Organization: Central Michigan University
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Tue, 15 Sep 1992 06:01:11 EDT
From:         Elliott Parker <3ZLUFUR@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      TH: News discussion

=======================  Forwarded  Message  ===========================
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 02:36:05+0700
From: htk@munnari.oz.au (Hugh Thaweesak Koanantakool)
To: krenoi@munnari.oz.au


Since yongyuth and kamol are not with me in Bangkok,
I think the situation now is not so volatile.  Thus it is unlikely that
we need a frequent polling like the election night.  I will try to
put some more news via munnari when there is some resource available
to type in the Nation.  I saw Somsak's posting in s.c.t. forwarded
to me by trin.  Somsak could access chulkn all right.  Only the Nation
has no path to s.c.t.

The vote buying in the rural area is not easily eliminated.
The situation is NOT trivial like what discussed in s.c.t, notably around
 Dr.Lawrence's remarks.  What happens is that if you are a villager,
you are usually poor and seem to be at the mercy of your village headman.
What happens if you are sick and short of money, or you lost a cow?
Villager has to borrow some cash from these community leaders.  Well, you
have to be there for many years if not all your life.  So, you'd better
behave yourself.  Do what the village headmen say, right?

These village headmen (kamnan) usually are "hua kanan" who get some money from
politicians (or from District Head or Nai amphoe).  The money is big enough
to make kamnans or Samachik sapa thetsaban or sapa changwat happy.  Their
"patronage" to villagers are more illustrated during the election season.
That is they ask their followers for some favour.  It usually worth to
accept the offer and go to the voting booth.

Well, you may ask why dont they just accept the offer and not casting the
assigned vote?  The reasons are:  all villagers would have to vote in almost
the same way in each tent.  If you dont, the Min.of Interior staff will
and usually find out by some tricks who disobey the request.  Those who do
so can face many unhappy months of hardship...   There are several ways to
make sure and identify which person vote against the request.

This kind of patronising relationship in villages is due to the local
government system which allow kamnan to be in their position for live.
No election, no democratic power has ever been given to the poor villagers.
Even Nai Amphoe (District head) comes from M.o.I. civil servants.
Provincial Governor is also not elected by the local people.  All powers are
from the Ministry of Interior, who happens to manage all elections.
Can you see now what is the grassroot of the problems?  I am sure that
those who read this message can get a more non-trivial cause of the
vote-buying phenomena in Thailand.

Last thing, people out there in the rural areas has no good choice to choose
from.  Either from the old faces who should logically be better than new
faces which they do not know, or those who could (at least giv the impression
 that they could) bring some development projects to the  village.  Next best
are the people who appear on TV often.  (or good looking).  I am not joking.
Look at the scores of Laddawan Wongsriwong, Chakkrapan Yomchinda and
Abhisit Vejjajiva.  All three got more than 100,000 votes.  Surely more than
30% of these come from their air-time whcih impressed the people.  The
remaining come from their good reputation.

Any comments?
ps. please cc: your comments to "reader-redist@ipied.tu.ac.th" because
there are hundreds of email users in Thailand who do not have access
to soc.culture.thai.  This posting is only a one-way path to s.c.thai.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU