Monday, April 04, 2011

Thai Election 2011 (Part 1)

At any time in the next few weeks, the timing of the next General Election in Thailand will be known. With all that Thailand as been through in the last 3 years, this election is eagarly awaited by all parties and colours and will decide which possible road Thailand will go down.

The Democratic Party are in control of the Government at the moment and are associated with the Yellow shirt PAD movement who bought about the demise of the last Non Democratic Party government. However over the last few months the Dem's and PAD have grown apart, the Dems haven't played ball over a border conflict with Cambodia. In all fairness the more distance between the PAD and the Dem Party, the better the chance of re-election for them.

On the other side of the coin is Puea Thai, PT are closely related to the Red Shirt movement in Thailand. The red shirts are the mouth peice for the outsed former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. The Red Shirt were the group involved inlast years street demonstrations in Bangkok that saw nearly 100 people killed. The Red Shirts and PT have done a good job since then re-inventing themselves as a peaceful protest group.

What ever happens I only hope it passes of in a peaceful and fair manner, all the polls that have taken place put the Dems and PT in a 50-50 shootout. It will also be interesting to see if the looser will except the outcome, not a Thai political trait.

Also going by the trend in Thailand for the easy flare up of political tension I hope the main activity of the campaign is after the middle of June and we are safely back home.

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