Thai Democrats likely to take part in next election: source

[londonthai]

The main reason that the Democrats do not win at the polls is because they do not buy vote.

they do buy votes and they spend the most of the other parties on election campaigns (yes, they have very rich sponsors), but the only way they can get to power is bying elected MP's, as in 2008. The going rate was up to 50mln per head

[shadmo63]

The main reason that the Democrats do not win at the polls is because they do not promise everybody riches with unethical, immoral and unaffordable populist policy bribes!!

Whoever wins the election doesn't matter to me as our school runs the same whoever is in government. If, after the essential reforms (even Yingluck, for that read Thaksin) realises that the people will settle for nothing less than major changes (to outlaw or more realistically, diminish corruption) to be put into place - then the Democrats are much more likely to form the next government and the country can be ruled with competence and honesty.

All PTP do is garner votes from these idiotic scams of theirs and then proceed to abuse them by creaming off a good percentage to enrich themselves. No wonder they wanted less transparency and less obstacles put in the way (in the form of checks and balances) as that would make it more difficult to steal the money!!

^{The main reason that the Democrats do not win at the polls is because they do not buy vote.}

The Democrats won't win until they provide a realistic alternative that appeals to a majority of Thai voters. How is it possible for the current government to stay in power when so inept, corrupt and incompetent? 1. Because the opposition are just as inept, corrupt and incompetent, and 2. In a democracy you always get the government you deserve.

"The best argument against democracy is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

[Blackmirage2013]

Okay.... good idea.... I think the democrats will win...

Their publicity should be that they will support the farmers... start making some promises - that you can deliver on - to help the livelihood of farmers to have sustainable income.

That way we all win and the farmers can stop sending their daughters to Bangkok to work as prostitutes and turn a blind eye...

No wait, I am sure there are many farang men who who would be against this, lols!

[Ricardo]

The main reason that the Democrats do not win at the polls is because they do not buy vote.

they do buy votes and they spend the most of the other parties on election campaigns (yes, they have very rich sponsors), but the only way they can get to power is bying elected MP's, as in 2008. The going rate was up to 50mln per head

And the Shin-led coalition 2011-14 included most of the same minority-party MPs, so how much each did the Shins pay them, do you think ?

It's not acceptable, but it is the way things seem to work, here. Sadly.

[Thailand]

Gambling is illegal in Thailand so perhaps the odds on who is likely to win an election are not available?

I do know that many bookmakers worldwide will make odds on anything so I guess the "Thai election" is well covered, anyone have an inside track on the likes of Ladbrooks, William Hill etc are offering?

[billd766]

the dems came to power in 2008, after pad occupied bangkok airports and forced dissolution of the governing parties.

the pad are now part of pdrc, street boys of democrats

Do you mean the governing party (PPP) who broke the law and were convicted of election fraud and thus the party was dissolved?

Of course if you can prove that they didn't break the law then please go ahead and do so. Even the PPP accepted that fact.

What PAD are you talking about? they went out of fashion a long time ago.

However please don't let the real truth get in the way of the Red Shirt/UDD version of the truth.

The Democrats came to power because the PPP could not form a majority in parliament. Under Thai law if a party cannot for a majority the next biggest party gets a chance. If they fail the next biggest party can try.

Do you EVER research your subject before you write about it?

I have searched:

"Reelections for the 26 constituencies of the banned executive members from the three parties were held on 11 December 2008.^[95]

On 6 December 2008, the opposition Democrat Party announced it had garnered sufficient support from former coalition partners of PPP and their splinters to be able to form a government,^[96][97]while For Thais claimed the same, adding that it had already been joined by more than a third of MPs.^[98] The coalition partners of the Democrat Party appeared to be most of the dissolved parties, the Thai Nation Party and the Neutral Democratic Party, as well as the Thais United National Development Party, the For the Motherland party, and the "Friends of Newin" faction, a splinter of the banned PPP.^[99]

On 15 December 2008, Abhisit Vejjajiva was elected the new Prime Minister.^[100] Army commander and co-leader of the 2006 coup, General Anupong Paochinda, was widely reported to have coerced PPP MPs to defect to the Democrat Party.^[101] PAD leader Khamnoon Sitthisamarn and junta-appointed Senator called Abhisit's premiership a "genuine PAD victory" and a "Anupong-style coup d'etat."^[102] The circumstances of his ascent to power closely linked Abhisit to the Bangkok elite, the Army, and the R"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%9310_Thai_political_crisis#Constitutional_Court_ruling_on_parties.27_dissolution

So the PPP WAS banned and therefore the right to form the next government went to the next largest party which were the Democrats.

A bargain was made (similar to the one made by the PTP in 2011) for other parties to join the Democrat coalition. This enabled the Democrats to become the government completely legally unde the laws and rules of parliament in Thailand. Am I correct so far?

Then we come to your links which are many and may or may not be the truth or speculation but the Democrats were in power until the 2011 election quite legally.

The rest of the links are speculation with NO proof at all.