Voters go to the polls to elect their senators

[Lite Beer]

Voters go to the polls to elect their senators

BANGKOK: -- Thais across the country went to the polls since 8 a.m. Sunday morning to elect their representatives to the Senate.

In Bangkok, Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.

The EC has mobilized more than one million people to work at 93,618 polling stations throughout the country to supervise the election and to make sure that it goes on smoothly.

As far as security is concerned, the EC has the three armed forces, the National Police Office and the Interior Ministry to be on the standby to help out in case there are untoward incidents at some polling stations.

Mr Supachai said he expected unofficial result of the election to be known at about 8 pm from about 95 percent of the polling stations. Any people of have any legal questions about the election can call 1171.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/voters-go-polls-elect-senators/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=voters-go-polls-elect-senators

-- Thai PBS 2014-03-30

[WoopyDoo]

'Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.'

That rules out Kwanchai's wife then.

But then again, the morons will vote her in anyway. Look at the totally unqualified government they put into power.

Also the EC ought not to bother about asking kindly not to sell their votes. They need to threaten them with prison and the campaigners who are paying, and ultimately the removal and instant imprisonment.of the candidate they were paid to vote for... (5 years prison should do it).

[davehowden]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

[Roadman]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

That's why Yingluck was chosen as the puppet of Thailand....she meets the first criteria of good Thai selection after endless diets of brainless Thai soapies....she is good looking and presentable....pity that she chooses her blood over mainstream values and morals. Some of the worlds best leaders have not been highly educated but could understand the need for the application of main stream morals and values for higher gain. Hopefully the Senate elections put forward people who want to see reform. So one would hope the reformists are all good looking. Edited March 30, 2014 by Roadman

[Pib]

My wife is still trying to decide this morning...ain't got a clue about any of the candidates even though she got the election brochure in front of her showing all the candidates with info on them...has had that brochure for a week now. She even just got off the phone 5 minutes ago asking a friend who she is going to vote for....the friend said she not going to vote as she went to a nearby province today to visit family. But the friend did say she usually votes for the person who has the nicest face. I think the wife will finally decide on who to vote for (or should I say what number to vote for) by looking at vehicle license plates numbers as she walks over the the polling tents in our moobaan....somehow she's figure out a lucky number to use in selecting which number (candidate) she votes for.

[Old Man River]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

Not my wife. She understands politics and voted for the one she wanted.

There you have it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[WoopyDoo]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

Not my wife. She understands politics and voted for the one she wanted.

There you have it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

If she understands politics at least we have one Thai voting for the 'non Thaksin' leaning candidate then.

Edited March 30, 2014 by WoopyDoo

[Thailand]

'Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.'

That rules out Kwanchai's wife then.

But then again, the morons will vote her in anyway. Look at the totally unqualified government they put into power.

Also the EC ought not to bother about asking kindly not to sell their votes. They need to threaten them with prison and the campaigners who are paying, and ultimately the removal and instant imprisonment.of the candidate they were paid to vote for... (5 years prison should do it).

So your opinion of Thais is that they are all morons?

[Lite Beer]

EC expects 70% turnout for Senate election
By English News

BANGKOK, March 30 - The Election Commission (EC) chairman said he expects greater than 70 per cent of voter turnout as the Senate election kicked off today nationwide.

EC chairman Supachai Somcharoen made his remarks as he cast his ballot this morning in Nonthaburi province and inspected the poll station there.

He said he has not been informed of any disruption during the Sunday election and believes that the polling will run smoothly.

Mr Somchai said he hoped for more than 70 per cent of voters to come out to exercise their rights, as targeted by the poll agency.

"I urge that the election goes smoothly, as today is an important day that the voters will use their rights to choose their representatives, who will act impartially on their behalf to scrutinise the government and independent agencies, as well as impeach any political holders for their malfeasance, " said the EC chairman.

Mr Somchai is scheduled to inspect other poll booths in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi provinces before returning to the EC headquarters in Bangkok's Chaeng Wattana area in the evening to monitor the overall situation. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-03-30

[WoopyDoo]

70% turnout?

In your dreams mate.

Most Thais don't even know what a senator is let alone who to vote for.

This is really a vote for 'checks and balances' and true democracy, not the fake and corrupted version that the PTP/UDD/Reds support.

It is a very important election, more so than the general elections. I bet the people don't understand this.

[rheinwiese]

'Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.'

My parents in law were paid 300 Bt each yesterday in Samutprakarn.

The candidate went from door to door handing over money to voters.

So much for clean polls.

[WoopyDoo]

'Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.'

My parents in law were paid 300 Bt each yesterday in Samutprakarn.

The candidate went from door to door handing over money to voters.

So much for clean polls.

Thaksin's money no doubt.

[Old Man River]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

Not my wife. She understands politics and voted for the one she wanted.

There you have it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

If she understands politics at least we have one Thai voting for the 'non Thaksin' leaning candidate then.

More than one.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[djjamie]

'Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.'

