Isaan voters make educated choices that politicians, Army can’t accept 

In these days of the Internet and the ability of anyone to compare a local situation to other localities in a country, it beggars belief that people in the Northeast are not aware of the disparities.
Which begs the question: why do people still question the choice of the people of the Northeast to vote for “their” parties (currently the Pheu Thai Party) and not for Bangkok-based parties or entities like the military?
 I am constantly amazed by this unfathomable lack of understanding.
Samui Bodoh
It runs on fear: I can tell you now when you enter some Northern villages, a sign will say “This is a RED village”. Can u imagine the peer pressure to vote “red” and what people would say/do if you openly opposed this. Seen it in Loei province. Its not just voting it extends to, it goes deep into the Thai society, but … that can’t be mentioned!
Kannot
It’s all so bizarre, but the prejudice runs deep.
My stepson started off in a government school. It was weird, inside they could only speak Thai, outside the school gates, he, his friends, the teachers would all speak Lao.
Then it gets even more weird, because they are only taught in Thai, when they write, it’s almost a third language that they make up – written Isaan Lao using Thai characters. I don’t think you can buy a dictionary for that!
As for the ingrained Thai/Lao prejudice, I’ll tell you a story.
My wife, a US-educated graduate, when we were getting married many years ago, went to buy a wedding dress at an upscale store in Bangkok. Now, she’s dark-skinned and clearly Lao. The fair-skinned Thai lady demanded to see her hands – to confirm she wasn’t a farmer!
There are reasons I never regret our decision to move back to the US and have our son go to the University in Chicago.
This is a backward, internally racist country, and until someone wakes up to that fact and tries to change it, it’s destined for continual conflict
GinBoy2
The Nation: “Specifically, factors which impair Thai children’s IQ include disease, nutritional deficiencies, malnutrition, parasite infestation, deficiencies of iodine and iron, and inadequate cognitive stimulation during early childhood.”
Just think of how these children could have benefited from a free Chinese tablet, if only someone would have thought of such a scheme. (sarcasm) On the plus side, think of how proud they will be when they watch the high speed train, that they can’t afford to ride on, flash by. (sarcasm)
ramrod711
Not all Thai teachers are bad, I’ve met a few very dedicated teachers. But in general, I always felt most do not give a cxxp about the welfare of both the students and school.
For most, it is an easy way to get money from the students, their parents plus the government with underhand dealings involving employment agencies. 
Teachers are more interested in eating, using Facebook, taking photos, going out to extended lunches, fudging exam marks, employing native speakers at below the rate of pay, not providing healthcare, and not passing on budgeted payment assistance for the Non B visa and work permits for each foreign teacher. 
Pockets are kept lined by cheating the government, students and parents, plus foreign teachers.
I feel concerned as well as sorry for the young generation. Many students demonstrate a lack of basic critical thinking methods.
Very sad.
Sonhia
And nothing is changing any time soon.
Two days ago there was a meeting with the “new blood” in Thai politics at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand.
Here were the thoughts (reported by Khaosod) of a man though to represent “the future” of the Democrat Party, Warawut Silpa-archa, about his fellow countrymen in the Northeast:
“Though he declared for electoral politics, he did betray a strain of elitism toward voters by assigning blame for the ‘low quality’ of Thailand’s politicians on an electorate that is ‘90 per cent farmers’ who are ‘uneducated’.”
Lord have mercy. But the dinosaurs will be clapping their small hands in approval.
Sadly nothing will change here until the underprivileged realise that enough is enough and take to the streets.
JOC
ThaiVisa