Thai elections were a couple of weeks ago, and some of you may be aware of the situation in Thailand, but most may not. Just last year, there were bombings in Bangkok from protesters. The 2 groups are "The red-shirts" and "The yellow-shirts" point blank because they wear red and yellow shirts. They are basically like Republicans vs Democrats. One supports The King, and the other doesn't.
Years ago there was this man named Thaksin. Thaksin, was prime minister at one point, but was so corrupt that Thailand actually banned him from the country. He lives somewhere in Europe, but is still heavily involved with Thai politics. He owns all the telephone companies, and still has many supporters.
Election time is pretty similar to American politics except politicians are not allowed to have advertisements on the television or on the radio. But that doesn't stop them from plastering signs all over Bangkok to spread the word. Or riding around in cars with recordings being played over mega phones, or supporters handing out flyers etc. The numbers on the posters represent their voting number. Some have a pretty standard and forgettable image while others like this man below takes the cake! This is Chuvit, made a fortune in Bangkok soap massage parlors, I.E. bubble bath brothels*. He would pay the cops millions of Baht, in order to stay open. Yet, being the true politician that he is, his campaign is "Against Corruption".
Take a look at some of his hilariously funny advertisements:
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| Message: The government, says Chuvit, is steering the wrong way! |
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Chuvit's message: Baby's diaper needs a change, and so does the Thai government. |
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| "Trust" You can trust your dog more than a politician these days.  The coordinator at my school told me prior to voting that she helps campaign for her province. The following week I asked her if the person who won was who she was campaigning for, she stopped and looked at me bewilderedly and said, " No one has ever asked me that before, in Thailand we do not speak about it." She seemed more pleased than annoyed that I asked her and responded simply by saying "Yes" with a big smile. |
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| During the elections Alcoholic drinks are not allowed to be sold. They don't want to impair judgement or cause any riots. Their way around this? Sell drinks that don't look like alcohol to the naked eye. Sneaky Thais! |
At the end of the day it is kinda refreshing to learn the way their government works. The whole world is screwed up these days, not just America. As horrible as that is its reassuring to hear. We can only go up from here.
[ I hope]
Cheers!
P.S. This is all based on what I could put together from talking to other people and reading on the internet.
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QOTD: Based on the pictures above, what # would you vote for and why?
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Citation:
The photos do not belong to me. I did not take any cause I knew I could find them on the internet.
MsExPat, Thai Elections 2011: The Surprising Rise of the Massage Tycoon.
Retrieved July 4, 2011, from http://www.correntewire.com
