Just a thought (from Brighton, the Hua Hin of the UK). A lot of the recent discussion of Thai politics is based on the rural-urban divide. Many recognise that this divide is blurred by demographic fluidity. But how many Thais are, politically at least, fixed in place by the rules of the electoral system? For the occasional visitor like myself, voting days in the village are characterised by an influx of unfamiliar faces as students, workers and travellers return home to cast their vote. What would Thai politics look like if these people could cast their votes in the places where they study, work and play? Perhaps the clear distinction between urban and rural voting patterns would start to break down. Who knows, populism may even start to catch on in the cities! Worth a thought?
Kaan muang and kaan baan
October 17th, 2006 by Andrew Walker · 3 Comments
Tags: Thailand
3 responses so far ↓
1 Wasan // Oct 17, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Such a great idea A.Andrew this idea should have been proposed to the acting Thai Govt/and so called ‘Kor Mor Chor’ a present tranforming body of the Coup, the supposedly interim govt but fully and powerfully have power to ‘re-structure’ Thai society, who just luanced the policy banning all liquor ads saying that this way would prevent Thai peoples, the young in particular, from a negative effect of drinking – an immoral act?.
So if they really wanted to restore and reform Thai politics (as they claimed) and economy (they just boosting a self-sufficiency way but also insist to continue trading with the world, via FTA negotiation- so sounds not realy different from the TRT duo-tracks, and society [banning liqour ads and perhaps followed by a nightclub, karaoke, and sex works - ohhh my life would be bored and suppressed, therefore.....], and culture [who knows? can anyone here please help me to forecast] as a whole, this one-year interim govty who got power from the Coup so they can everything without protest or less resistance- please emphasise – should be heard of this idea.
We, Thai academics here, begin to worry about this act, to quote Atthjak’s word, it is a kind of ‘Long Yuk policy’ (doing the right thing in the wrong time?). Thus come! telling them to not be ‘Long Yuk’ beging with this new voting system.
2 James Haughton // Oct 17, 2006 at 11:08 pm
Ji Giles Ungpakorn has been calling for voting laws to be changed in that direction for a while now. Some left oriented people have been pressing for something of the sort to be in the new constitution (slim hope).
3 chris white // Oct 18, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Oh you are such a dreamer Andrew. Now be sure to keep your hat on and don’t let all that sunshine in Brighton affect your head!!!
While I agree that the rural urban divide is ‘blurred by demographic fluidity’ I think that the extent of it is often overstated to the extent that it is sometimes argued that (the divide) doesn’t exist any more. The location people live and work is often a very different place to where they call home – I guess there are many and varied reasons for this.
But I guess that you are referring to the issue of house registration in your post. I understand that it determines where and for whom you can vote – unless, strangely, you reside overseas. However, I assumed that your house registration also determined where you received your basic education and primary health care. This was put to me, once, as a reason why so many parents left their kids to be nurtured by their grandparents and older relatives in the villages while their parents worked in Bangkok. Can any of your readers clarify for me if this is so or not?
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