THB 15,000 starting salary for all university graduates regardless of where employed or by whom employed was promised. Since this won’t be implemented there may be some disappointment.
Immediate rise in the minimum wage to THB300 per day promised. This too won’t be delivered – no matter how fair one might think it is.
Insofar as these two election promises, along with computer pads for all secondary school students, could be taken as an indication of largess in general I suppose it might not matter that much. It’s the thought that counts.
Think that Stuart and HRK have made excellent points. PT needs to somehow survive on a tightrope between warring interests, friendly and unfriendly, tossing a little bit to all.
A worldwide economic collapse, after government stooges for the banksters can no longer kick the can down the road, certainly won’t help Thai exports, tourism etc. It will be an interesting show to watch.
I am overseas and it is hard to surf the web on iPhone. But I read one article on vote- buying with some details on roughly where votebuying is most competitive in Thailand. Something along the line of competition fiercest down south and lots of money spent down there. I can’t find that article again. Anyone read that?
Anyway, the reason why Barry can say only ptp did not buy votes I think is because that particular place is pt territory. My guess is that pt is spending their money in marginal states and down south where winning even 2 seats will badly impact on DP ‘s psyche. I think that’s why more votebuying and more money paidout down south than up north.
Fascinating article and very insightful comments on the drivers of two very different types of global mobility. What is the specific Bauman book/article from which the opening quote is taken?
Mahathir really “hates” Khairy because he presents a hugh obstacle to his son’s or rather Mahathir’s ambition for his son. As I have wrote earlier, Khairy won the UMNO Youth leadership despite all the machinations and money of Mahathir. To add insult to injury, Khairy won by a hugh margin.
BTW – insider’s information – Mahathir has fallen out with Daim
Well, Nicholas continues to fully participate in the well orchestrated campaign by the foreign observers and press to make this into some sort of ideological battle between the forces of good that represent an “open electoral competition” and what are described as “coup plotters, Elite powerbrokers, unelected elites and white-ants, palace and army factions, anti-Thaksin forces that in “their alternative vision for the country – one where royal and military powerbrokers ride roughshod over electorate mandates”.
In another of his biased one sided pieces he again and again fails to mention, much less acknowledge that far from being any sort ideological war, it is a power struggle between many factions of “unelected elites”, many of whom change sides depending on which way the prevailing wind is blowing.
Here is the classic case, Nicholas says: At every opportunity over the past decade the Thai people have resoundingly endorsed Thaksin’s political juggernaut. Elite powerbrokers struggle to accept these popular judgments and express bewilderment that Thaksin still commands the most effective election-winning machine in Thai history. His success repudiates the privilege of unelected elites and white-ants their claims to represent the best interests of the country.
The only full truth in that statement is the mention of the “most effective election-winning machine in Thai history” but then he turns that around into some sort of national mandate repudiating the “unelected elites and white-ants” and fails to mention what how that “election winning machine” actually works and if it that machine actually represents any real change in Thai politics.
Even cursory study of the geography of the results of every election in the past 10 years would show that rather the repudiating “ the privilege of unelected elites and white-ants and their claims to represent the best interests of the country”, it merely shows that Thaksin has continued to succeed in getting the major powerbrokers from several of the main population areas into a uneasy coalition united only in the ambition to get into which ever government happens to hold the majority of Parliament at that moment.
How else do you explain the great expanses of blue in south and up the western side of Thailand in Chris Baker’s election map? How about those bits of blue right smack in the middle of all the red in the northeast? Are these isolated pockets of people that want the “unelected elites and white-ants” to represent them? Of course not. Those are simply areas where the major powerbrokers have for their own reasons chosen not support Thaksin and his ongoing attempt to run Thailand with a single dominating coalition that tolerates no dissent (sound familiar?).
But does Nicholas bother to mention any of this, of course not. He just continues with his sweeping general statements of a vast number of “provincial voters who repeatedly throw their support behind the big-city billionaire”, failing to mention how geographically specific that provincial support is and what that actually means when areas that are almost demographically similar don’t vote for the big city billionaire and his proxies.
Only in his last paragraph does he come close to acknowledging the reality of the situation that the UDD grassroots is going to betrayed. After all, the last thing the provincial powerbrokers want is the goals of the UDD to be actually realized. My hope is, someday, the grassroots will realize it is their very own leaders that are the real enemy.
