I read a book about global warming and I think its a really important issue that the whole world has to come together and work towards fixing and I think its great that volunteers and NGOs are able to help farmers in poor countries like Cambodia overcome their adversity so we can all share a better future …
But seriously, great work Tim. Love this: “the canniness and opportunism of local actors who can skilfully negotiate donor driven discourses.” Hope to see more soon.
There is something in the way she looks that makes me feel uneasy, but can’t exactly say what. Certainly not the “smugness” Somtow (the dishonest one) had seen.
There is a poster of Abhisit wearing a dark suit, and looking like a deputy manager of a four star hotel who greets guests in the lobby. Just wonder who would recommend to use such messages in an election campaign, although it would be good when applying for such a job.
The poster is part and parcel of a strategy that has snatched the political initiative from the Democrat Party. The more significant thing is that the Democrat Party is beginning to campaign like losers and they are thinking like losers.
Yingluck appears before thousands. Abhisit before small crowds of 50-200. She looks popular and he looks like an also ran. He complains about the EC not protecting him from hecklers. That sounds weak. She strides on.
Did the Dems really think that the army and last few years had put it in the bag for them? That they didn’t need to campaign? Or is it just too much to ask the preppies to get sunburned and sweaty?
Personally, I think the Democrat Party can still win, but not on their current non-strategy. The Yingluck play has stunned them. My guess is that the bad boys will be released as that is the best they can do as “strategy.” It may get very dirty. But can the Dems trust Newin not to scoot back to the “dark side”?
As a footnote, I liked Chuwit’s poster plea: Bored with politics but still have to vote. Give me a chance in opposition!
Have to say, when I first started seeing her posters around town I thought “Is that the best picture they could get? She looks like a lawyer.” She looks way better in person. But its grown on me. The simplicity is a nice change; no Photoshop or superimposed images. She doesn’t look as rigid as most of the others, or that she’s “trying” too hard. Favorite poster by far (save for Chuwit’s as always). Anyone know who’s doing the Dem’s and PT’s PR; in house, outsourced?
@ superanonymous #2 – That pretty much sums up Somtow: at best, ill-informed.
Yingluck has been pure marketing genius. Seeing that I agree with Andrew Marshall that genius and Thaksin in the same sentence doesn’t really fit that well, we will have to guess this is the best marketing that money can buy. No different to the US or the UK I suppose.
Now the Phue Thai will have to keep her away from debates or open question meetings. Well they already have a nice poster. What’s next, a musical? Don’t cry for me…
In presenting such a gushingly complementary commentary, is NM is planning to give up all pretenses of impartiality and admit to being an instrument of Taksin/Pui Thai?
Thailand has literacy rate of more than 99% as far as I can remember. For Somtow to bring up that point, it makes me feel that he utterly wants to misrepresent the PT potential voters as “uneducate people”, or simply its his sheer ignorance of basic knowledge about his own country.
I suspect it’s the latter.
Some people out there in Jatujak area must have seen campaign poster of one young Dem Constituent candidate featuring himself sitting on what appears to be a pavement right next to and obviously “underclass” person, the most pretentious poster I’ve seen so far in this poll.
Such development policies are based on a “hyperreality” for three reasons:
1. There are organisations and staff that search for fields of activities. They have to do something to show that they are active. Usually these organisations have solutions and define problems according to their solutions.
2. These organisations have to legitimize themselves (and what they are doing) to the donours who finance them. These are not the farmers or the “people”. To achieve legitimation they have to link what they do to issues currently defined as important or crucial. Climatic change is such a current issue. In a few years there will be another etc.
3. Development organisations can and should not interfer in politics. (Fergusons argument of development as “anti”-politics machine). Thus, they have to translate problems into technical etc. problems void of any political implications.
Climatic change does at present serve all these best. Cliamtic change can be explained as a basically technical problem with technical solutions and thus is outside of politics. Under the label of climatic change you can follow all what you did before, and as long as it is taken as a main problem faced by humanity, the organisations will receive funding.
If a “real” rather than “hyperreal” problem is adressed the organisations run into political problems, have to develop new solutions and are made accountable by those they are supposed to work for.
To appreciate Abhisit’s poster, you must be able to read. I believe that an illiterate person would, however, be able to get something out of Yingluck’s.
One of the dangers with censoring comments is that administrators may miscontrue the commentator’s intent. My comment of “Phwoooarr!” was not passed here, presumably because the administrators assumed it was flippant or inappropriate for a blog focused on political and cultural analysis.
Actually, my comment was intended as a tongue-in-cheek poke at the likely reaction of many Thai voters to Yingluck’s candidature – a reaction that this poster it seems to me was very much designed to invoke. Thaksin’s sister’s physical attractiveness is not only a lucky happenstance for Phue Thai but also, I suspect, a deliberate strategy to woo voters and counter the physical attractiveness of the incumbent. Such is the level to which Thai politics has sunk!
