Just wondering, does it matter if PTP wins with let's say 30 million votes to 10 million votes for the rest or that they win with 3 million votes and 750.000 for the rest? In both cases they will have 75% of the votes. Anybody?

Yes, it matters big time!

They had a majority last time, simply as a message they need more voters this time. A low vote of 3 million would let any coup mongers know there is apathy, and they'd have confidence to bring out the guns and install the Dems in power at gun point*.

But if she gets more votes, then its a clear message to them, that they don't have enough guns to install the yellows. Plus their soldiers are voters too. Soldiers are drawn from the people and have a similar voting demographic kept in check by peer pressure and discipline. Well sort of. The guy whose building my patio is recalled to the army from leave, and when the video of the protestor shooting was on TV, he cheered. He's from Isan originally, he hates the protestors and resents being recalled, so his attitude is no surprise.

The Supreme Commander reminded them of this when he said the military would follow the constitution to support elections as strong law was needed to keep his hundreds of thousands of armed men in check.

You can see why it matters, even if the votes aren't needed to win seats, they're needed to maintain democracy in this environment. I think the most telling thing was the spontaneous small pockets of angry voters taking on the protestors and the EC.

* Expect propaganda too. If 30 million voted last time, and only 15 million voted this time, expect the Democrats propaganda machine to pretend they have the support of those 15 million and thus an imaginary majority. Even if they can't stop the vote, there's a damn good reason they're trying to stop the voters.

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by BlueNoseCodger

So - respect my vote, but not yours/ New rallying cry of the PDRC/Dems

Leaders sneaking in to VOTE!!!!!! Incredible incredible incredilbe. Not often I am lost for words

truly stomach churning

Apparently not true:

Gene Chongnang ‏@chapter365 13h

@andrewspoooner As the person who originally tweeted this pic, I'd like to correct that he went to close the polling station, not to vote.

Seems that Gene was there and took the picture so I guess she'd know best. Doesn't really make a difference what the truth is though. If he did vote - well, it's not much of a surprise that many of these people are duplicitous and don't practice what they preach. I guess AV and Korn etc will be voting next weekend? They run the risk of losing the right to compete in the next election if they don't.

Originally from another poster. Should be posted everywhere. This woman wants to vote. It doesn't take a knowledge of Thai to understand.

Like the fight for the right to vote in the U.S. South....I get chills!

(the good kind)

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by mamypoko

Imagine if white people in America tried to block black people from voting, or vice versa, would you expect any violence??

What if I went to block someone from voting in Thailand? Sorry, but I'd expect to catch a pretty severe beating..

Here is another video of a woman trying to cast her vote. This is what they did to her. How would you describe the protesters actions?

These protesters must be totally brainwashed to act like that.

How can anyone in his right mind (and that includes many farangs on this forum) support Suthep and these yellow extremists is beyond me.

But the good thing with these images and videos circulating is that it will rally more and more people around Yingluck

Sent from my iPhone...

These so called protesters are nothing but a bunch of undemocratic thugs and bullies.

For those trying to vote, please take photographs or videos of those yellow shirt idiots blocking the voting booths, post them online so they can be identified by the police and name and shamed.

At the same time can they please photograph the "Red' thugs who shot and killed a man and those same 'thugs' who viciously beat a man in the back of a pick-up.

Oh! and also the police who stood around doing nothing. Sorry for such a tall order!

Somebody did. It went viral on youtube and twitter.

Sadly it also shows gun fire coming from the speaker truck near the beginning. Sure shooting at the reds sure won't have calmed the situation will it.

Please, some of you, read, google and tweet more. Really embarrassing posts yesterday from the yellow side.

It's rich coming from you. Perhaps you'd better take off your red tainted glasses so you could see objectively what is going on around you. You aren't particularly intelligent, are you? 3,000 extra judicial killings, death squads, 20 human rights activists assassinated under Thaksin and Chalerm's watch should tell you few things, shouldn't it? Go on, resume propaganda rants. Silly.

Has the good General, who is at this time admonishing the police, said anything to caution the protesters? Maybe he could tell them to shut up and go home. Just a thought.

You want to vote?

gloriously staged picture by the reds to make the anti's look bad

the guy being strangled should be on Thai soaps at 6pm, his acting is so poor

Comments like this makes me puke on the floor. Poster like you and the ones wearing red glasses are a shame to this forum.

