thai party which fielded the candidate'. Mind you, with the frequent presence and active participation of our PM, the government seemed to be involved as well. Heavily, clear presence, stressing for all to see the importance they put on this particular election of a 'Bangkok only' governor.

As Thaksin did select the candidate for his party (and please note I write 'his party' , not 'his government') and even had the cheek to say it wasn't fair to his fellow alumnus of Sam Houston University as a pole could win over the silly old Sukh, the message to Thaksin should be crystal clear. Not only less votes than MR Sukhumbhant but even less votes than in 2011.

The fact that some posters have said before that the incumbent would probably win, doesn't mean that their stance changes anything in Thaksin stance. Thaksin thought he could easily win, he was wrong. The Democrats thought they should be able to win and they were right.

THe nation is votes for various parties, but more and more it seems only on two specifically. That's more polarization than division. The division starts when we have only two parties left and either do as one says or do as the other says. Without the need for or actual coalitions and with the mentality towards democracy we see in Thailand, the polarization and following division will be bring chaos. IMHO

[waza]

Edited March 6, 2013 by waza

[waza]

When one considers the lack of appeal the incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra had with the Bangkok electrate then we can truely see the magnitude of the negative impact Thaksin and maybe Jatuporn Promphan had on the PTP campaign. Like durian the unpleasant odour of Thaksin and his policies overpowered Yingluck's appeal and the lethargy of voters to send a clear message to the PTP and that message is "get rid of Thaksin".

Er right.Message sent "get rid of Thaksin" through huge PTP vote short of victory by less than 200,000 in a traditional Democrat stronghold.Dream on.

But I guess that the little ray of hope the Thaksin's lickspittles cling to. I prefer the big picture this is the PTPs 5th electral defeat in a row, the other 4 being in Thaksin heartlands.

PS: Use your stella intellect and read between the lines and you will understand you missed the point again.

Earlier he referred to the fact that this was the first time the PT had ever got over 1,000,000 conveniently omitting it was the biggest turn out ever and it was a 7% rout for the Dems.

Normally I would not say 7% rout but the National party called a 4% margin a landslide so as long as we are talking drivel I through that in.

"Thaksin lickspittle" and other insulting language,some of it barely literate, for pointing out a few salient and undeniable facts!

The position is this.Sukhumband won a good victory.The PTP demonstrated it has a solid foothold on Bangkok.It was a disappointment for the government but the overall significance for national politics was limited.There was no resounding message for Thaksin (or anybody else to be honest).

I still beg to differ and I think this article vindicates my position Jayboy.............

Voters' 'fear of Thaksin, red shirts' swung poll

BANGKOK: -- Fear tactics about the risk of Bangkok being taken over by fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the red shirts enabled the Democrat Party to win the Bangkok gubernatorial race, said Red Sunday group leader Sombat Boonngam-anong.