Here at New Mandala we are gearing up for Thailand’s election on Sunday, 3 July 2011. It promises to be a particularly busy night and, as ever, we welcome anecdote, commentary, analysis, photos, video and any other materials from guest contributors. As results come in, Andrew Walker and I will be ably assisted by the rest of the New Mandala team from our base in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.
Some details on our plans have been reported on the main ANU website. And further information on the kinds of materials we are particularly keen to publish on the night are available here.
Meanwhile there is still action in Burma, important news from Cambodia and all manner of other things to keep us busy. But on Sunday night attention will shift completely to Thailand’s election and the question on everyone’s lips: can Yingluck Shinawatra and Pheua Thai win well enough to stitch together a new government?
My father-in-law has had remunerative offers to “canvas” from the three major parties so far.
I am told he has turned them all down….
I’ll pay a visit to the local polling station on Sunday in the off chance that this is an historical event. However I suspect its “plus ca meme chose”
No mention on your website about Sean Crispins latest gossip? It’s been quite a week for gossip…
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MF30Ae01.html
I hope you’re not self-censoring like the BKK Post did this morning! π
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Not sure if you’re aware but there was a brief interruption with Twitter courtesy of the MICT around an hour or two ago.
[For an example check the twit feeds for @freakingcat, @supinya, and others]
Things seem to be back to normal (apparently a “technical glitch”), but I’m wondering if this is some sort of rehersal for the supposed social media/political clampdown from 6pm tomorrow onwards til the end of polling? After all, Thaksin banned entry and exit polls when he was PM, if anyone remembers?
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Just remember that political blogging/social media and similar crimes against humanity are BANNED from 6pm tonight π
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From TFRhoden on twitter: classic!: Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ½ΡββΡβΠ₯ΡββΡβΠΡβΠΡβ£ΠΡβ£ΠΡβΠ½ΡββΡβΠ±ΡββΡβ£ΠΡβΠ§Ρβ£ΠΡββΡβ£ΠΡβΠ³ Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ½ΡββΡβ£ΠΡβ£Π…Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ₯Ρβ£ΠΡβ£ΠΡβΠͺΡβΠ½ΡβΠ³Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ©ΡββΡβ£ΠΡβΠ©Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ«Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ΅ΡβΠ²Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ±Ρβ£ΠΡβΠ±Ρββ‘, lady takes Ρββ from PumJai but votes PueaThai http://t.co/Aibu4AK @newmandala
The Aljazeera report is well worth a look.
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Thanks for the link to Crispin, it always seemed that some sort of deal was the only way forward. Neither side has total ascendancy, they just need to agree to get what they really want and let smaller matters slide.
One thing though, as much as the army was happy to gun down the reds in Bangkok, Taksin was also happy to put them there knowing what the end result would likely be…he is just as culpable.
I prefer life as an observer in the great farce whether Thai politics, Bankster fraud or brain dead Aussie politics. This blog helps unveil some of that smoke.
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Update at the night before election:
– Thousands of people esp. from North, Northeast, are stuck at the bus station in Bangkok as there are not enough buses to go back home.
The MD of Bus Transportation denied responsibility claiming he didn’t expect this number of people, also the EC didn’t ask him to prepare the buses.
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Billy Budd – 1
I have my doubt on Crispin’s sources and the motives (of his sources). Though I would not deny that this is a very interesting gossip, I would try to balance my judment and weigh this type of analysis. It’s getting more intriguing now that the yellow shirts have split up and started plotting the plans/stories against one another. More rumours have risen over the past week and they have gotten more and more intense as we are approaching the the election day. It will be even more interesting to see how things will actually turn out in the coming days and months after the election results.
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