‏‏@go6tv 23m คนไปออกเสียงโดนฝูงสัตว์ป่าทำร้าย https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=815830225097302&set=pb.173829542630710.-2207520000.1390792925.&type=3&theater … pic.twitter.com/BsdaJj5dfZ

Still staged huh? Still a poor actor huh?

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by newcomer71

The next Sunday, with millions of voters around polling stations, the picture would be different - the protesters will be chased away by ungry citisens

How wrong you are. Hired insurgents will murder and maim but the citizens will do jack.

These so called protesters are nothing but a bunch of undemocratic thugs and bullies.

For those trying to vote, please take photographs or videos of those yellow shirt idiots blocking the voting booths, post them online so they can be identified by the police and name and shamed.

what police ?

it's a sad day for Thailand. Many expats (should) know better, both sides are flawed and wouldn't qualify to run a country according to western standards. It could have been so easy, both sides run election campaigns and let the people decide which of the two evils would govern the country. In case of concerns about "vote buying", the yellows could easily double the "reward", regarding the current spendings on the protests Seriously though, with a little common sense it is obvious that each side holds on to their very strong political views. At the end of the day, they'd vote for whoever they support and for most, "pocket money" won't make them change their minds.

it's a sad day for Thailand. Many expats (should) know better, both sides are flawed and wouldn't qualify to run a country according to western standards. It could have been so easy, both sides run election campaigns and let the people decide which of the two evils would govern the country. In case of concerns about "vote buying", the yellows could easily double the "reward", regarding the current spendings on the protests Seriously though, with a little common sense it is obvious that each side holds on to their very strong political views. At the end of the day, they'd vote for whoever they support and for most, "pocket money" won't make them change their minds.

Common sense doesn't really matter in a society, where FACE and Status is more important than the actual well being...

You want to vote?

gloriously staged picture by the reds to make the anti's look bad

the guy being strangled should be on Thai soaps at 6pm, his acting is so poor

Haha that was my very first thought as well.....

Both of the political factions are facing the wrong direction and running as fast as they can, towards a bleak and pitiless horizon. The problem is that they are dragging the rest of us along with them. Destination anarchy is inevitable when Democracy is blocked as in the OP. Everyone should be allowed to vote, and if Suthep&co want to win elections, they should re-brand their party campaign and policy vows to appeal to more people across the spectrum. Simply blocking voting doesn't bring reform, it brings further instability and bitterness. Its a cheap shot, and wide of the mark too.

I agree with you, especially as regards the Democrats actually getting themselves a good political platform and actually winning votes.

But the question I have is, do you really want the Shinawatras to continue plundering this country? If they get reelected now (before any meaningful reforms), you just know they will be like a steamroller, unstoppable and doing whatever they want.

The amnisty bill will be back when the 6 month time limit runs out, and viola, at 12:01 am on the first day it becomes viable, the PTP will bring it up and PASS it.

And let's not forget that 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure load they want. It will be gone, with little or nothing to show for it, faster than you can say abracadabra. Leaving Thailand with 50 plus years of debt.

Something has to be done to stop them.

An inflammatory posts all in caps removed also a quoted reply

Wow. now that is an image. Real revolution anybody.!

If this is not the viral image of the day, I'll eat sutheps vest!!! Stunning and wall done to the artist who I would love to credit

I've just seen the video of this incident - rather ridiculous really...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qt9Ynogftk

Very apt picture actually. They had the revaluation because they wanted a leader that ruled by popular consent and not hereditary right. Fair enough I think. They got Louis Phillipe. 18 years latter the same people had another revolution because Louise Phillipe ensured only 1% of the population could vote, privileged groups were favored and he also banned protests. Even his own supporters turned against him. So the picture does perfectly describe not the present position of Thailand, but the future of Thailand which is why reform is needed.

Brilliant example of what is to come. Hope the irony of it is highlighted when it becomes a viral hit. I am sure Suthep would love to get that picture out too.

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by djjamie

Some shouted at him that he was Thaksin's slave and did not love His Majesty the King.

Are the PDRC supporters who block polling places suggesting that the king supports this practice and supports their philosophy?

One post linking to a commercial web page in Thai removed

These so called protesters are nothing but a bunch of undemocratic thugs and bullies.

For those trying to vote, please take photographs or videos of those yellow shirt idiots blocking the voting booths, post them online so they can be identified by the police and name and shamed.

And you call selling you votes for money and murdering those who oppose you democratic?

