Thai Election Day

[Travellerdave]

Saturday 23 March 2019

i was aware that this was going to happen today and was expecting see lots of election activity - posters, loud speaker vans, street meetings with speeches. However I have seen nothing like that at all so far and wonder if the people have given up on democracy after years of military dictatorship ?.

i have asked in bars about it but have received non commital replies like “yes bars closed tomorrow”. I asked my boyfriend du jour last night in bed if he was going to vote but I didn’t understand his reply so didn’t pursue the matter. It’s 7:30 am and he has just gone. Have a little breakfast and then tour about a little although it seems one of the hottest periods that I have ever  been in Pattaya. Things seem very quiet despite it stil being high season. The Complex bars were half empty with the boys bemoaning the lack of customers and the gay beach concessions had lots of empty seats. It’s not really a gay beach anymore with family groups, hetro couples and single females invading “our” space and virtual absence of boys in speedos, who we loved to see and lust for.

 

[DivineMadman]

8 minutes ago, Travellerdave said:

Saturday 23 March 2019

However I have seen nothing like that at all so far and wonder if the people have given up on democracy after years of military dictatorship ?.

I don't think this is correct.  Certainly Thai media shows lots of activity.   Voting turnout is expected be in the 80-90% range.  Last weekend's early voting turnout was very high.  

 

[hank75]

Anyone have updates on what it’s like in Bangkok today?

[DivineMadman]

Right now, quite lovely.  Not too hot.  

As of last night it was the same as last weekend as far as Soi Twilight is concerned - expect closed, reopen Sunday at 6:00.  A lot of regular restaurants in my Line & Facebook feeds are also closing tonight because of the no-alcohol rule.  

A bunch of guys from at least one of the bars I know of are taking advantage of the bars being closed and have left town for a little holiday/merit making.  I am reasonably confident that a sufficient number will be staying in BKK to satisfy those in need tonight.

Khaosod has an article and map about where the various final campaign rallies will be in Bangkok this evening.  The pro-junta party will be right at National Stadium BTS station - so people may want to steer clear of there late afternoon/evening.  Or go.  Up to you.  BKK Election Rallies

[jason1975]

27 minutes ago, DivineMadman said:

Right now, quite lovely.  Not too hot.  

As of last night it was the same as last weekend as far as Soi Twilight is concerned - expect closed, reopen Sunday at 6:00.  A lot of regular restaurants in my Line & Facebook feeds are also closing tonight because of the no-alcohol rule.  

A bunch of guys from at least one of the bars I know of are taking advantage of the bars being closed and have left town for a little holiday/merit making.  I am reasonably confident that a sufficient number will be staying in BKK to satisfy those in need tonight.

Khaosod has an article and map about where the various final campaign rallies will be in Bangkok this evening.  The pro-junta party will be right at National Stadium BTS station - so people may want to steer clear of there late afternoon/evening.  Or go.  Up to you.  BKK Election Rallies

Not too hot? It felt like 38 degrees yesterday! I might just go to National Stadium BTS to have a curious look at the rallies. Since there are no bars to go to after all. Or boys might just Line me later to meet.

[jason1975]

An amusing anecdote to share. I went for massage and came back walking along Patpong an hour ago (4pm). Two more hours before all alcohol sales is prohibited. I was looking for a pub or bar just to get a beer. Zilch. All bars closed.

Then as I reached Surawong Road, heaven! One small pub open. Two farang were drinking. Three Thai aunties in their 40s were working. “One Heineken please”. One of them got one for me then she pointed to herself and asked ,”Buy me a drink?” I nodded. After that, the other two Thai aunties asked me as well! I said yes. And lo and behold, another Thai auntie appeared from the bar toilet! “Buy me one drink too?”

”ok but only 4. No more!” I replied. I felt like Macbeth encountering the witches. But they were so friendly and funny. Two of them came out and gave me back and hand massages and we chatted - the usual “how long you in Thailand? Where you stay?” It was an enjoyable half hour encounter on a hot afternoon. Bar tab was 750 baht for my Heineken and 4 drinks for them.

how is this related to us? This particular bar is directly facing the new Dreamboys bar! Will this be the new Maxis? The four Thai aunties have not realised it yet but they have just hit jackpot come April!

[hank75]

1 hour ago, jason1975 said:

 Two of them came out and gave me back and hand massages and we chatted - the usual “how long you in Thailand? Where you stay?” It was an enjoyable half hour encounter on a hot afternoon. 

Such a familiar scenario...I was almost expecting this to conclude with an off LOL.

Well I suppose all of us will now be trooping down to check this out. You sure they are Thai aunties and not aged ladyboys??

[abidismaili]

In Pattaya I saw election posters. I also saw a van with a speaker in the streets. So it is not absent. 

[ggobkk]

Sending good wishes to the Thai people for this election. 

[witty]

Election posters in Silom. 

1. With a promise of equal rights for LGBT. 

2. With a promise to protect the black panther. 

A very neat and orderly display of posters of all the contesting parties. 

[anddy]

36 minutes ago, witty said:

Election posters in Silom. 

1. With a promise of equal rights for LGBT. 

That's very tame compared to these two, also seem in Silom:

 

[anddy]

Google Thailand today:

[Travellerdave]

It’s 6.30 am now and I’ve looked out of the windows where it looks like it’s going  to be another sizzling hot day for the election. Most of the bars were shut yesterday evening with just the occasional one having one or two customers sat drinking water or a coke.  when I went out for a walk  I didn’t see any electioneering activity.

with Thailand being very dependant on the tourist economy it would be beneficial for them not to have the alcohol ban in 100% resorts such as Pattaya Phuket etc. But that is Western thinking not Thai, where the Buddhist religion has a huge influence. I’m not a big drinker so the lack of booze does not bother me, but yesterday evening I did miss going to the bars. At 9pm I did sit in the room scanning GR but fell asleep and ended up sleeping alone.

[DivineMadman]

FYI - today's viral video really does a great take down on the new constitution and takes digs at everybody.  

250 Bootlickers

[jason1975]

I am at airport now. No sale of alcohol at eating places but of course tourists can buy all the duty free alcohol they are allowed to take back to their home countries!

[reader]

From South China Morning Post (25 Mar.)

Who won Thailand’s election? Stand-off as military-backed Palang Pracharat and Shinawatra proxy Pheu Thai both claim victory

• The military-backed Palang Pracharat party wins the popular vote, while the Shinawatra-backed Pheu Thai wins the most seats
• And the leader of a third party – who goes by the name of ‘Daddy’ – says he is ready to be prime minister. Welcome to Thai politics

The bitter political stand-off between Thailand’s rural-backed democrats and establishment elites who support military rule showed no signs of abating after Sunday’s general election, with both sides claiming they have the right to form the next government after five years of junta rule.

After a tumultuous 24 hours – replete with complaints about the election commission’s announcements on the progress of vote counting – official results showed the two top parties were the Palang Pracharat party backed by the military and the Pheu Thai party linked to exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The third biggest party was the newcomer Future Forward party, which stunned observers by grabbing 80 seats after being founded just last year.

The party’s billionaire leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a former supporter of Thaksin’s bloc and an ardent critic of the junta who has been nicknamed ‘daddy’ by his fans, suggested he was personally ready to be prime minister of a broad pro-democracy coalition. He said his top preference however was for the Pheu Thai leader Sudarat Keyuraphan to assume the role.

Meanwhile, Thaksin, in Hong Kong after attending his youngest daughter’s wedding in the city last Friday, penned a commentary in the New York Times blasting the junta and the election commission for “manipulating” the vote.

“Whether or not the junta leaders now allow the pro-democracy parties to form a government, they will find a way to stay in charge,” he wrote. “They have no shame, and they want to be in power no matter what.”

His main political proxy, Pheu Thai, however, was not taking the result lying down.

It said on account of having won the most numbers of seats it had begun talking to other anti-junta parties about forming a coalition government in the 500-seat parliament.

On the opposing end, the Palang Pracharat said it was also in the thick of cobbling together a coalition. It cited its capture of a majority of the popular vote as a sign that the Thai people wanted it, and not Pheu Thai, in government.

Continues with photos

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3003202/who-won-thailands-election-stand-military-backed-palang

[anddy]

2 hours ago, reader said:

From South China Morning Post (25 Mar.)

On the opposing end, the Palang Pracharat said it was also in the thick of cobbling together a coalition. It cited its capture of a majority of the popular vote as a sign that the Thai people wanted it, and not Pheu Thai, in government.

"Majority of the popular vote" is obviously a false premise. They are FAR from having the majority (i.e. over 50%) of the popular vote. They have simply the most votes. But votes of other anti-junta parties combined probably outnumber their camp's combined number, though I'm really not sure as I have no clue as to which side all those obscure small parties are on that made it into parliament. Which in itself makes governing more difficult, they should have had a minimum threshold of votes to enter parliament (in Germany, which the system was modeled after, it is 5%)

[reader]

From Reuters (27 Mar.)

Thailand's opposition parties form alliance, demands junta step aside

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s opposition “democratic front” of seven parties on Wednesday claimed it had won a majority in the lower house of parliament after a messy election, saying it has the right to try to form a government after five years of military rule.

However, the opposition alliance would still fall short of being able to elect a prime minister.

Under parliamentary rules, written by the ruling military junta, the party or coalition picking a prime minister requires a majority in the combined upper and lower houses of parliament.

With unofficial results of Sunday’s vote still delayed, the ruling junta showed no sign giving up on its goal to keep former army chief and coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha in the premiership.

