Nida Poll: most people disagree with protests against government and NCPO

[glenmohr]

@ Northern John.

You refer to voting and voters in Thailand being paid for their vote.

In some countries it is euphemistically called advertising.

In others it is called treating.

In Thailand the term is vote buying.

But that is such a simplistic and misleading term.

The practice in Thailand is much as the same as anywhere else. The potential voters are besieged by enticement.

However you should be aware that much of the voting is done in private. This has lead to the practice of folk taking money from one candidate and voting for his/ her opponent. Not only in Thailand. This practice is also common in Philippines where the head of the Catholic Church urged his followers to take the money and then vote with their conscience.

Independent studies have shown that in the region around Bangkok many voters took money from the Democrat candidates at the last election and then voted for Pheu Thai. Some prominent Democrats claim that they actually outspent the Pheu Thai. But it is not vote buying, it is enticement and treating, because the subsequent voting is done in private.

However because of the results in recent Thai elections, we are unlikely to see another election under universal suffrage in our lifetime, the wrong candidates keep on winning.

[jerojero]

Poll? Hello. Tell me your name and address, and whether you disagree with the current Government. Thank you. Your disagreement is well noted. .... Farce poll... .

Edited July 15, 2015 by jerojero