If you had taken 5 minutes to actually learn about the last vote, you would soon discover that the ruling party did not resort to that tactic. The one simple proof is that they where allowed to keep their victory even as the opposition where hellbent on getting them dissolved again. Abhisits old bedfellows like Newin on the other hand...

An off topic post attempting to derail the topic into another discussion of Thaksin's war on drugs has been removed.

Must be tough, to have to do without the 800 Baht, they pay for your vote. Especially, since most people, already had it spent, before they would receive it.

Cheap round for Phuea Thai.

Are you sure it was not 837.50 bath and a chicken?

Originally from another poster. Should be posted everywhere. This woman wants to vote. It doesn't take a knowledge of Thai to understand.

Well done that woman !! A real hero.

And every thug around her trying to stop her vote should be arrested.

In my opinion.

An election held under an SOE isn't going to have any legitimacy anyway. There needs to be some kind of mediated settlement, or other end to the protest and SOE, before Thailand can have a reasonably fair (at least by Thai standards) election.

It is interesting that if you look at the map on this page and read the conditions of the 2007 Coup Appointed Leaders referendum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_constitutional_referendum,_2007

.

Apparently not true:

Gene Chongnang ‏@chapter365 13h

@andrewspoooner As the person who originally tweeted this pic, I'd like to correct that he went to close the polling station, not to vote.

Seems that Gene was there and took the picture so I guess she'd know best. Doesn't really make a difference what the truth is though. If he did vote - well, it's not much of a surprise that many of these people are duplicitous and don't practice what they preach. I guess AV and Korn etc will be voting next weekend? They run the risk of losing the right to compete in the next election if they don't.

"I guess AV and Korn etc will be voting next weekend? They run the risk of losing the right to compete in the next election if they don't."

I think that's a given, abhisit doesn't know how to give up politicking, must be the self belief. It will probably be a stealth vote though, can't see this type of Happy Snappy occurring. Mind you it would it quite amusing to see khun mark climbing over a polling station fence to register his right to vote, whilst denying everybody else's rights by virtue of his anti democratic background support.

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by fab4

Are the protesters shooting themselves in the foot by boycotting voting

Post removed, please do not post with Thai language and do not post in annoying fonts, thanks. We can get the message with out it being bold and large fonts. cheers

It's time they sell the XanaX over the counter again ...

Both of the political factions are facing the wrong direction and running as fast as they can, towards a bleak and pitiless horizon. The problem is that they are dragging the rest of us along with them. Destination anarchy is inevitable when Democracy is blocked as in the OP. Everyone should be allowed to vote, and if Suthep&co want to win elections, they should re-brand their party campaign and policy vows to appeal to more people across the spectrum. Simply blocking voting doesn't bring reform, it brings further instability and bitterness. Its a cheap shot, and wide of the mark too.

I agree with you, especially as regards the Democrats actually getting themselves a good political platform and actually winning votes.

But the question I have is, do you really want the Shinawatras to continue plundering this country? If they get reelected now (before any meaningful reforms), you just know they will be like a steamroller, unstoppable and doing whatever they want.

The amnisty bill will be back when the 6 month time limit runs out, and viola, at 12:01 am on the first day it becomes viable, the PTP will bring it up and PASS it.

And let's not forget that 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure load they want. It will be gone, with little or nothing to show for it, faster than you can say abracadabra. Leaving Thailand with 50 plus years of debt.

Something has to be done to stop them.

The question is what actually can be done about them. End of vote buying ? Doesn't matter they will still win an election. They did carry out 'reform' using the 2007 constitution but quickly found out that voters continued voting for Thaksin's party in great numbers. The democrats are still clueless as to why, it isn't vote buying that is beyond any doubt.

It is amusing to see how they failed to handle the problem with a new constitution and apparently want another chance to do it again, without any electoral backing whatsoever. Why do you believe they will get it right this time, and more importantly at which price ? The end of one man one vote ? A partially appointed lower house ?

If they want reform, they need to run for office, so that they could gain proper electoral support for these reforms, if they fail to gain this support, no reform, just as it should work in a democracy.

You want to vote?

gloriously staged picture by the reds to make the anti's look bad

the guy being strangled should be on Thai soaps at 6pm, his acting is so poor

Picture number 2 with the same guy real enough for you?

As been said before these are not amateur photos, but come from the official "The Nation" photographer twitter feed

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by firestar

As long as your conjugal rights aren't affected i wouldn't be to bothered which of the corrupt bunch you try to put in power, or do you really think that any party in this country gives two flying farts what happens to you after you have given up your vote?