Thanks for providing this fascinating paper online.
I think the main issue was whether he was capable of leading a modern nation state as Prime Minister, not whether he could do good by his local constituency:
“…Nonetheless, Mr Banharn was unable to keep up with the demands of leadership in a changing world. In just a short time, globalisation had added new qualifications to the job description for national leadership in Thailand. Mr Banharn’s inability to communicate in English, his limited understanding of economics, and his lack of a global perspective led to his demise in under a year.” (Source: Hallinger, Wanted: Leadership Thailand 2007, Bangkok Post, 01-11-06)
Michael H. Nelson: “I doubt that you will find plenty of articles on party switching in there, simply because political parties are not a favorite subject of those doing research on Thai politics.”
Thank you for this wonderful bibliography. The annotations/reviews in the bibliography are great (and really state of the art to be emulated, along with its online available to everyone nature).
I wonder why any self-respecting foreign scholar would follow Thammasat’s racist double-pricing policy. To them, foreigners doing research on Thailand are obviously not colleagues, but just that–foreigners.
It comes down to plain human nature Andrew Walker (whatever your lengthy funded village research says). Nearly every human being, educated or self-enlightened or whatever, are just plain short-term tuned. They seek immediate gratification unperturbed by long-term consequences of their selfish behavior. That explains people selling their votes, the success of credit cards and why people borrow beyond their means, and even why priests themselves abuse little boys. It may also explain why Californians build houses on forests prone to forest fires.
BTW Andrew Walker, many Bangkokians are actually very impressed with what Banharn Silpa-archa has achieved for his province!
Will it satisfy Historicus sense of metrics if I demote Samak to midi-corrupt? How about if I call Banharn a midget-corrupt? And should I call Chalerm an honest policeman then?
Jeez! Mobutu of Zimbabwe has NOT yet been judicially tried Historicus, then I am NOT entitled to hurl my favorite insult CORRUPT to this ugly? You sound just like Grasshopper . . .
The elite don’t need proof of their accusations. “It is well know”, or “it has been frequently mentioned” is usually just fine.
Often works like this:
1) Junta crony suggestions, for example, that Isaan was ripe with vote buying in the constitutional vote.
2) Second Junta crony notes that it has been suggested
3) Third junta crony says it is commonly discussed.
4) Fourth junta crony says it is well known.
5) No one can dispute the slur, since it is now a fact.
Browsing the list of named presenters, I get the impression that a large number of regular and not-so-regular New Mandala readers and contributors will be there.
And, before anybody asks (again!), I don’t think HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is a regular NM reader!
“his ballot being visible after it’s cast” > Was this really the case? The ballot was supposed to be put into the ballot box after the voter folded it so that nobody could see where the cross was made. I agree that the return of vote-counting to the polling stations is most unfortunate, and actually contradicts the intention of the CDA. Maybe, its members did not understand how Thai elections work…
I am not enamoured by PPP and despise Samak, but does the good Colonel have evidence for his claim that Samak is “mega-corrupt”? Maybe I have missed a trial or a court case?
What about those of us not privileged or rich enough to have a maid or houseboy – there’s a quaint term? Can we ask others, like taxi drivers or spouses? Or is this a survey of maids and houseboys?
I can image that the ubiquitoius social control in the Thai village extends to the ballot box. This is exacerbated by the new de-centralized vote counting, the military on every corner and martial law in 27 provinces. From what I’ve seen in the referendum, the secrecy of the vote is compromised in many places with people sitting around glass ballot boxes placed in the middle of large halls, the voter stepping up under the eyes of everyone and his ballot being visible after it’s cast. Add to this a general atmosphere of voter intimidation and a government propaganda campaign levelled against a certain party, and it’s clear how much Thailand has moved backwards in the past year or so. Today politicians are crooked all the same but the voting is rigged more than before.
Jonfernquest: Thanks for referring to my Thai Politics Bibliography. Please note that the version on the Leeds web site is very much outdated. The version on KPI’s web site is more than two years old. The 2006 version is available as PDF file at Southeast Asian Studies, University of Passau, German at http://www.iseap.de/images/PDF/Workingpaper/polthai%5B1%5D.pdf I have just finished the up-dated 8th version with 383 pp. (the additional 82 pages with Thai-language material will be left out). Hopefully, it will soon be posted on all three sites. However, I doubt that you will find plenty of articles on party switching in there, simply because political parties are not a favorite subject of those doing research on Thai politics.
Ex-Ajarn we should all relish our small victories every time one mega-corrupt leader bites or almost bites the dust! These mega-corrupt leaders like Thaksin or Marcos or Mobutu are specially dangerous, and they ride roughshods over rules of law and will extra-judicially kill on whim or prejudice.