The post-election standoff could raise tensions just as the Southeast Asian country prepares for the elaborate coronation of its new king in May.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, the main prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai party ousted by the 2014 army coup, told reporters the seven parties in the opposition alliance would take at least 255 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.

“We declare that the democratic front who opposes military rule commands the majority in the House,” Sudarat said.

She said the largest alliance in the lower house should be given the right to try to form a government.

“Parties in the democratic front gained the most trust from the people,” Sudarat told reporters, adding that they were also in talks with other parties.

The pro-military Palang Pracharat party has also claimed the right to form the next government based on its early lead in the popular vote. And an official with the pro-army party also said it could still win a majority as the count was still in flux.

“We got the most popular votes. Almost 8 million wanted to see Prayuth as prime minister,” Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, Palang Pracharat’s deputy spokesman, told reporters.

When asked about the democratic front’s claim, deputy junta leader Prawit Wongsuwan said parties should not act prematurely as it will be six weeks until the election commission publishes official results.

The partial count suggests the election could result in parliamentary deadlock even once a government is eventually formed.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-election/thailands-opposition-parties-form-alliance-demands-junta-step-aside-idUKKCN1R8081

 

[spoon]

I would asked why it takes so long to count the freaking vote and release the result, but i guess i already know the answer. Six week is just too damn long to count....

[Londoner]

The longer the ballot boxes are in the hands of the military establishment, the easier it is to maintain the status quo. Had the stolen "election" result been announced  quickly, the long-suffering Thai people may well have done something naughty- such as protesting- but the a month or so will help to keep anger underground. A pity; what the generals deserve is millions of angry Thais on the streets. 

[witty]

I remember enjoying myself during the massive protests in Bangkok back in 2014. 

Despite the burning of buildings and the threat of bombings I took the risk to visit and was surprisingly entertained by some free concerts by talented musicians of all genres that took to stages specially erected at several big intersections in the city. And the baht rate was 35% cheaper than it is today. 

Long live democratic demonstrations! 

[anddy]

funniest thing were two of yesterday's Bangkok Post headlines, side by side:

 

What I'm wondering is what the generals are thinking how they could govern if, on the one hand, they command a majority in the combined session of lower and upper house (easy for them) and thus elect Gen. P. as PM, but, on the other hand, do NOT command a majority in the lower house. How do they envision to pass legislation????? And couldn't the lower house then actually table and pass a motion of no confidence? Bloomberg actually carried a story highlighting that very possibility. Of course I don't know if their new constitution and parliamentary laws allow for such a motion, and under what conditions etc etc....

[spoon]

2 hours ago, witty said:

I remember enjoying myself during the massive protests in Bangkok back in 2014. 

Despite the burning of buildings and the threat of bombings I took the risk to visit and was surprisingly entertained by some free concerts by talented musicians of all genres that took to stages specially erected at several big intersections in the city. And the baht rate was 35% cheaper than it is today. 

Long live democratic demonstrations! 

So far, there isnt any major changes in the exchange rate, though if that happens, id see it as bonus to us lol.

 

2 hours ago, Londoner said:

The longer the ballot boxes are in the hands of the military establishment, the easier it is to maintain the status quo. Had the stolen "election" result been announced  quickly, the long-suffering Thai people may well have done something naughty- such as protesting- but the a month or so will help to keep anger underground. A pity; what the generals deserve is millions of angry Thais on the streets. 

Yup, what they want to do is to create the state of hopelessness, that no matter what the result is, they will still be in power. To be honest, the pro democratic coalition isnt any better. 7 party coalition spells disasters too, and the leader of this coalition are the one who created the mess that allows the military to stage a coup in the first place. 

[Londoner]

No; it was the Democrats and the Yellow- shirts who closed down Bangkok, undoubtedly at the behest of the generals so they could seize power. One of the few good things that came out of the election farce was the demise of the Democrats. When working-class people demonstrated, they were mown-down by the Army; when the bourgeoisie did so, they were indulged

[colmx]

I think you are being unfair with your synopsis Londoner, neither side is whiter than white

The yellow shirts (PAD) shut down the airports for a week in late 2008 and the Army refused to follow orders to remove them forcibly. After a Constitutional Court dissolved the three parties of the government coalition the PAD disbanded, and a lot of the government MPs defected to the democrats who formed a new government. The Yellow shirts were allegedly paid by the Rich

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Alliance_for_Democracy

The red shirts (UDD) were mostly paid by Thaksin to occupy central Bangkok for 2 months (March - May 2010) in protest at his assets being frozen. When the army tried to remove them after 2 months the Red shirt militants set fire to the Stock Exchange , banks, at least two shopping centres (including Central World at the Red-Shirts main protest site), a TV station, a cinema which burnt to the ground. The total number of burnt buildings was 35:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Thai_political_protests