The idea of “banned” politicians participating in campaigns is a snake pit. If that qualifies for disqualification then every party in Thailand would be illegal and should be banned.
Funny, how this is only brought up and made an issue of when TRT#3 won. If the Democrat had won (he! he! he! Sone people still believe in Santa) then that would have been a non-issue.
(1) The student movement which brought down the Unholy Trinity of Thanom/Praphat/Narong quickly broke up into university and technical college factions.
(2) As Thai students were demonstrating on the streets of Bangkok, Israel and its Arab neighbours were fighting the Yom Kippur War. Arab defeat prompted a huge increase in oil prices, having a devastating impact on the Thai economy which the rightists promptly blamed on “democracy”.
A split between the UDD and the Phuea Thai Party is already becoming apparent. My guess is that one year from now Da Torpedo will still be in gaol, but she will not be enjoying the company of any soldiers convicted of murdering Red Shirts.
to David Brown. Can the Thai elite really make it in capitalism? The main source of profits are land holdings, monopolies and licences that generate rents. Rent seeking is basically a “feudal” mode of appropriation limiting profits for capitalists! The elite seems to be quite sure what kind of political-economic system they need to survive.
the Democrats, elites and monarchy continue to resist the transition to democracy they seem to think they hold their old hierarchical patronage structure which has served their greed wealth and power for the last few decades
what they have not grasped and observed elsewhere us that capitalism embedded in a democratic structure can still provide them the wealth and power they crave.
on the surface democracy is more risky for them but all it needs is for them to develop their own strategies and election machine and they too can enjoy the wealth and power benefits that rich in the big capitalist nations enjoy.
the lesson in all of this is that even if the poor and weak manage to transition Thailand to democracy it should give them a bit less overt repression and less manipulated legal system but otherwise will not necessarily improve their lot.
Reminds me of Lyndon Johnson’s famous comment about winning hearts and minds in South Vietnam: “Grab them by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow”. The Thai Army’s attempt to demand loyalty from the Malay Muslims in the southern border provinces appears to be no more successful than the US attempt in SVN. A pity that a country which prides itself on never having been colonized remains one of the last colonial powers in South East asia.
The cooking charge is clearly nonsense but the other charges that banned politicians (Thaksin, Chaturon, Newin, Banharn etc) participated in the election campaigns are well grounded. Ironically the cooking charge may be easier to prove as a breach of electoral laws.
Barry’s revelation (#62) about ” . . .the only party NOT to give out bribes was the PTP . . . and WON!” gets the prize for the most discombobulating NM poster ever.
And I appreciate why Barry won’t reveal the name of the village or the province. Because if Thaksin or Potjaman should know, that PTP candidate will be skinned and hanged at PTP headquarters so every party member would understand the punishment for cheating Thaksin at elections.
Agree with Nobody on the point of the Democrat/regressive forces keeping PTP and the redshirts more nearly intact as a unit than would otherwise be the case.
Agree with both Nobody (hard to agree with nobody, if you cannot use a real name please choose a better fake) and with Stuart.
I think that Nobody’s observation, applied retroactively, would have us in the post-Thaksin era right now, if the Democrat dunces played politics instead of rolling over for the Royal Thai Army five long years ago.
But the Democrats problem is not that they are dunces, really, it is that they are irreconcilably opposed to Democracy, and hence to democratic politics. So it’ll be Ground Hog Day everyday in Thailand until they are either eponymously transformed or their influence in Thai politics is completely reduced, to zero.
I agree the future of Thailand will be class based politics as elsewhere and probably still tinged with regional based politics for quite some time. We would expect the devlopment of social-democratic and conservative parties over time but whether these stem from the PTP and Dems seems a little more complicated right now compared to back around 2005 when this seemed to be more likely. Or maybe we will end up with a Singapore style democracy based around Thaksin, or even PTP evolve to be the conservative side with a new mass movement left party and the Dems left as a third party or even make enough mistakes to become a footnote of history.
While all that remains uncertain, one thing that seems definite is that although the elite do not have the means to shape the future, their actions will be causal in what way it actually goes, imho
The article by Matthias Chang is an interesting one as it’s written from the view of an “UMNO Insider”. And if anything, that is what makes it worth a read, as in most instances the public does not get a chance to read “unguarded” thoughts of the individuals that reside in Menara Dato Onn ( UNMO HQ in KL).