That rules out Kwanchai's wife then.

But then again, the morons will vote her in anyway. Look at the totally unqualified government they put into power.

Also the EC ought not to bother about asking kindly not to sell their votes. They need to threaten them with prison and the campaigners who are paying, and ultimately the removal and instant imprisonment.of the candidate they were paid to vote for... (5 years prison should do it).

So your opinion of Thais is that they are all morons?

A survey conducted by the Research Center at Bangkok University or Bangkok Poll on 1,090 eligible voters of all educational levels and occupations nationwide asked whether they would cast a vote on that day, 55.9% said they would, 18.8% would not, saying they had other work to do, and 25.3% had not yet decided.

Two-thirds or 64.3% admitted they did not know about senators’ role in parliament so only 35.7% could point out that the Senate was duty bound to deliberate bills, examine the government’s work and scrutinize state budgets.

Courtesy of http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/poll-reveals-majority-voters-know-senators-key-job-parliament/

So if the argument is it is not a true cross section and farmers are not fairly represented then one could extrapolate the 64.3% that did not know what a senator did would be much higher.

I thoroughly look forward to see if the reality of the voter turn out is aligned with these polls. The EC seem to think it is.

And if Ms. Arphon Sarakham, the wife of Mr. Kwanchai Praipana is elected senator then this also reinforces that the poll is correct when the majority have no ideas what a senators role is or alternatively it highlights the strength of the brutal terrorists reach in permeating the minds of innocent folk in the teachings of hatred and evil.

One cannot look past the terrorist wife's activities previously. She hid her husband from the law and smuggled him across the border to escape prosecution. This is a women that has the potential of holding a seat in the senate were she has the power to pass the very laws she helped her husband escape from. One could suggest she will not work in an unbiased manner for the good of the people. And to answer this then one need not look past the amnesty bill. The parliament were supposed to represent their electorate, but voted 307-0 to push it through. That 307-0 vote did not represent 61% of the population that did not want that amnesty bill. It did represent what thaksin wanted. Now had the senate been filled with terrorists and criminals and law breakers then a dumby could see that the amnesty would have passed through the senate as well. Irrespective of what the majority wanted.

As it stands now the majority are held in contempt by the PTP. The farmers are fake, the monks are fake and in fact and you are ignored or intimidated if you are against the PTP even if you voted for them! In the words of G.Bush "if you're not with us you're against us" is there cry. When that day comes that the senate is a puppet of the PTP then the very people that cheer them now, the UDD and PTP apologists will be thinking…..Why didn't we listen to the 15 principle of democracy supporters.

So today will be telling.

Will a terrorist criminal be voted into the senate and what will be the voter turn out?

Edited March 30, 2014 by djjamie

[Morch]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

That's why Yingluck was chosen as the puppet of Thailand....she meets the first criteria of good Thai selection after endless diets of brainless Thai soapies....she is good looking and presentable....pity that she chooses her blood over mainstream values and morals. Some of the worlds best leaders have not been highly educated but could understand the need for the application of main stream morals and values for higher gain. Hopefully the Senate elections put forward people who want to see reform. So one would hope the reformists are all good looking.

Even the Man in Dubai acknowledged the issue:

"The people with good faces don't come out to defend our party, and those who came out don't have good faces," Mr. Thaksin allegedly complained to the MPs, "Unlike the Democrat Party.

http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1394531497&section=11&typecate=06

[DrTuner]

Not a single member of my family seems to know what a senate is, much less vote for some one. I too come from a country where there is no senate and pretty much fail to see the need for another added layer of corruption.

[Pib]

70% turnout?

In your dreams mate.

Most Thais don't even know what a senator is let alone who to vote for.

This is really a vote for 'checks and balances' and true democracy, not the fake and corrupted version that the PTP/UDD/Reds support.

It is a very important election, more so than the general elections. I bet the people don't understand this.

You got that right....the only place that will get a 70% turnout on a Sunday in Thailand is the malls with KFC getting at least half of that turnout.

[MikeWill]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

Same here.

[Ricardo]

Who cares what the Senate is ... 300B is 300B !

[animatic]

Vote Early and Often!

[Lite Beer]

Widespread Apathy Greets Senate Election

By Khaosod English.

BANGKOK: __ Poll for elected Senate seats opens today to a widely apathetic mood, with election officials admitting that they expect a low turnout.

The election will install 77 Senators - one for each province of Thailand - to the Thai upper house. The other 73 Senators are appointed in accordance with the 2007 Constitution, which abolished the fully-elected house of Senate decreed by the now-defunct 1997 Constitution.

Reports from many provinces suggest that voters are not as enthused as the Election Commission (EC) would have liked, despite the agency's spending on public relations campaigns designed to encourage the voters to go out and vote.

In Pathum Thani province, the voters are so scarce that no line formed at all at the entrance to the ballot station. Some residents, who refuse to be identified by names, told our correspondent they had no wish to vote as there are possibilities that the result might end up being invalidated by the Constitutional Court like the 2 February general election.