“Phwooaarr!” is a valid comment here as political satire and shouldn’t have been barred.
Good photo, very real. Well thought out poster, suitable to target audience.
Contrast with flat Abhisit in front of a Photoshopped train backdrop. No attempt was made to even make the shadows line up to make it look half-convincing (Abhisit has a shadow on the left, train on the right).
The poster may be seen as a metaphor of his rule — making many right noises in a half-hearted effort at looking clean and modern, but not bothering to put any real work to make the plans convincing and realistic. Plus, he looks like a paper cutout frontman (which many accuse him of being). Did the red camp subvert Abhisit’s poster design?
Woow! What Thailand needs now is a prime minister who is a successful business woman. Thailand needs a decisive leader with a strong business background. Apisit is an outmoded autocrat. He is an obsolete politician who has never been successful in any business. The only job he has ever had is politic.
Trends in Thai campaign posters are fascinating. Remember in the late 1990s when every candidate was dressed in a military uniform, or graduation gowns? And the mid 2000s trend of group shots with matching Casual Friday polo shirts? And Leena’s “QVC Shopping Channel Host” look? And of course Chuwit, the human outlier vector.
Yingluck’s poster is indeed brilliant. It screams “COMPETENT” like a corporate brochure or the cover of BusinessWeek. It seems PT has yet another edge on the Dems in PR.
Just imagine what any of Bangkok’s excellent ad agencies could do with a Thai political party, big or small. It would all still be bullshit, but at least it would be slick, entertaining bullshit.
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Air conditioners and other absurdities
I read a book about global warming and I think its a really important issue that the whole world has to come together and work towards fixing and I think its great that volunteers and NGOs are able to help farmers in poor countries like Cambodia overcome their adversity so we can all share a better future …
But seriously, great work Tim. Love this: “the canniness and opportunism of local actors who can skilfully negotiate donor driven discourses.” Hope to see more soon.
Yingluck on the streets
Ralph # 15
campaign like losers and they are thinking like losers
now they even talk like losers… – no need for Abhisit to resign.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/239055/abhisit-does-not-have-to-resign
Yingluck on the streets
What a brilliant post. That’s all I have to say really.
Yingluck on the streets
There is something in the way she looks that makes me feel uneasy, but can’t exactly say what. Certainly not the “smugness” Somtow (the dishonest one) had seen.
There is a poster of Abhisit wearing a dark suit, and looking like a deputy manager of a four star hotel who greets guests in the lobby. Just wonder who would recommend to use such messages in an election campaign, although it would be good when applying for such a job.
Yingluck on the streets
The poster is part and parcel of a strategy that has snatched the political initiative from the Democrat Party. The more significant thing is that the Democrat Party is beginning to campaign like losers and they are thinking like losers.
Yingluck appears before thousands. Abhisit before small crowds of 50-200. She looks popular and he looks like an also ran. He complains about the EC not protecting him from hecklers. That sounds weak. She strides on.
Did the Dems really think that the army and last few years had put it in the bag for them? That they didn’t need to campaign? Or is it just too much to ask the preppies to get sunburned and sweaty?
Personally, I think the Democrat Party can still win, but not on their current non-strategy. The Yingluck play has stunned them. My guess is that the bad boys will be released as that is the best they can do as “strategy.” It may get very dirty. But can the Dems trust Newin not to scoot back to the “dark side”?
As a footnote, I liked Chuwit’s poster plea: Bored with politics but still have to vote. Give me a chance in opposition!
Yingluck on the streets
Have to say, when I first started seeing her posters around town I thought “Is that the best picture they could get? She looks like a lawyer.” She looks way better in person. But its grown on me. The simplicity is a nice change; no Photoshop or superimposed images. She doesn’t look as rigid as most of the others, or that she’s “trying” too hard. Favorite poster by far (save for Chuwit’s as always). Anyone know who’s doing the Dem’s and PT’s PR; in house, outsourced?
@ superanonymous #2 – That pretty much sums up Somtow: at best, ill-informed.
Yingluck on the streets
Yingluck has been pure marketing genius. Seeing that I agree with Andrew Marshall that genius and Thaksin in the same sentence doesn’t really fit that well, we will have to guess this is the best marketing that money can buy. No different to the US or the UK I suppose.
Now the Phue Thai will have to keep her away from debates or open question meetings. Well they already have a nice poster. What’s next, a musical? Don’t cry for me…
Yingluck on the streets
Yes, my vote is certainly going to Pui Thai – the Thai Fertiliser Party.
