TUESDAY, March 19, 2024
nationthailand

Do different ideologies exist in Thai politics?

Do different ideologies exist in Thai politics?

Did it make any sense to have 80 different political parties participating in the last election? We read about people who were encouraged to establish parties by “other forces” with promises of financial support later, only to face hard reality when they wound up with huge debts. So why all these new parties? 

I have heard talk that political ideology exists in Thai politics, perhaps within Pheu Thai. Did the 80 parties all have different ideologies, reflected in their policy platforms and points of view? Or were they formed for other, more personal motives? Or were they part of a grand strategy to give the appearance of democracy when there is in fact none, perpetrated by the same tricksters who earlier tried to fool Thailand with night-time voting and a princess as PM candidate? If it was a trick, who benefited from all the votes cast for the 80 parties, diluting political power and making Thailand an impotent democracy?
One big established party could count on its voting-base in the North and Northeast, while its rival newcomer had no stronghold and had to chase votes all over the country, competing with 45 new parties in many areas. So guess which party lost most votes to the 45 new parties? No surprise – it was the newcomer, Phalang Pracharat. And Pheu Thai was the beneficiary, as the swarm of new parties did not stand in Pheu Thai’s heartland but instead stole votes from Phalang Pracharat. Was this another smart trick by established forces – to help launch 45 new parties in n attempt to suck the blood out of the new non-established challenger?
A Johnsen

nationthailand