PM Yingluck says losing 37 year Don Mueang constituency 'not a big loss'

[ratcatcher]

I can only assume that Thaksin told her to play this down. Actually, I'm convinced that he probably tells her what to wear and eat, as well.

I can believe that Yingluck is likely too dense to understand that it's probably very significant, by-election or not, but Thaksin must realize that when you dominate a constituency for 37 years and then lose it, a message is clearly being sent. Perhaps the populist actions (rice scam, automobile tax credits, etc,) hasn't benefited people in that riding very much, and they're starting to see just how harmful these programs will be to Thailand in the long run.

Once again, the stuff that Thai politicians say amazes me. They're <deleted>' shameless!!!

The more I see and hear from her the more convinced I am that she's not even capable of being a puppet

She must be good at something. ..........................Surely?

[yoshiwara]

'She said ... Pheu Thai’s pre-election activities were not coherent.'

And she is an expert.

[Thait Spot]

Doesn't the plastic Barbie puppet not realise that both sides had the same time to prepare?

Am I right in thinking that they lost 2 seats here?

Maybe the people of DM now know their worth to the PTP

[steveromagnino]

Let's remember that TRT have stayed unable to win the BKK governorship, and yet have swept national elections.

As PT is negotiating to purchase parts of BJT with groups like the Matchima faction (because the entire TRT/PPP/PT political movement is actually a series of purchased constituencies built around an empire of like minded regional godfathers who each own their own province, and the government PR budget is used to build a cult of personality around the Shinawatra family as the leader of the mighty beast in order to keep the godfather factions in check with enough crumbs thrown around to the provinces to make reelection cheap) keeping the usual gang of godfathers in power, it really doesn't matter if they lost every single seat in Bangkok as they can just replace them with a few more purchased provinces.

The tricky bit is dealing with unethical thugs with enormous egos, that bit takes both elegance and a strong arm. No wonder that Yaowapa and Chalerm are still remaining in positions of power. It's basic carrot and stick politics.

Many were picking a snap election later this year...right now it must be tempting to try to get a new mandate while they can.

Edited June 17, 2013 by steveromagnino

[Skywalker69]

sour grapes?

White lies?

[longway]

Hahahaha that's face saving if I ever saw one! You're fooling no one, dearie.

In fact there's a good possibility her words will be seen by the locals as 'we (PT) don't really care all that much about Don Muang'.

Wow the wheels have really fallen off on their PR management recently. In Yingluck's case I think the quote 'Better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt', is very apt. Just congratulate your opponent and promise to work harder, pretty standard stuff really. They are not managing her well these days.

Edited June 17, 2013 by longway

[bigbamboo]

'She said ... Pheu Thai’s pre-election activities were not coherent.'

And she is an expert.

Well at least she got that bit right.

[lujanit]

Don Meung is one electorate. Is there not a few more? 500 seats in total? A few baht per vote and the plastic doll is back.

[Moruya]

Don Meung is one electorate. Is there not a few more? 500 seats in total? A few baht per vote and the plastic doll is back.

Aye - but he resigned his boy-band party-list seat to compete right?

[rubl]

Don Meung is one electorate. Is there not a few more? 500 seats in total? A few baht per vote and the plastic doll is back.

Aye - but he resigned his boy-band party-list seat to compete right?

So Pheu Thai party lost only the Constituency MP seat, the party list seat was filled by the next on the party list registered for the July 2011 general elections. Not sure if this is the first MP seat the Pheu Thai party really lost.

[ratcatcher]

Don Meung is one electorate. Is there not a few more? 500 seats in total? A few baht per vote and the plastic doll is back.

A war is won with the success of many battles.

We didn't see K.Abhisit crowing about the victory.

One step at a time. Make no mistake, the PTP, whether they admit it or not, are definitely stunned by this loss, regardless of the dismissive comments of Ms Yingluck.

[Robby nz]

So what happens to Sam now?

