BURNING ISSUE
A letter to the well-heeled protesters of Bangkok


A file photo shows Suthep Thaugsuban leading protesters to the Finance Ministry.

BANGKOK: -- Did you take part in the fierce argument over whether five million of you folks or a mere 150,000 showed up at the anti-government rally on Monday? I thought it showed insecurity over whether you represent the real majority voice in Thailand.

Your supreme protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, left no room for doubt when he addressed the crowd on Monday, saying he would soon deliver an announcement, "on behalf of all the Thai people".

Wow, I don't recall giving my consent to Suthep (or anyone else) to speak on my behalf. And you know deep down that millions of others hadn't done so, either. The truth is, no one can ever claim to be speaking on behalf of all Thais.

Whether you numbered five million or a mere fraction, you mostly-Bangkokian middle class protesters should be mindful that you are not the majority of the people, and that Bangkok is just one part of Thailand. I know how frustrating it is for you to watch helplessly as the party of your choice keeps losing elections, leaving your favourite Oxbridge- and Ivy League-educated candidates unable to govern the country. Instead you have to settle for what you see as a corrupt and vulgar regime under Yingluck Shinawatra, with her brother Thaksin running the show via his numerous smartphones -and simply because the majority of poor and less-educated Thais keep voting for them.

I know you see Thaksin and his sister as bad, corrupt, abusive, blah, blah, blah. And to a certain extent I agree: the siblings can be arrogant, abusive and unrepentant. Look at the way they tried to sneak a blanket-amnesty bill through Parliament at 4am that would have absolved Thaksin but trampled justice for the families of red shirts who died in protests. It took some nerve.

I know that you middle class and well-heeled Bangkokians are used to snapping your fingers and having your maids, drivers, waitresses and even sex workers jump to satisfy you. It must be such a pain to see these people turning the tables and dictating the course of Thai politics.

After all, they are not "educated", and many don't even pay taxes. Some of you say these "red-shirt buffaloes" are too stupid to be allowed to vote - a privilege that should only go to college-educated Thais or the middle class.

But this is not the way to go. We - and I say "we" because I come from a similar background to you - cannot go on trying to maintain minority rule. This effort is almost apartheid-like, if you know what I mean. The poor and less-educated Thais in rural areas and in Bangkok want their political opinions counted as well. A lorry with 10 wheels cannot move forward with just one wheel dictating the speed. And so it is with Thailand.

You should try harder to convince them through civil dialogue, rather than engaging in bouts of expletive-loaded hate speech and showing open indifference to loss of life of among protesters who don't share your political opinions. We need to give a space for our fragile and young democracy to grow and mature. And that means employing legitimate democratic means in opposing Thaksin and Yingluck - no military coup and no mob rule, please.

We have to learn to co-exist with others. And this cannot be done peacefully if you think that your views are the only ones that count.

To begin with, kindly tell your leaders to stop claiming to be speaking for all Thais. Let's call a halt to this ridiculous posturing.

Yours,
Pravit Rojanaphruk.

-- The Nation 2013-12-11

Brilliantly said!

Brilliantly said!

Totally agree great content and well said

When will Suthep realise he can never win and go home?

Least someone in the Nation isn't totally oblivious. nice piece

Well heeled? They all wear flip flops.

This faux snobbery is getting unbearable. And these idiots build houses on a sinking city and think they are smart?

you mostly-Bangkokian middle class protesters should be mindful that you are not the majority of the people, and that Bangkok is just one part of Thailand

LOVE IT - great piece

"We have to learn to co-exist with others. And this cannot be done peacefully if you think that your views are the only ones that count."

Please forward your rant to the Northeast and their elected MPs.

Cheers, from a well heeled Drunk...

A sentiment from a Thai citizen who is living in Thailand - so much more refreshing to read than the usual hate speech on here - and with so much more to say.

Unfortunately it will only be a matter of time before the usual suspects will be cherrypicking the article and filling the pages with bile.

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

Is there a word in Thai for "Society"?