Matthias, just like his mentor, probably still struggles to come to terms with “post power syndrome” and accept the fact that they are of little political significance in our rapidly changing landscape.
His writing does highlight a pertinent point however, that of the continuous “bungling” in the handling of the Bersih.2 issue by named influential individuals who are obviously inadequate for the job. Mahathir would not have tolerated such fools in his time (unless of course they held something over him as a bargaining chip).
Mahathir had to fight and claw his way to the top, and in the process managed to sharpen his talents and learn and use almost every trick in the book ( and some new ones which he wrote into it as well), after all he was the son of an immigrant, and for that matter not even a “real” Malay in many peoples eyes , whereas by contrast Najib & Hishamuddin have had a rather cushy ride to the top, capitalising on the names of their illustrious fathers.
KJ on the other hand is a different kettle of fish, Mahathir seems to have a huge disliking for that chap for reasons that elude me (perhaps he sees to much of himself in him ) and is a little disappointed that his son Mukhriz has turned out to be a rather less than average politician thus far…and got pipped at the post to help the Youth wing by KJ. The decision to do a counter march was really, really stupid and I imagine his political ego and immaturity got the better of him…after all how could he be “outdone” by a “court jester” like Ibrahim Ali or Perkasa.
I can imagine how frustrating it must be for them ( Mathias & Mahathir) to just be sitting on the sidelines watching this incompetent display of theatrics on a daily basis, and even worse is to have to watch the rank and file of UMNO swallow it all happily, due to the environment of “patronism” that Mahathir himself helped create.
It is unfortunate that the end result of prolonged “inbreeding” results in less than the best quality of stock…and that clearly shows in UMNO today. Maybe there are some merits for UMNO to seriously consider the benefits of a “meritocratic” system after all….especially in their own house!
As Thai election move more towards particular predictable outcomes in many constituencies we move beyond the traditional use of vote buying. However, even those who know they will lose may reap other benefits and have their business remembered.
Of course distributing by tranche may still remain effective with 50% first and 50% when the desired percentage of votes from said village is seen on election day is probably still effective as long as, and this is the critical point, the desired percentage isnt too far out of balance with the feeling of the village for a particular person or party, so although more effective it massages rather than alters outcomes in a limited number of places. I always thought the gambling related buying the most inventive as you had a real incentive to vote for someone and even canvass for them once you had “extremely good” odds on their winning. I doubt any sane village headman or kamnan etc would take money and try to guarantee result if he knew he couldnt deliver and was facing a “final sanction” if failing
Anyone distributing money in Uttaradit who wasnt PTP was certainly wasting it. Idiotic targetting of money in a kind of scattergun approach is probably also linked to the party list thing too in a hit and hope kind of way
For the record in Chonburi both PTP and Dems distributed incentives, not very succesfully. Then again in Chonburi 300/150 respectively arent huge amounts. Maybe they knew what was coming for them on election day in Chonburi. Talking of the province expect the “we love our local province” model employed quite cleverly by the local family to be copied elsewhere in the future as clans become less regional and more province confined. Even Banharn had a bit of a shock this time around.
Perhaps I used the term “red shirts” too loosely. I should really use something broader like “mass peoples’ movement” instead.
I agree that the red shirts as a single entity are not yet sufficiently organised to prevent major splits occurring.
However, the “mass peoples’ movement” has achieved high levels of awareness of its plight – a critical first step. It has not yet achieved high levels of organisation – a critical second step. This is a fact that Thaksin will happily exploit while the situation lasts. However, it won’t last. In the longer term, the “mass peoples’ movement” will either find their true voice through PT or, failing that, they will organise themselves and find someone else, perhaps within their own ranks. Either way, red shirt supporters serve PT for now. But in the long term, PT will have to serve them.
In my village there were four candidates from the four main parties. Three of the candidates or their staff gave out ‘vote for me’ bribes. Bribes ranged from 200bht to 500bht regret I cannot which party handed out what amount. The only party NOT to give out bribes was the PTP.
When the votes were counted it revealed that the PTP despite not having bribes got twice as many votes as the Democrats who had therefore wasted their money.
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Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
THB 15,000 starting salary for all university graduates regardless of where employed or by whom employed was promised. Since this won’t be implemented there may be some disappointment.
Immediate rise in the minimum wage to THB300 per day promised. This too won’t be delivered – no matter how fair one might think it is.
Insofar as these two election promises, along with computer pads for all secondary school students, could be taken as an indication of largess in general I suppose it might not matter that much. It’s the thought that counts.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
Think that Stuart and HRK have made excellent points. PT needs to somehow survive on a tightrope between warring interests, friendly and unfriendly, tossing a little bit to all.
A worldwide economic collapse, after government stooges for the banksters can no longer kick the can down the road, certainly won’t help Thai exports, tourism etc. It will be an interesting show to watch.
National lunacy
I am overseas and it is hard to surf the web on iPhone. But I read one article on vote- buying with some details on roughly where votebuying is most competitive in Thailand. Something along the line of competition fiercest down south and lots of money spent down there. I can’t find that article again. Anyone read that?
Anyway, the reason why Barry can say only ptp did not buy votes I think is because that particular place is pt territory. My guess is that pt is spending their money in marginal states and down south where winning even 2 seats will badly impact on DP ‘s psyche. I think that’s why more votebuying and more money paidout down south than up north.
Tourist among Rohingya vagabonds
Fascinating article and very insightful comments on the drivers of two very different types of global mobility. What is the specific Bauman book/article from which the opening quote is taken?
BERSIH 2.0 overcomes the police state
Mahathir really “hates” Khairy because he presents a hugh obstacle to his son’s or rather Mahathir’s ambition for his son. As I have wrote earlier, Khairy won the UMNO Youth leadership despite all the machinations and money of Mahathir. To add insult to injury, Khairy won by a hugh margin.
BTW – insider’s information – Mahathir has fallen out with Daim
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
Well, Nicholas continues to fully participate in the well orchestrated campaign by the foreign observers and press to make this into some sort of ideological battle between the forces of good that represent an “open electoral competition” and what are described as “coup plotters, Elite powerbrokers, unelected elites and white-ants, palace and army factions, anti-Thaksin forces that in “their alternative vision for the country – one where royal and military powerbrokers ride roughshod over electorate mandates”.
In another of his biased one sided pieces he again and again fails to mention, much less acknowledge that far from being any sort ideological war, it is a power struggle between many factions of “unelected elites”, many of whom change sides depending on which way the prevailing wind is blowing.
Here is the classic case, Nicholas says:
At every opportunity over the past decade the Thai people have resoundingly endorsed Thaksin’s political juggernaut. Elite powerbrokers struggle to accept these popular judgments and express bewilderment that Thaksin still commands the most effective election-winning machine in Thai history. His success repudiates the privilege of unelected elites and white-ants their claims to represent the best interests of the country.
The only full truth in that statement is the mention of the “most effective election-winning machine in Thai history” but then he turns that around into some sort of national mandate repudiating the “unelected elites and white-ants” and fails to mention what how that “election winning machine” actually works and if it that machine actually represents any real change in Thai politics.
Even cursory study of the geography of the results of every election in the past 10 years would show that rather the repudiating “ the privilege of unelected elites and white-ants and their claims to represent the best interests of the country”, it merely shows that Thaksin has continued to succeed in getting the major powerbrokers from several of the main population areas into a uneasy coalition united only in the ambition to get into which ever government happens to hold the majority of Parliament at that moment.
How else do you explain the great expanses of blue in south and up the western side of Thailand in Chris Baker’s election map? How about those bits of blue right smack in the middle of all the red in the northeast? Are these isolated pockets of people that want the “unelected elites and white-ants” to represent them? Of course not. Those are simply areas where the major powerbrokers have for their own reasons chosen not support Thaksin and his ongoing attempt to run Thailand with a single dominating coalition that tolerates no dissent (sound familiar?).
But does Nicholas bother to mention any of this, of course not. He just continues with his sweeping general statements of a vast number of “provincial voters who repeatedly throw their support behind the big-city billionaire”, failing to mention how geographically specific that provincial support is and what that actually means when areas that are almost demographically similar don’t vote for the big city billionaire and his proxies.
Only in his last paragraph does he come close to acknowledging the reality of the situation that the UDD grassroots is going to betrayed. After all, the last thing the provincial powerbrokers want is the goals of the UDD to be actually realized. My hope is, someday, the grassroots will realize it is their very own leaders that are the real enemy.
National lunacy
Hai Portman,
The idea of “banned” politicians participating in campaigns is a snake pit. If that qualifies for disqualification then every party in Thailand would be illegal and should be banned.
Funny, how this is only brought up and made an issue of when TRT#3 won. If the Democrat had won (he! he! he! Sone people still believe in Santa) then that would have been a non-issue.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
Shades of October 1973:
(1) The student movement which brought down the Unholy Trinity of Thanom/Praphat/Narong quickly broke up into university and technical college factions.
(2) As Thai students were demonstrating on the streets of Bangkok, Israel and its Arab neighbours were fighting the Yom Kippur War. Arab defeat prompted a huge increase in oil prices, having a devastating impact on the Thai economy which the rightists promptly blamed on “democracy”.
A split between the UDD and the Phuea Thai Party is already becoming apparent. My guess is that one year from now Da Torpedo will still be in gaol, but she will not be enjoying the company of any soldiers convicted of murdering Red Shirts.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
to David Brown. Can the Thai elite really make it in capitalism? The main source of profits are land holdings, monopolies and licences that generate rents. Rent seeking is basically a “feudal” mode of appropriation limiting profits for capitalists! The elite seems to be quite sure what kind of political-economic system they need to survive.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
the Democrats, elites and monarchy continue to resist the transition to democracy they seem to think they hold their old hierarchical patronage structure which has served their greed wealth and power for the last few decades
what they have not grasped and observed elsewhere us that capitalism embedded in a democratic structure can still provide them the wealth and power they crave.
on the surface democracy is more risky for them but all it needs is for them to develop their own strategies and election machine and they too can enjoy the wealth and power benefits that rich in the big capitalist nations enjoy.
the lesson in all of this is that even if the poor and weak manage to transition Thailand to democracy it should give them a bit less overt repression and less manipulated legal system but otherwise will not necessarily improve their lot.
which I guess is what Ji Ungaporn can see.
The army and the god king
Frank G. Andersen #5
Reminds me of Lyndon Johnson’s famous comment about winning hearts and minds in South Vietnam: “Grab them by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow”. The Thai Army’s attempt to demand loyalty from the Malay Muslims in the southern border provinces appears to be no more successful than the US attempt in SVN. A pity that a country which prides itself on never having been colonized remains one of the last colonial powers in South East asia.
National lunacy
The cooking charge is clearly nonsense but the other charges that banned politicians (Thaksin, Chaturon, Newin, Banharn etc) participated in the election campaigns are well grounded. Ironically the cooking charge may be easier to prove as a breach of electoral laws.
National lunacy
Barry’s revelation (#62) about ” . . .the only party NOT to give out bribes was the PTP . . . and WON!” gets the prize for the most discombobulating NM poster ever.
And I appreciate why Barry won’t reveal the name of the village or the province. Because if Thaksin or Potjaman should know, that PTP candidate will be skinned and hanged at PTP headquarters so every party member would understand the punishment for cheating Thaksin at elections.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
Agree with Nobody on the point of the Democrat/regressive forces keeping PTP and the redshirts more nearly intact as a unit than would otherwise be the case.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
Agree with both Nobody (hard to agree with nobody, if you cannot use a real name please choose a better fake) and with Stuart.
I think that Nobody’s observation, applied retroactively, would have us in the post-Thaksin era right now, if the Democrat dunces played politics instead of rolling over for the Royal Thai Army five long years ago.
But the Democrats problem is not that they are dunces, really, it is that they are irreconcilably opposed to Democracy, and hence to democratic politics. So it’ll be Ground Hog Day everyday in Thailand until they are either eponymously transformed or their influence in Thai politics is completely reduced, to zero.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
C3
I agree the future of Thailand will be class based politics as elsewhere and probably still tinged with regional based politics for quite some time. We would expect the devlopment of social-democratic and conservative parties over time but whether these stem from the PTP and Dems seems a little more complicated right now compared to back around 2005 when this seemed to be more likely. Or maybe we will end up with a Singapore style democracy based around Thaksin, or even PTP evolve to be the conservative side with a new mass movement left party and the Dems left as a third party or even make enough mistakes to become a footnote of history.
While all that remains uncertain, one thing that seems definite is that although the elite do not have the means to shape the future, their actions will be causal in what way it actually goes, imho
BERSIH 2.0 overcomes the police state
The article by Matthias Chang is an interesting one as it’s written from the view of an “UMNO Insider”. And if anything, that is what makes it worth a read, as in most instances the public does not get a chance to read “unguarded” thoughts of the individuals that reside in Menara Dato Onn ( UNMO HQ in KL).
