Taking voting rights away from poor and uneducated not the answer: Thai election commissioner

[pxlgirl]

... taking vote rights from the poor and uneducated... I wonder if the rich and (un)educated, who were lucky enough to buy their degrees would fall in the same category?

[retsdon]

Sad to say, but in 15 years the only educated Thai I've ever met was a noodle seller. And he was a remarkable individual who'd undertaken his own education - he had a burning passion for reading and learning. But other than the late lamented Mr Sagoen, I've never met a Thai with the general scientific, historical, of geographical knowledge of an average western 12 year old. And I've met and worked with a lot of locals, including quite a few sporting MAs or PHDs from overseas universities.

The education system in Thailand is, and has always been, a crying disgrace and is, along with the lack of a proper legal system, at the root of the current political crisis. And that goes for both sides equally.

[thailiketoo]

Not sure I understand this vote buying. I can accept 500 baht from each side or whoever is handing out the baht, then when I step behind the curtain to vote, pick whoever I want. Payment just ensures turnout not support, does it not ? width=20 alt=blink.png pagespeed_url_hash=3007605675>

Not quite that simple.

Many folks would be frightened to not vote for the mob who gave them cash.

Plus there was an incident a little while back where the polling booth officials, at many polling places, placed the cubicles, no curtains, where it was possible for officials or whoever to get a view of where the voting marks were being written.

I believe for your post to be more than a little known fact that it should be documented with numbers. As far as I know the reds paid reds to vote red and that is that.

No need for data, it's been mentioned in full detail many times before on this forum.

As far as I know the reds paid reds to vote red and that is that. No data ever presented that mentioned any one being successful at converting red votes to yellow votes or vice versa. The Red shirts didn't go the the chic condos in Bangkok and convert yuppies to vote for the current government. Vote buying turns out votes and does not change votes. That's the data that has been presented here many times.

If vote buying could change electoral results we would not have people in the streets now. The rich folk have more money than the poor folk and the rich folk are the ones backing the current protests. They don't want elections because they can't buy enough votes to swing the election that's why they want some rich folks council to run the country without elections.

[PlastikbinLina]

Most of the northern (poor and uneducated) voters are lao and most of the hookers in Bangkok come from there too.

I've been with a lot of prostitutes in BKK like I know many of you have and they aren't as dumb as you think. The only good thing is that they are poor so they go into prostitution for us.

But I also don't blame the elites, if I was a Thai elite I would be extremely unhappy losing power to these lowly people.

What a paradox!

*Spelling mistake

This is the most disgraceful opinion I have read on this subject. Lowly people? Can't blame the elites? Could I ask what rock you crawled out from under?

[thailiketoo]

Sad to say, but in 15 years the only educated Thai I've ever met was a noodle seller. And he was a remarkable individual who'd undertaken his own education - he had a burning passion for reading and learning. But other than the late lamented Mr Sagoen, I've never met a Thai with the general scientific, historical, of geographical knowledge of an average western 12 year old. And I've met and worked with a lot of locals, including quite a few sporting MAs or PHDs from overseas universities.

The education system in Thailand is, and has always been, a crying disgrace and is, along with the lack of a proper legal system, at the root of the current political crisis. And that goes for both sides equally.

Tell it to your doctor, or airplane pilot or architect or engineer all of whom were educated in Thailand.

The root of the problem is a free press. Corruption only exists under wraps and behind closed doors.

A judge is just as easy to buy as a cop. However newspaper reporters are different. They get paid to expose people. They enjoy exposing people. Something about people getting into journalism that makes them want to shine a light into dark places.

[whybother]

As far as I know the reds paid reds to vote red and that is that. No data ever presented that mentioned any one being successful at converting red votes to yellow votes or vice versa. The Red shirts didn't go the the chic condos in Bangkok and convert yuppies to vote for the current government. Vote buying turns out votes and does not change votes. That's the data that has been presented here many times.

If vote buying could change electoral results we would not have people in the streets now. The rich folk have more money than the poor folk and the rich folk are the ones backing the current protests. They don't want elections because they can't buy enough votes to swing the election that's why they want some rich folks council to run the country without elections.

Do you really think that it is the poor folk that are doing the vote buying? Or maybe you don't think that Thaksin is not rich, or that the business people and politicians in the North East that support Thaksin are are not rich.

[applez]

Most of the northern (poor and uneducated) voters are lao and most of the hookers in Bangkok come from there too.

I've been with a lot of prostitutes in BKK like I know many of you have and they aren't as dumb as you think. The only good thing is that they are poor so they go into prostitution for us.

But I also don't blame the elites, if I was a Thai elite I would be extremely unhappy losing power to these lowly people.

What a paradox!

*Spelling mistake

This is the most disgraceful opinion I have read on this subject. Lowly people? Can't blame the elites? Could I ask what rock you crawled out from under?

Sorry! I wasn't clear enough before but that comment was meant from the perspective of a Thai elite not my own.

I don't think of them as lowly, I mean I have been with a lot of prostitutes who are from there

[Sayonarax]

Over past weeks, more and more anti-government protesters have been heard saying that perhaps people without a degree or those too poor to pay income tax should not be allowed to vote as they are either too gullible or prone to selling their votes.

As the vast majority of those out there protesting are not rich and do not have degrees I don't see where he gets that one.

There have been a few that have suggested that but I doubt ant of them are out on the street, rather sitting in their ivory towers thinking only of themselves.

"I don't agree with that," said Somchai, who is in charge of election administration. "Highly educated people can also be selfish and take advantage of society. They can also use their education and knowledge to open up new ways to engage in corruption. The argument that [better educated and wealthier] urban citizens should have more rights than provincial folks is just unacceptable."

He is dead right on that one and we have seen a wonderful example in the last 2 years of the PT Govt

The rest he has got right as well.

However this time round the ordinary people are out there demanding change and are not prepared to leave it to the politicians.

A vast majority? put the carton of beer down Robby your talking rubbish.

[thailiketoo]

As far as I know the reds paid reds to vote red and that is that. No data ever presented that mentioned any one being successful at converting red votes to yellow votes or vice versa. The Red shirts didn't go the the chic condos in Bangkok and convert yuppies to vote for the current government. Vote buying turns out votes and does not change votes. That's the data that has been presented here many times.

If vote buying could change electoral results we would not have people in the streets now. The rich folk have more money than the poor folk and the rich folk are the ones backing the current protests. They don't want elections because they can't buy enough votes to swing the election that's why they want some rich folks council to run the country without elections.

Do you really think that it is the poor folk that are doing the vote buying? Or maybe you don't think that Thaksin is not rich, or that the business people and politicians in the North East that support Thaksin are are not rich.

A better discussion here http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/world/asia/in-thailand-rallying-cry-is-against-too-much-democracy.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=0

Suffice it to say the party out of power at the moment has ten times the bucks as the party in power.

If the votes were really for sale there would not be anyone in the streets right now.

[biggles45]

In Australia we have compulsory voting in Federal, State and local elections. Don't vote, get a fine. We probably have a lot of folk whose education is very poor and their understanding of politics is minimal, but we actually MAKE them vote !!!