"We have to learn to co-exist with others. And this cannot be done peacefully if you think that your views are the only ones that count."

Please forward your rant to the Northeast and their elected MPs.

Cheers, from a well heeled Drunk...

Oh,oh, the first one has turned up

"We have to learn to co-exist with others. And this cannot be done peacefully if you think that your views are the only ones that count."

Please forward your rant to the Northeast and their elected MPs.

Cheers, from a well heeled Drunk...

Oh,oh, the first one has turned up

In your own words fab...

"Yes , my answer probably is contrary to yours but it is not a troll post. It's called an alternative viewpoint. Difficult concept to understand, I know."

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

No they start when they begin to become part of the poor and down trodden.

"We have to learn to co-exist with others. And this cannot be done peacefully if you think that your views are the only ones that count."

Please forward your rant to the Northeast and their elected MPs.

Cheers, from a well heeled Drunk...

Oh,oh, the first one has turned up

In your own words fab...

"Yes , my answer probably is contrary to yours but it is not a troll post. It's called an alternative viewpoint. Difficult concept to understand, I know."

If thats your usual drivel to a rare but sensible viewpoint for a change. ohhh yes it is a troll post

If there are mostly Bangkokians attending protest rallies, then that's because Bangkokians are closest to sites. I don't like the snobbish tone of the letter. Who is letter-writer Pravit? The Shinawatre gov't was so bad in so many ways, that protests were inevitable. The woman even appointed herself Defense Minister, to try to preclude the army becoming adversaries - as they did with her brother. She has even less skills as a military leader than as a politicians, if that's possible.

I'm thankful that the protests were relatively peaceful, and we didn't get something Egyptian.

Is Pravit guilty of presuming to speak for the "poor and downtrodden"? What gives this poor-little-rich-boy the right to do that? How does he know that if the "elite" Democrats presented sound and sensible policies (yes, I know - dream on) that would genuinely reform the country and move it forward, that the rural masses still would not vote for them? He undersells the rural masses. And patronises them. BTW, if the rural masses are so rabidly fervent in their love of Thaksin and so opposed to the Bkk elite, then they seem to be having trouble showing it right now.

"We have to learn to co-exist with others. And this cannot be done peacefully if you think that your views are the only ones that count."

Please forward your rant to the Northeast and their elected MPs.

Cheers, from a well heeled Drunk...

Oh,oh, the first one has turned up

In your own words fab...

"Yes , my answer probably is contrary to yours but it is not a troll post. It's called an alternative viewpoint. Difficult concept to understand, I know."

A loud drunk with a viewpoint. I'm at the edge of my seat.

I know quite a few who are participating in the protests. Most are not rich, many are not from Bangkok. And many are protesting in areas all over the country. So this is not just about Bangkok.

This is not a class war, though some like to portray it as such. Especially the red shirts. This is about getting rid of corruption and politicians who try to do things against the rules (i.e. the amnesty bill, the rice pledging scheme, the water manager bill, the 2T Baht infrastructure bill, etc).

Saying this is rich vs. poor is a ploy by the red shirts. I don't know of one of their leaders who is truly poor. They've done a great job conning the Issan masses.

Hmmm...what's poor and downtrodden, about Thaksin and his clan?

All I see, is smoke and mirrors. One side of rich, privileged, power hungry individuals against the other side of rich, privileged and power hungry individuals.

Both sides, have been really successful, in convincing the masses, that it is their fight, when in reality, it is just a battle, over who has their snouts in the money trough.

This is about the elite, fighting the elite. This is not a class struggle. Billionaires on one side, against billionaires on the other side, fighting over who gets all the corruption cash.

The people are caught in the middle, on both sides, being fed BS lies, from both sides.

One day, the people will wake up to another truth and then watch out, you rich, arrogant Bas...., on both sides

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

No they start when they begin to become part of the poor and down trodden.

Yes, we know who suffers the most from oppressive policies, but it is most often the middle class who set things in motion and elicit results. Example: Slavery was nearly worldwide scourge and big business up until about 160 years ago (yes, it still goes on, but on smaller scale). The one most effective movement to abolish slavery was started in England and was comprised of a relatively small group of middle class activists. From there, the movement garnered strength in the USA.

I live in a small soi in a 100% Thai working-class neighborhood in Bangkok - no well-heeled elite here. Virtually all my neighbors went to join the walk on 9 December.

Just pathetic it does not matter how many THAIS turned up to protest it shows the normally stay at home group have just had enough of Thaksins hold on power and his corruption via PT

I can’t believe how many on TVisa are adamant to support a megalomaniac criminal that is running a Country while on the run …ITS IDIOTIC PEOPLE AND WRONG

Good for Suthep …it is now that matters and I for one hope he keeps the pressure on as it will be good for Thailand..hope all Shinawatras will run off into

Exile .

Thaksins Republic would be a complete disaster for the average Thai …but what would donkey tourist’s blabbing on a forum know or care about that …they don’t live here

Well heeled? They all wear flip flops.

This faux snobbery is getting unbearable. And these idiots build houses on a sinking city and think they are smart?

It's nice to have an illusion. Let them be well heeled in their lunchtime.

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

And fascism was (arguably) the radicalism of the lower middle class. Of course, there have been progressive movements lead by middle class activists, but are you honestly saying this is true of Suthep's group? What if the 'poor and down trodden' don't want them to 'rise on their behalf'?

As the author of the piece asks, what gives these people the right to speak for all of Thailand? Your theory that they're rising on behalf of the poor would still be an example of exactly that sort of arrogance if it were true. But it isn't.

Pravit, if this was a letter the low class postman would not deliver it.

Is Pravit guilty of presuming to speak for the "poor and downtrodden"? What gives this poor-little-rich-boy the right to do that? How does he know that if the "elite" Democrats presented sound and sensible policies (yes, I know - dream on) that would genuinely reform the country and move it forward, that the rural masses still would not vote for them? He undersells the rural masses. And patronises them. BTW, if the rural masses are so rabidly fervent in their love of Thaksin and so opposed to the Bkk elite, then they seem to be having trouble showing it right now.

Pravit's not speaking for anyone other than himself. He's asking others not to speak for him. He doesn't claim anywhere in the article that poor people wouldn't vote for the Democrats - obviously they already do, especially in the South. He's merely saying that rural people have as much right to be heard as Suthep's group. I fail to see how that is patronising, think you've totally mischaracterized his argument tbh.

Hmmm...what's poor and downtrodden, about Thaksin and his clan?

All I see, is smoke and mirrors. One side of rich, privileged, power hungry individuals against the other side of rich, privileged and power hungry individuals.

Both sides, have been really successful, in convincing the masses, that it is their fight, when in reality, it is just a battle, over who has their snouts in the money trough.

This is about the elite, fighting the elite. This is not a class struggle. Billionaires on one side, against billionaires on the other side, fighting over who gets all the corruption cash.

The people are caught in the middle, on both sides, being fed BS lies, from both sides.

One day, the people will wake up to another truth and then watch out, you rich, arrogant Bas...., on both sides

Well written, but let me correct you. It's a billionaires on one side against a billionaire on the other. One side is out for power and corruption which sounds not very nice but business as usual in LOS while the other guy pretending to be the next messiah is fighting for total control and getting ALL the power in ONE hands and that is plain scary.

Makes me wish I knew more Thai.
As of now, this is the only argument that I've heard on either side that's addressed classism directly (well, except for the attacks on the Shinawataras' wealth). And I thought yours touched on the very sort of disdain that you're accusing the other side of displaying.

Do you really think everyone in the opposition has maids and servants and sex workers at their beck and call? Come on.

Good points points on democracy but a lot of loose hyperbole in the mix.

While Suthep is known for getting carried away in his speeches his protest is the one out there trying to fix something which is not right. If there is a very large part of population disagreeing with what he does his enemies would utilise it a long time ago. Everywhere i go i see people watching blue sky tv bangkok and provinces. And I do believe majority of thais following this political drama want a genuine change which he is promising .