An Observation in LOS

[Spitfire]

This is sort of news related but also opinion about LOS, so not totally sure where this belongs, so if you Mods want to move it, then fair play.

Recently I have traveled to a few different parts of Thailand, north, south, northeast, and an observation occurred to me, which is;

Does anyone outside Bangkok really care too much about what's going on with the government and LOS in general?

OK, that is a bit sweeping, but when I went to all these different places, I saw no evidence of any disharmony or anger etc, people were just getting on with their lives as usual, it was almost like resignation on the behalf of the locals that the city dwellers were up to thier usual tricks.

I talked to many, and it was surprising that so many said to me that, quote, "It's just another case of Bangkok telling the rest of us what to do again".

Is it really that bad, that your average Thai thinks that it's just the elite in Bangkok deciding the future of Thailand because he thinks that once you get to Saraburi, Lopburi or Hua Hin then there is nothing but a black void?

Is Thailand only as big as Bangkok?

Outside Bangkok, I have seen very little interest in the polital problems that are sweeping the nation, at least on the surface, I know it affects us all but it seems that what they are more worried about is the economy, which at the moment might be beyond the government's control. I think many people know that.

OK, we can start debating the pros and cons of individual politicians, but my obseration is that many no longer care about them here.

The main reason I've posted this is because so many of us live in all the different parts of Thailand or the world and I would be interested to see the different views of people that are scattered so far apart that can give valid opinion on this from where they are.

As said, this is only an obseration and I'm sure they are being made everywhere.

Everyone

Edited for spelling

[buksida]

Good observations and ones I can mostly agree with. The trouble with any political party is that they don't really do anything for the rest of the country outside of their little power circle.

PPP have just offered a bunch of empty promises to their northeastern voters and the south who are mostly Democrat have had nothing in the way of support from the government since before Thaksin took over.

So on the whole they just get on with it regardless of what goes on in Bangkok. Maybe education has something to do with it also, those in the city with opinions tend to read up and have studied on it - those in the country with none haven't.

[richard]

Good posts

I've noticed though that certainly in the north east they are wising up. The younger generation are getting a better education. albiet small. Neverless the majority (older guys and gals) stick their head in the paddy field and accept it

Thailand is still very regional and not national. People in Khon Kaen think people in Buriram are from a different planet/country. Anything south of BK is not Thailand in their mindset

The only thing that binds them altogether is their royal family

You can't be a politician if you have no degree so what is the point in fighting it? You can't win so accept it

[lomuamart]

I'll have a go at this.
Until the opposition go to the country, they've got no chance. I've been watching the PAD sermons for a month now.
My wife is committed to them as are her family in HH. However, I ask her why are they preaching to the converted?
That really pisses her off, but it seems to me that if they want to win, they've got to try and convert the opposition. Pretty easy, isn't it?
But they don't seem to willing to do it. That's what gets me!!
Ie: why dosn't she and everyone else go and try to convert those TRT?PPP people?
And go to the country instead of BKK and HH. They are safe seats.

[sandman67]

Im fast coming to the conclusion that Thailand and "mai pen rai" are incompatible with modern democracy and its machinery.

Look at parliament...a cross between a pigsty and a kiddies kindergarten. Look at the executive and judiciary.....amateur, incompetent and corrupt.

Seems to me the best idea would be to scrap the lot and let the King and his advisers run the country till the next generation grows up, as he's the only man with power who actually cares and does stuff for his people.

Spend all the money wasted on so called democracy giving the young a decent education in science, politics, law, social studies etc. Stop filling their heads with empty nationalism and false pride.

When you sell your votes for a packet or two of fags, or vote for some uncle or distant relative of a banned politician who was kicked out for corruption as a proxy for that politician and his rich family then y get the government you deserve.

When you look to the stars to determine policy instead of looking at how other countries solved the problem then you get a screwed up economy.

And when you make a fat incompetent ignorant boor your prime minister then you get this mess.

Hard it may sound, true it is.

[richard]

I'm backing off this now

WE ARE FARANGS and east is east and west is west

We can debate it until the end of time (might be soon!) but there is bugger all we can do about it

I've a very good friend here who has lived here 22 years and he regularly reminds me I'm not thinking Thai logic and I've now been here nigh on 7 years

Who was it that said 'let sleeping dogs lie'?