Matthias, just like his mentor, probably still struggles to come to terms with “post power syndrome” and accept the fact that they are of little political significance in our rapidly changing landscape.
His writing does highlight a pertinent point however, that of the continuous “bungling” in the handling of the Bersih.2 issue by named influential individuals who are obviously inadequate for the job. Mahathir would not have tolerated such fools in his time (unless of course they held something over him as a bargaining chip).
Mahathir had to fight and claw his way to the top, and in the process managed to sharpen his talents and learn and use almost every trick in the book ( and some new ones which he wrote into it as well), after all he was the son of an immigrant, and for that matter not even a “real” Malay in many peoples eyes , whereas by contrast Najib & Hishamuddin have had a rather cushy ride to the top, capitalising on the names of their illustrious fathers.
KJ on the other hand is a different kettle of fish, Mahathir seems to have a huge disliking for that chap for reasons that elude me (perhaps he sees to much of himself in him ) and is a little disappointed that his son Mukhriz has turned out to be a rather less than average politician thus far…and got pipped at the post to help the Youth wing by KJ. The decision to do a counter march was really, really stupid and I imagine his political ego and immaturity got the better of him…after all how could he be “outdone” by a “court jester” like Ibrahim Ali or Perkasa.
I can imagine how frustrating it must be for them ( Mathias & Mahathir) to just be sitting on the sidelines watching this incompetent display of theatrics on a daily basis, and even worse is to have to watch the rank and file of UMNO swallow it all happily, due to the environment of “patronism” that Mahathir himself helped create.
It is unfortunate that the end result of prolonged “inbreeding” results in less than the best quality of stock…and that clearly shows in UMNO today. Maybe there are some merits for UMNO to seriously consider the benefits of a “meritocratic” system after all….especially in their own house!
National lunacy
As Thai election move more towards particular predictable outcomes in many constituencies we move beyond the traditional use of vote buying. However, even those who know they will lose may reap other benefits and have their business remembered.
Of course distributing by tranche may still remain effective with 50% first and 50% when the desired percentage of votes from said village is seen on election day is probably still effective as long as, and this is the critical point, the desired percentage isnt too far out of balance with the feeling of the village for a particular person or party, so although more effective it massages rather than alters outcomes in a limited number of places. I always thought the gambling related buying the most inventive as you had a real incentive to vote for someone and even canvass for them once you had “extremely good” odds on their winning. I doubt any sane village headman or kamnan etc would take money and try to guarantee result if he knew he couldnt deliver and was facing a “final sanction” if failing
Anyone distributing money in Uttaradit who wasnt PTP was certainly wasting it. Idiotic targetting of money in a kind of scattergun approach is probably also linked to the party list thing too in a hit and hope kind of way
For the record in Chonburi both PTP and Dems distributed incentives, not very succesfully. Then again in Chonburi 300/150 respectively arent huge amounts. Maybe they knew what was coming for them on election day in Chonburi. Talking of the province expect the “we love our local province” model employed quite cleverly by the local family to be copied elsewhere in the future as clans become less regional and more province confined. Even Banharn had a bit of a shock this time around.
Analysis of Thailand’s prospects
C2
Perhaps I used the term “red shirts” too loosely. I should really use something broader like “mass peoples’ movement” instead.
I agree that the red shirts as a single entity are not yet sufficiently organised to prevent major splits occurring.
However, the “mass peoples’ movement” has achieved high levels of awareness of its plight – a critical first step. It has not yet achieved high levels of organisation – a critical second step. This is a fact that Thaksin will happily exploit while the situation lasts. However, it won’t last. In the longer term, the “mass peoples’ movement” will either find their true voice through PT or, failing that, they will organise themselves and find someone else, perhaps within their own ranks. Either way, red shirt supporters serve PT for now. But in the long term, PT will have to serve them.
National lunacy
In my village there were four candidates from the four main parties. Three of the candidates or their staff gave out ‘vote for me’ bribes. Bribes ranged from 200bht to 500bht regret I cannot which party handed out what amount. The only party NOT to give out bribes was the PTP.
When the votes were counted it revealed that the PTP despite not having bribes got twice as many votes as the Democrats who had therefore wasted their money.