Why cheer for PPP whose leader is one mega-corrupt himself Samak? Surely Ex-Ajarn you will not be voting for PPP whose primary platform is to “pardon Thaksin Shinawatra” if elected to power?
Ahhh . . . Ex-Ajarn, that corrupt Philippine leader Joseph Estrada’s most recent PARDON must be giving you hope . . .
“That ‘party switching’ is the same in Thailand as it is in other electoral democracies …The question is whether this is correct or not. ”
Well, besides Europe there is also Latin America and other probably more comparable places than rich western Europe.
I would suspect there to be similarities with some other electoral systems somewhere, and perhaps with past systems in more economically developed western states like the US, and from these similarities insightful comparisons, that might show that Thailand’s system isn’t as bad or as abnormal as people think, comparatively speaking that is, vote buying was quite a big issue in Taiwan, for instance.
A search with “party switching” on the KPI database did not produce much:
King, Dan. 1999 . “Thailand.” In Democracy , Governance , and Economic Performance : East and Southeast Asia. Ed. by Ian Marsh, Jean Blondel, and Takashi Inoguchi, pp. 203-229. Tokyo, New York, Paris: United Nations University Press. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/thaipol/k.htm
Thanks Bangkok Pundit and I did drop in your website to check on trade data. Maybe an update on your data to year 2006 is due . . .
Durian exports shooting up 21,850 per cent must have been because Thailand had not shipped this fruit to China in quantity before.
But trade with China deserves special scrutiny because the Chinese will dump their goods, agricultural or industrial, given the chance. Especially on industrial goods, Thailand is at special risk against being overwhelmed by Chinese imports now that WTO ‘free trade’ rules are rapidly getting into effect. Soft industrial goods like Thai textiles are already staggering from the Chinese onslaught . . whether at much fought export markets of USA, Europe and Japan, but ominously even in Thailand’s own domestic yard where it seems the Thai weaver can no longer compete against an imported Chinese fabric. Housing items like ceramic tiles are also feeling the flood of cheap Chinese ‘granitos’ . . . . there are more Chinese industrial goods to scare the pants of every industrial Thai worker.
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A non-violent war on drugs
The closing statements sound similar to what Michael Connors has written about, but he is not mentioned in the list of references.
A non-violent war on drugs
Thanks for providing this fascinating paper online.
I think the main issue was whether he was capable of leading a modern nation state as Prime Minister, not whether he could do good by his local constituency:
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
Michael H. Nelson: “I doubt that you will find plenty of articles on party switching in there, simply because political parties are not a favorite subject of those doing research on Thai politics.”
Thank you for this wonderful bibliography. The annotations/reviews in the bibliography are great (and really state of the art to be emulated, along with its online available to everyone nature).
Boycotts and boundaries
I wonder why any self-respecting foreign scholar would follow Thammasat’s racist double-pricing policy. To them, foreigners doing research on Thailand are obviously not colleagues, but just that–foreigners.
Australian sanctions against Burma’s elite
Whatever…
http://ratchasima.net/2007/10/11/bickering-about-sanctions-gets-burma-nowhere/
A non-violent war on drugs
It comes down to plain human nature Andrew Walker (whatever your lengthy funded village research says). Nearly every human being, educated or self-enlightened or whatever, are just plain short-term tuned. They seek immediate gratification unperturbed by long-term consequences of their selfish behavior. That explains people selling their votes, the success of credit cards and why people borrow beyond their means, and even why priests themselves abuse little boys. It may also explain why Californians build houses on forests prone to forest fires.
BTW Andrew Walker, many Bangkokians are actually very impressed with what Banharn Silpa-archa has achieved for his province!
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
Will it satisfy Historicus sense of metrics if I demote Samak to midi-corrupt? How about if I call Banharn a midget-corrupt? And should I call Chalerm an honest policeman then?
Jeez! Mobutu of Zimbabwe has NOT yet been judicially tried Historicus, then I am NOT entitled to hurl my favorite insult CORRUPT to this ugly? You sound just like Grasshopper . . .
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
Historicus,
The elite don’t need proof of their accusations. “It is well know”, or “it has been frequently mentioned” is usually just fine.
Often works like this:
1) Junta crony suggestions, for example, that Isaan was ripe with vote buying in the constitutional vote.
2) Second Junta crony notes that it has been suggested
3) Third junta crony says it is commonly discussed.
4) Fourth junta crony says it is well known.
5) No one can dispute the slur, since it is now a fact.
Boycotts and boundaries
It may have been updated but it seems not up-to-date. I am listed, but will not be attending.
Boycotts and boundaries
Thanks Tip,
Browsing the list of named presenters, I get the impression that a large number of regular and not-so-regular New Mandala readers and contributors will be there.
And, before anybody asks (again!), I don’t think HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is a regular NM reader!