[lomuamart]

I reckon it revolves around television.
Thai TV.

[lomuamart]

What's wrong with Sadsak?I reckon he's a hero.
I've personally been to the badlands and have seen his support. It's overwhelming and everything.
He's great.

[lomuamart]

Shit,
If you believe that.....

[Vital Spark]

Our village, who were hugely pro-Taksin 5 years ago (because he gave bicycles to the schools, and computers, which were stolen and replaced on a regular basis, and wonderful loans to village people, who couldn't pay them back).

After the King's speech, before the last coup, they suddenly became anti-Taksin.

The last few weeks ASTV has been on in the village shop, and the locals are all anti-government. They really don't know what they're protesting against. They get a free trip to Bangkok, and a T-shirt, and free food and they go. It's much more exciting than sitting in the village.

I was speaking to a fellow Thai teacher, who is also an adviser to the government. He said that this will fizzle out. The protestors don't have anything to protest against - they don't really have an agenda (first it was the constitution, and then something else, but every time the government has sort of backed down). Just saying 'We don't like the government' is not enough. I agree.

This is not a democratic country - votes are bought, and the majority of the voters are not interested or cannot make an informed decision (because of illiteracy) - and therefore take the money and/or fish sauce, or whatever and tick the required box.

I do hope that this doesn't turn nasty. I hope the predictions about July 6th don't come true. However, I have no idea how to end the current impasse.

VS

[chelsea]

Now I do not know whether I am qualified in what I am going to say or not, I have never lived in LOS but have a very close friend who lives in Chiang Mai who is a Thai.

From what I can make (MR T as they call him) was greeted as some sort of god up there and from what I have read was still in the same mould before and after the coup when it happened.

She has told me in her end of town all good things happened for the people there and as far as I know the feeling was the same all over that area.
I mentioned to her last year that he was now in the UK and basically she knew as much as I did what he was up to over there.

When I told her that he is now owner of Man City she said yes, I know he will bring good things to the city there (I only got one chance to mention we beat them 6-0 before the subject changed), but she said buddha will not be good to me. But so far so good, and nothing bad has happened.

I know I have no kind of comprehension of what goes on in the rest of Thailand, but from what she has told me, that before Mr T got ousted, that a lot of the poorer people were a lot better of (perhaps not living wise), but medically wise than they were before and probably are now.

Please everyone feel free to comment as I am really flying in the dark with a lot of what I have said, only because it is what has been passed onto me. I would like to learn more.

[Wanderlust]

chelsea,
Without wanting to sound too cynical, I would hazard a guess that the political incumbents in that area are particularly close allies of Thaksin/TRT/PPP. But at least some people benefited from his time in office.
Generally speaking I think the other posters have already summed it up though - the public feel that they can't change anything (almost whoever they vote for) so don't bother thinking too much about it. Pretty much how it is in many countries to be honest.

[lomuamart]

The thing that gets me is that they're preaching to the converted.
Despite my political feelings, it seems that there's no good shouting your mouth off in Bangkok. They believe you already.
If you/they want to change something, then go to the North or Issan and preach there. But they won't. Maybe they are scared.
Until they get past the BKK crowd, they'll never be anywhere.

[chelsea]

WL from what I can make out they are big supporters of Mr T as they call him. From what I have learnt that Chiang Mia is the biggest city/town outside Bangkok. So if he has big support in there and the surrounding areas, if he ever came back to challenge (and concentrated his support on those areas), would the support in the North/North East of the country and other lesser areas, go a long way to voting him back in. Only ask the question as my knowledge is limited to the population numbers of the rest of the country

[STEVE G]

The thing that gets me is that they're preaching to the converted.
Despite my political feelings, it seems that there's no good shouting your mouth off in Bangkok. They believe you already.
If you/they want to change something, then go to the North or Issan and preach there. But they won't. Maybe they are scared.
Until they get past the BKK crowd, they'll never be anywhere.

This is how I see things here have been going on for some time; the people in the countryside can get anyone into power they want because there are so many of them and then the people in Bangkok can protest to get rid of them because they are near the seat of power.
Someone needs to break this cycle by coming up with a party that can keep both sides happy to some degree.
One of the problems is that many people in Bangkok object to any party that wants to give anything to rural areas; they think Bangkok is everything and that is where all the money should be spent.