Yingluck on the streets
In presenting such a gushingly complementary commentary, is NM is planning to give up all pretenses of impartiality and admit to being an instrument of Taksin/Pui Thai?
Yingluck on the streets
sam deeds C7
Thailand has literacy rate of more than 99% as far as I can remember. For Somtow to bring up that point, it makes me feel that he utterly wants to misrepresent the PT potential voters as “uneducate people”, or simply its his sheer ignorance of basic knowledge about his own country.
I suspect it’s the latter.
Yingluck on the streets
Some people out there in Jatujak area must have seen campaign poster of one young Dem Constituent candidate featuring himself sitting on what appears to be a pavement right next to and obviously “underclass” person, the most pretentious poster I’ve seen so far in this poll.
Violence erupts in Buriram
This wouldn’t be the same Siam Cement that is owned by the Crown Property Bureau by any chance, would it?
Air conditioners and other absurdities
Such development policies are based on a “hyperreality” for three reasons:
1. There are organisations and staff that search for fields of activities. They have to do something to show that they are active. Usually these organisations have solutions and define problems according to their solutions.
2. These organisations have to legitimize themselves (and what they are doing) to the donours who finance them. These are not the farmers or the “people”. To achieve legitimation they have to link what they do to issues currently defined as important or crucial. Climatic change is such a current issue. In a few years there will be another etc.
3. Development organisations can and should not interfer in politics. (Fergusons argument of development as “anti”-politics machine). Thus, they have to translate problems into technical etc. problems void of any political implications.
Climatic change does at present serve all these best. Cliamtic change can be explained as a basically technical problem with technical solutions and thus is outside of politics. Under the label of climatic change you can follow all what you did before, and as long as it is taken as a main problem faced by humanity, the organisations will receive funding.
If a “real” rather than “hyperreal” problem is adressed the organisations run into political problems, have to develop new solutions and are made accountable by those they are supposed to work for.
Yingluck on the streets
Re superanonymous #1
Here is an extract from the blog:
To appreciate Abhisit’s poster, you must be able to read. I believe that an illiterate person would, however, be able to get something out of Yingluck’s.
Where do you start with these people?
Yingluck on the streets
One of the dangers with censoring comments is that administrators may miscontrue the commentator’s intent. My comment of “Phwoooarr!” was not passed here, presumably because the administrators assumed it was flippant or inappropriate for a blog focused on political and cultural analysis.
Actually, my comment was intended as a tongue-in-cheek poke at the likely reaction of many Thai voters to Yingluck’s candidature – a reaction that this poster it seems to me was very much designed to invoke. Thaksin’s sister’s physical attractiveness is not only a lucky happenstance for Phue Thai but also, I suspect, a deliberate strategy to woo voters and counter the physical attractiveness of the incumbent. Such is the level to which Thai politics has sunk!
“Phwooaarr!” is a valid comment here as political satire and shouldn’t have been barred.
Yingluck on the streets
The most intensive analysis political poster I’ve ever seen.
Yingluck on the streets
Good photo, very real. Well thought out poster, suitable to target audience.
Contrast with flat Abhisit in front of a Photoshopped train backdrop. No attempt was made to even make the shadows line up to make it look half-convincing (Abhisit has a shadow on the left, train on the right).
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qqe1TZ-4Kw0/TdIH7hTKAQI/AAAAAAAAAyc/MTkY_pINW-4/s1600/photo-1.jpeg
The poster may be seen as a metaphor of his rule — making many right noises in a half-hearted effort at looking clean and modern, but not bothering to put any real work to make the plans convincing and realistic. Plus, he looks like a paper cutout frontman (which many accuse him of being). Did the red camp subvert Abhisit’s poster design?
Yingluck on the streets
Woow! What Thailand needs now is a prime minister who is a successful business woman. Thailand needs a decisive leader with a strong business background. Apisit is an outmoded autocrat. He is an obsolete politician who has never been successful in any business. The only job he has ever had is politic.
Yingluck on the streets
Trends in Thai campaign posters are fascinating. Remember in the late 1990s when every candidate was dressed in a military uniform, or graduation gowns? And the mid 2000s trend of group shots with matching Casual Friday polo shirts? And Leena’s “QVC Shopping Channel Host” look? And of course Chuwit, the human outlier vector.
Yingluck’s poster is indeed brilliant. It screams “COMPETENT” like a corporate brochure or the cover of BusinessWeek. It seems PT has yet another edge on the Dems in PR.
Just imagine what any of Bangkok’s excellent ad agencies could do with a Thai political party, big or small. It would all still be bullshit, but at least it would be slick, entertaining bullshit.
Violence erupts in Buriram
Gen. Prayuth using more of that “charm” he’s become famous for, eh?