He resigned his party list seat to compete in a sure thing and lost.

The next one on the party list will have moved up and will now be an MP in his place.

That one whoever it is will not be happy if they are told, get back down the list again Sam wants his job back.

So will something else be found for him like the deputy associate minister of nothing much or are losers no longer welcome in PT.

[ratcatcher]

So what happens to Sam now?

He resigned his party list seat to compete in a sure thing and lost.

The next one on the party list will have moved up and will now be an MP in his place.

That one whoever it is will not be happy if they are told, get back down the list again Sam wants his job back.

So will something else be found for him like the deputy associate minister of nothing much or are losers no longer welcome in PT.

I think you just found him his new position: Permanent Deputy Associate Minister of Nothing Much At All.

That should fit in nicely with all the others with similar titles.

[IMA_FARANG]

A large portion of that constituency was floated back in 2011, and many of the people living there are still not happy about the government's response to either the floods or the compensation they (did not) receive afterwards.

I talked to a taxi driver about a year ago from that area.

His house was flooded for two weeks, the damage bill was about 30,000 Baht.

He was told he would be given compensation for his loss in the amount of 3500 Baht.

Almost a year layer, when I talked to him, he still had not actually received ANY compensation. .

I suspect he did NOT vote for the government candidate this time.

Apparently, others had the same idea.

Edited June 17, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[chainarong]

maybe people are starting to see through the PTP for what they are, full of BullSh!!t.

[Thai at Heart]

What would have constituted a big loss then?

[virtualtraveller]

She is bright enough to know that more than half the constituencies in the country are still easy to fool with populist policies, but if she thought her management of the flooding and first car scheme for urbanites was going to snatch more seats away from Dems she was wrong.

[Ricardo]

And the PTP government goes from strength to strength, under its new leader, at least according to her herself ?

Perhaps Big Sister or Big Brother believe it, but I'm afraid that I don't, and nor I suspect do her Cabinet colleagues who, as she was complaining only last week, are failing to support her properly. I wonder why ?

Time for a reshuffle, starting at the top !

[ballpoint]

Let's remember that TRT have stayed unable to win the BKK governorship, and yet have swept national elections.

As PT is negotiating to purchase parts of BJT with groups like the Matchima faction (because the entire TRT/PPP/PT political movement is actually a series of purchased constituencies built around an empire of like minded regional godfathers who each own their own province, and the government PR budget is used to build a cult of personality around the Shinawatra family as the leader of the mighty beast in order to keep the godfather factions in check with enough crumbs thrown around to the provinces to make reelection cheap) keeping the usual gang of godfathers in power, it really doesn't matter if they lost every single seat in Bangkok as they can just replace them with a few more purchased provinces.

The tricky bit is dealing with unethical thugs with enormous egos, that bit takes both elegance and a strong arm. No wonder that Yaowapa and Chalerm are still remaining in positions of power. It's basic carrot and stick politics.

Many were picking a snap election later this year...right now it must be tempting to try to get a new mandate while they can.

This sums it up perfectly. For all those who preach that people are voting PTP as a rejection of the evil "elite" who are preventing the rural poor from progressing, wake up. The PTP are made up of the very people who are doing just such a thing. Ask yourselves, who do those in the Northeast consistantly vote for? Why did the TRT buy out the entire single biggest party at the time, the NAP, complete with all its corrupt baggage, rather than field fresh. local grassroot candidiates? In who's interest really is it to keep them at the same level of (un)education, voting unquestioningly for the same old rural godfathers? Unfortunately, as many urban voters come to realise how they've been lied to and ripped off by the PTP, there are still all too many turkeys willing to vote for Christmas.

[OzMick]

And the PTP government goes from strength to strength, under its new leader, at least according to her herself ?

Perhaps Big Sister or Big Brother believe it, but I'm afraid that I don't, and nor I suspect do her Cabinet colleagues who, as she was complaining only last week, are failing to support her properly. I wonder why ?

