Why do so many Thaivisa expats support the anti-government protests?

[Mark Thaiford]

This forum has many contributors commenting on current events to do with the ongoing anti-government protests. The balance between posters criticising the protests and supporting the protests seem fairly even.

I am surprised by the content of posts written by supposed expats on this forum which use the most biased language and in my view hypocritical language to attack the current Thai government. Yingluck is often referred to in clearly misogynist tones, Thaksin consistently referred to as "butcher", "criminal" and "power-mad" plus Suthep is trying to save "democracy" and rid the country of corruption. There may be some truths to the anti-Thaksin rants but you have to be either very biased or very deluded to think Suthep is on a crusade to rid Thailand of corruption or instill "true democracy".

I realise that a lot of posters on the forum in question may not be actual expats but middle-class Thai people who are clearly in the Yellow shirt camp. They are educated and seem able to write posts that are grammatically similar to those of an expat?

However, surely not all of the pro-Suthep posts on this forum can be from Thais - it seems clear that a lot of expats do sympathise with the yellow shirts simply due to volume of posts on this forum.

I may be biased but I would think any Westerner can easily see through the propaganda of the yellow shirts so the expressions of support for them must come from an idea that the yellow shirts will be better for expats? Why?

I cannot believe any educated expat really believes Suthep intends to install a "better kind of democracy". The kind of "democracy" Suthep advocates is so far removed from the kind of democracy we have in the West that I cannot see why any westerner would support it? Unless these westerners really believe in fascism.

Regarding corruption I also doubt any westerner seriously thinks this will change under a Suthep government. Suthep is equal to Thaksin in terms of exercising corruption and any expat who has lived in Thailand for any length of time will know how much it permeates Thai society from top to bottom. Every country has some sort of corruption but Thailand is different in how unashamedly everyone seems to practice it.

So what makes a significant number of expats support the yellow shirts?

Is it because they have middle class wives who have convinced them Thaksin is the spawn of the devil?

Is it because Western expats generally see themselves as part of the Thai middle class and thus see the policies of Yingluck favouring the rural poor as a threat?

I suppose a lot of expats do not like Yingluck's minimum wage of 300 baht - especially if they employ Thais?

I suppose a lot of expats do not like The Thaksin government's initiatives in providing affordable healthcare etc for the great mass of Thais? They may see this as resulting in higher taxation etc?

I still find it weird that some expats take such strong positions against the current government even to the extent of endorsing the disruption currently caused in Bangkok - I would think a lot of expats would find the disruption a nuisance?

Also what do these expats envisage will be the end result of these upheavals?

A Fascist regime which has abolished democracy and resolutely makes sure the poor Northerners know their place?

Who really believes Thailand can turn back the clock like this?

The far more likely alternative is increased instability and thus harder conditions for current and future expats in Thailand.

Why do so many Thaivisa posters seem to have such a strong hatred for the Thaksins? Why do they seem ready to endorse de facto fascism at the expense of democracy? I think people are motivated by dollars and cents and self interest but I fail to see how expats can truly think that in the long term supporting the yellow shirts will benefit the expat community?

[Jingthing]

I don't like either side, but I'm curious, did you live in Thailand when Thaksin was PM? If you did, you probably wouldn't need to ask the kind of questions you're asking.

[Mark Thaiford]

I don't like either side, but I'm curious, did you live in Thailand when Thaksin was PM? If you did, you probably wouldn't need to ask the kind of questions you're asking.

I realise that Thaksin was aiming to achieve dominance over Thai politics when he was PM and I also know he is guilty of corruption and human rights abuses.

I realise that opposition to Thaksin is necessary - him and his family need to have checks and balances against them so they don't succeed in creating a one-party state.

I also understand his human rights abuses in fighting drugs are a concern as is his corruption but he is not alone in facing such charges.

The over-simplified vilification of Thaksin cannot be the only reason why some Thaivisa expats support the anti-government protestors so strongly. There must be other reasons why so many westerners living in Thailand are afraid of Thai democracy and would like to see a dictatorship replace the current government.

Exactly what did Thaksin do to hurt Westerners living in Thailand in particular?

What are the real reasons why so many Westerners care so deeply about these issues? Why do they want to see Thailand in turmoil and possibly even driven into a civil war? Do they think expats will be better off under those conditions?

[MAJIC]

In order to understand your own questions and finding the answers it would be easier if you first understood who really runs Thailand.

[Rooo]

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