Bloggang.com : : B.F.Pinkerton : General Election Day for Thailand: The unsolved puzzle of TRT in the South?

General Election Day for Thailand: The unsolved puzzle of TRT in the South?

Feb 6 2005, Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party won another landslide victory for the second term in office since its first unprecedented triumph in January 2001. Yet the outcome is not a surprise for both veterans and novices of Thai politics. As a matter of fact, TRT has a more ambitious goal of gathering 400 seats; so its 307 (as of now) is hardly a satisfying outcome for TRT.

One of the reasons for their inaccuracy in the estimated number of MPs is the overconfidence for the MP seats of the 3 predominantly Muslim provinces in the South after the seemingly successful and well-responded campaign of flying millions of paper origamis to booth up the sagged morale of people in these terrorist-ridden areas (but whether the government really has any tangible, practical strategy to subside the terrorism is still of interesting question).

Another reason is that TRT might as well overestimate the responses of the Tsunami-affected constituencies that government had tirelessly helped with its maximum effort it could give. So what has gone wrong with TRT in the south? Why do southerners prefer the unproductive-old-fashioned-bureaucratic Democrat to the productive-new-style of TRT?

With the southern background, I can give you an example of my fellow southerners (mostly my family). The last time my mom called me from our home in Thailand to Chicago (almost always I call her) was to sound-check whether I will vote for Democrat or not. As opposed to the growing GDP, release from IMF bound and all the substantial facelifts of the country, she believed that under Thaksin’s helm, the country is quite worrisome and needs a change of administration. She was not the only one to express this concern, other people I know also thought in the same way. I am certain my mom has not read the book ‘Ru Tun Taksin (catch up with Thaksin)’ by Jermsak Pintong yet but the tirade she expressed about the way Thaksin exerts his power to help the business of his relatives is not much of a difference from the substance in that book .

So maybe Southerners have all understood the content of that book well or else they have been indoctrinated with rumors by the democrats. One dominating trait of Southerners is they do not like to be fooled or cheated easily. It is unacceptable for their pride. I don’t say that they are better than other geographic groups.

However, some factors like the regionalism, arrogance and the contempt of direct vote-buying (making they feel like a beggar) and their enormous pride (or ego?) have made them different. Southerners have a great deal of respect for an MP who can speak eloquently and articulate so poignantly regardless of his/her ability to garner the fund or other means of actions for the sake of tangible development ( Banharn-Suphan-style). This could signify the not- so- great quality of some MPs in the Sounthern provinces as well and can answer why the Southerners are not so enthusiastic and responsive to the materialistic promises of TRT.

Happy Politicking,

B.F.Pinkerton

Create Date : 07 กุมภาพันธ์ 2548

Last Update : 7 กุมภาพันธ์ 2548 23:06:46 น.

2 comments

Counter : 1084 Pageviews.

I don't like Taksin, though I have to admit the fact that he is the most promising candidate to be our PM. We need someone who is spontaneous and modern-thinking. And Taksin appears to have those qualities in his pocket. I just don’t know why a thought

…“He corrupts…He cheats!!!!” …

comes to my mind every time I see him. But again, who else doesn’t?

At least we’ve seen some change, I’m soooo TIRED of old-fashioned politics.
…
….
But again, I wish he got a less number of seats in the house. :-(

โดย: ซีบวก

วันที่: 7 กุมภาพันธ์ 2548 เวลา:21:14:14 น.

I am okay withThaksin, I love CEO-style (okay..my family and friends would kill me upon hearing this), I love the work of B-school type people around him.

But like many other middle-class voters..I have already been informed with strong evidence of his successful and ongoing attempts to change the laws in favor of his business / the suspicious Entrance scandal / nepotism; the appointment of his relatives for the top-positions..However, all these bad qualities are tangential to what his administration has done in last 4 years for poor people in general. (the dual-track economic policy)

But then again..what kind of politician who wouldn't do that ? Looking at what Thaksin has done to the country (okay superficially, materialistically speaking). Thailand is better off. So I think giving him another 4 years is fair enough and we should wait and see.

I wish Thailand to prosper in the international level, and TRT seems to be the only option to lead the country to that direction.. I am hopeless to find any alternative as of now though I would love to see.

โดย: B.F.Pinkerton

วันที่: 7 กุมภาพันธ์ 2548 เวลา:22:56:44 น.