Some residents with Chinese descent said they have to skip the ballots due to the annual Chinese tradition of grave-sweeping which require them to travel to their ancestors' graves in upcountry.

The apathy might also owe to restriction concerning the Senate election, such as bans on vote-canvassing campaigns by candidates.

Pol.Lt.Col. Suchart Surasadcha, local EC director in Pathum Thani, said he expected the turn out rate to be as low as 40%, far lower than what EC officially expects, and certainly lower than the 70% turnout for 2 February election.

Turnout is also low in Nakhon Si Thammarat, though an 83-years old woman arrived at the poll station in Phasa School in Mueang district to cast her ballot since the vote opens at 08.00, explaining that she had never missed a single election in her entire life.

Nong Khai province similarly sees little enthusiasm, but upcountry polling stations nevertheless see more voter turnouts than in downtown areas.

EC officials said they have not received any reports of major disturbance at any ballot station, a stark difference to the advance voting and election day for the lower House, which saw violent campaigns by anti-government protesters to scuttle the votes.

The unofficial result of the Senate election is expected to be declared by 20.00 tonight.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1396163815&section=11&typecate=06

-- Khaosod English 2014-03-30

[smedly]

'Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen urged the voters to vote for good and qualified people into the Senate with conscience and without selling their votes.'

That rules out Kwanchai's wife then.

But then again, the morons will vote her in anyway. Look at the totally unqualified government they put into power.

Also the EC ought not to bother about asking kindly not to sell their votes. They need to threaten them with prison and the campaigners who are paying, and ultimately the removal and instant imprisonment.of the candidate they were paid to vote for... (5 years prison should do it).

I would expect Kwanchai's wife to be in court shortly after the election for either lying about her credentials or just simply not qualifying for the strict senate election candidate eligibility, how she is able to stand for senate election is beyond me

[DrTuner]

So, let's see .. no money for voting, and the election will most probably be annulled anyway and another one will be coming up in a few weeks. Not really surprising nobody bothers with the lame circus.

The country needs a dictator, this <deleted> isn't going anywhere.

Thailand is well on it's way to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_state

Edited March 30, 2014 by DrTuner

[Baerboxer]

Who cares what the Senate is ... 300B is 300B !

Yep. MiL went home to vote. The extra money is welcome - especially when you've not been paid for the rice yet, despite all the promises.

[smileydude]

For me the selection of candidates for senators in Samutprakarn leaves much to be desired.

The only details you are provided are their names, education background, current occupation, and past work experience.

You have no idea what their ideology is or how they are qualified to scrutinize parliament.

Samutprakarn is predominantly red and the Asavahame family pretty much calls the shots here. Its like your voting against a wall.

[Artisi]

So, let's see .. no money for voting, and the election will most probably be annulled anyway and another one will be coming up in a few weeks. Not really surprising nobody bothers with the lame circus.

The country needs a dictator, this <deleted> isn't going anywhere.

Thailand is well on it's way to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_state

We have one (a dictator) - a camel herder and criminal fugitive hiding out in the desert - or aren't you up to speed on what has been going on here for the past few years.

[diehard60]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

Not my wife. She understands politics and voted for the one she wanted.

There you have it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

If she understands politics at least we have one Thai voting for the 'non Thaksin' leaning candidate then.

Oh I guess someone like suthep would be much better RIGHT? We need more murderers in all levels of politics.

[diehard60]

So, let's see .. no money for voting, and the election will most probably be annulled anyway and another one will be coming up in a few weeks. Not really surprising nobody bothers with the lame circus.

The country needs a dictator, this <deleted> isn't going anywhere.

Thailand is well on it's way to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_state

We have one (a dictator) - a camel herder and criminal fugitive hiding out in the desert - or aren't you up to speed on what has been going on here for the past few years.

AHHHH he was elected not appointed as a murderer like suthep and abhisit.

[Artisi]

My wife just went off to vote.

"Who are you voting for" I asked?

"The one with the nicest face" she replied.

There you have it I am afraid.

Not my wife. She understands politics and voted for the one she wanted.

There you have it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

If she understands politics at least we have one Thai voting for the 'non Thaksin' leaning candidate then.

Oh I guess someone like suthep would be much better RIGHT? We need more murderers in all levels of politics.

Well you certainly have enough in your beloved red rabble.

[Artisi]

So, let's see .. no money for voting, and the election will most probably be annulled anyway and another one will be coming up in a few weeks. Not really surprising nobody bothers with the lame circus.

The country needs a dictator, this <deleted> isn't going anywhere.

Thailand is well on it's way to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_state

We have one (a dictator) - a camel herder and criminal fugitive hiding out in the desert - or aren't you up to speed on what has been going on here for the past few years.

AHHHH he was elected not appointed as a murderer like suthep and abhisit.

So was Kim Jong-un elected with even a greater margin than your beloved camel herder, so that must make it all ok to be elected in this fashion.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Artisi