Best wishes to all,
Nich
Boycotts and boundaries
I just visited the Thai Studies Conference website. The program is updated. Any of NM readers are going to the conference?
Sawarin, I followed the link but the blog needs username/password. 🙁
Getting rich from vote-buying
“his ballot being visible after it’s cast” > Was this really the case? The ballot was supposed to be put into the ballot box after the voter folded it so that nobody could see where the cross was made. I agree that the return of vote-counting to the polling stations is most unfortunate, and actually contradicts the intention of the CDA. Maybe, its members did not understand how Thai elections work…
Thailand’s crown prince
The video link is http://www.revu.nl/6273
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
I am not enamoured by PPP and despise Samak, but does the good Colonel have evidence for his claim that Samak is “mega-corrupt”? Maybe I have missed a trial or a court case?
Getting rich from vote-buying
What about those of us not privileged or rich enough to have a maid or houseboy – there’s a quaint term? Can we ask others, like taxi drivers or spouses? Or is this a survey of maids and houseboys?
Getting rich from vote-buying
I can image that the ubiquitoius social control in the Thai village extends to the ballot box. This is exacerbated by the new de-centralized vote counting, the military on every corner and martial law in 27 provinces. From what I’ve seen in the referendum, the secrecy of the vote is compromised in many places with people sitting around glass ballot boxes placed in the middle of large halls, the voter stepping up under the eyes of everyone and his ballot being visible after it’s cast. Add to this a general atmosphere of voter intimidation and a government propaganda campaign levelled against a certain party, and it’s clear how much Thailand has moved backwards in the past year or so. Today politicians are crooked all the same but the voting is rigged more than before.
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
Jonfernquest: Thanks for referring to my Thai Politics Bibliography. Please note that the version on the Leeds web site is very much outdated. The version on KPI’s web site is more than two years old. The 2006 version is available as PDF file at Southeast Asian Studies, University of Passau, German at http://www.iseap.de/images/PDF/Workingpaper/polthai%5B1%5D.pdf I have just finished the up-dated 8th version with 383 pp. (the additional 82 pages with Thai-language material will be left out). Hopefully, it will soon be posted on all three sites. However, I doubt that you will find plenty of articles on party switching in there, simply because political parties are not a favorite subject of those doing research on Thai politics.
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
Ex-Ajarn we should all relish our small victories every time one mega-corrupt leader bites or almost bites the dust! These mega-corrupt leaders like Thaksin or Marcos or Mobutu are specially dangerous, and they ride roughshods over rules of law and will extra-judicially kill on whim or prejudice.
Why cheer for PPP whose leader is one mega-corrupt himself Samak? Surely Ex-Ajarn you will not be voting for PPP whose primary platform is to “pardon Thaksin Shinawatra” if elected to power?
Ahhh . . . Ex-Ajarn, that corrupt Philippine leader Joseph Estrada’s most recent PARDON must be giving you hope . . .
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
“That ‘party switching’ is the same in Thailand as it is in other electoral democracies …The question is whether this is correct or not. ”
Well, besides Europe there is also Latin America and other probably more comparable places than rich western Europe.
I would suspect there to be similarities with some other electoral systems somewhere, and perhaps with past systems in more economically developed western states like the US, and from these similarities insightful comparisons, that might show that Thailand’s system isn’t as bad or as abnormal as people think, comparatively speaking that is, vote buying was quite a big issue in Taiwan, for instance.
A search with “party switching” on the KPI database did not produce much:
King, Dan. 1999 . “Thailand.” In Democracy , Governance , and Economic Performance : East and Southeast Asia. Ed. by Ian Marsh, Jean Blondel, and Takashi Inoguchi, pp. 203-229. Tokyo, New York, Paris: United Nations University Press.
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/thaipol/k.htm
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/thaipol/thaibibl.htm
A flood of Chinese garlic?
Thanks Bangkok Pundit and I did drop in your website to check on trade data. Maybe an update on your data to year 2006 is due . . .
Durian exports shooting up 21,850 per cent must have been because Thailand had not shipped this fruit to China in quantity before.
But trade with China deserves special scrutiny because the Chinese will dump their goods, agricultural or industrial, given the chance. Especially on industrial goods, Thailand is at special risk against being overwhelmed by Chinese imports now that WTO ‘free trade’ rules are rapidly getting into effect. Soft industrial goods like Thai textiles are already staggering from the Chinese onslaught . . whether at much fought export markets of USA, Europe and Japan, but ominously even in Thailand’s own domestic yard where it seems the Thai weaver can no longer compete against an imported Chinese fabric. Housing items like ceramic tiles are also feeling the flood of cheap Chinese ‘granitos’ . . . . there are more Chinese industrial goods to scare the pants of every industrial Thai worker.