Time for a reshuffle, starting at the top !

Does anybody in their wildest dreams imagine that the PTP MPs will have a meeting and vote whether to retain Yingluk or elect a new leader?

How is a government democratic when there is no democracy within the party forming government?

[lee b]

Not a big loss, emm well i would love to see a what a big loss actually is then !

[GentlemanJim]

What Yingluck meant to say was something like "All of us in PTP take the loss of this seat very seriously. We would like to assure all of the voters who supported our party and candidate in this by-election that we will work with them to try and ascertain the reasons why some voters felt they could not or did not want to vote for PTP. We value our loyal voters and aim to improve things so that we can regain the confidence of the majority of voters in this district as soon as possible".................but! ...she didn't! Quack quack oops!

[WhizBang]

Clueless, as usual.

Time for another shopping trip abroad, me thinks.

[whybother]

There are quite a few seats in the central area that PTP "won" by very small margins and far less than 50% of the vote. Yingluck would want to hope that there are no by-elections in those areas in the near future.

The PTP are going to lose a few seats in those areas when there is a general election. I don't think they're going to get the majority (of seats) that they did in the last election, so they're going to have to shell out a bit more to get the coalition together to be able to form government.

[GentlemanJim]

There are quite a few seats in the central area that PTP "won" by very small margins and far less than 50% of the vote. Yingluck would want to hope that there are no by-elections in those areas in the near future.

The PTP are going to lose a few seats in those areas when there is a general election. I don't think they're going to get the majority (of seats) that they did in the last election, so they're going to have to shell out a bit more to get the coalition together to be able to form government.

And there lies the crux of the matter. They have spent two years robbing God knows how much money from the Thai people to be able to afford to pay whatever is needed to keep this gravy train rolling. Sad, worrying, but...true!

[macanello]

Don't forget the floods of 2011. I was there when she was hit by plastic bottles from the crowd but on the news that night she was seen catching roses from the crowd. Her bodyguards had a lot of work to do that night.

Those people have not forgotten that episode NO WATER WILL FLOOD THIS AREA

Macanello

[bigbamboo]

What Yingluck meant to say was something like "All of us in PTP take the loss of this seat very seriously. We would like to assure all of the voters who supported our party and candidate in this by-election that we will work with them to try and ascertain the reasons why some voters felt they could not or did not want to vote for PTP. We value our loyal voters and aim to improve things so that we can regain the confidence of the majority of voters in this district as soon as possible".................but! ...she didn't! Quack quack oops!

That's what a real PM would have said.

[GentlemanJim]

What Yingluck meant to say was something like "All of us in PTP take the loss of this seat very seriously. We would like to assure all of the voters who supported our party and candidate in this by-election that we will work with them to try and ascertain the reasons why some voters felt they could not or did not want to vote for PTP. We value our loyal voters and aim to improve things so that we can regain the confidence of the majority of voters in this district as soon as possible".................but! ...she didn't! Quack quack oops!

That's what a real PM would have said.

Gizz a job

[Tatsujin]

Hahahaha that's face saving if I ever saw one! You're fooling no one, dearie.

Unfortunately they continue to fool far too many people . . . fortunately, "some" are waking up and opening their eyes and seeing how much this Govt is costing them in terms of cash and reputation.

[Tatsujin]

There are quite a few seats in the central area that PTP "won" by very small margins and far less than 50% of the vote. Yingluck would want to hope that there are no by-elections in those areas in the near future.

The PTP are going to lose a few seats in those areas when there is a general election. I don't think they're going to get the majority (of seats) that they did in the last election, so they're going to have to shell out a bit more to get the coalition together to be able to form government.

If there was a snap General Election right now, PTP would not be in power for very much longer. For now, they are hanging on as best they can and skimming as much as they can.

If there was a viable 3rd "party", I am sure they would get a lot of the votes. Anyone want to help set up the Thai Rak Farang party?