From the back seat of a red taxi

COMMENTARY

Published: 20 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Last Tuesday evening, after being rejected by the shaking head and waving hands of one cabbie, a second took me in and I was ever appreciative. From Wat Phra Si Maha That temple in Bang Khen to my home in Lumpini, it was to be a long ride, but an educational one. There was silence at first, but after a few minutes the cabbie, an elderly yet robust man, turned on the radio. We caught the last few minutes of a talk show; the topic of discussion was the Bangkok governor race.

One caller lambasted the Democrat candidate as a corrupt member of the elite who knows nothing and does nothing. Another caller lamented on how her son, and others like him who live and work in Bangkok but are not residents of the capital could not vote - otherwise the Pheu Thai candidate would win for sure.

There were a couple livelier and more passionate callers invoking the need to vote Pheu Thai and win Bangkok for the sake of the people and true democracy. The host, also passionate and lively, wrapped up the show by saying Bangkok needs a good man as governor, a true man of democracy, and that man is the Pheu Thai candidate.

This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.

Forum

Your comments

facts_only
Post : 503
Send message

Discussion 21 : 20 Jan 2013 at 12.2821
Post this to my Facebook
bkk-farang 11, "They don’t want to listen to anyone outside of their brainwashed community."
Did you read the above article? (a joke)

I have never met a person who knew they were brainwashed. Why is that so?
Like dislike 46 people liked / 7 people disliked this comment
arch
Post : 110
Send message

Discussion 20 : 20 Jan 2013 at 11.5320
Post this to my Facebook
Ask a red shirt who paid off the IMF loan. They swear black and blue the man in Dubai paid from his own pocket.
Like dislike 61 people liked / 14 people disliked this comment
bkk-farang
Post : 2,309
Send message

Discussion 19 : 20 Jan 2013 at 11.0619
Post this to my Facebook
@facts_only #9: Thanks for the facts and the quote. Do you have also some facts how it would be possible to inform gullible about these and other facts? My impression of many of these people is that they believe what certain people tell them and they think these are facts. And if other people say something then these are always lies – by their leaders definition. With certain people in Thailand I gave up trying to tell them facts. They don’t want to listen to anyone outside of their brainwashed community.
Like dislike 63 people liked / 14 people disliked this comment
facts_only
Post : 503
Send message

Discussion 18 : 20 Jan 2013 at 10.1918
Post this to my Facebook
Thailand is #32 in world oil production, producing 3.9% of what Saudi Arabia (#1) produces. Thailand is #52 in proven oil reserves, with 0.17% the reserves compared to Saudi Arabia (#1). Oil is typically transported in black cylinder-shaped train cars.

"When you're young, you look at television and think, there's a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that's not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want." - Steve Jobs
Like dislike 74 people liked / 6 people disliked this comment
pjt
Post : 908
Send message

Discussion 17 : 20 Jan 2013 at 09.4517
Post this to my Facebook
The existence of the 'they' on either side is not confined to Thailand. There are many divides where everyone on the other side is tarred with the same brush. The unwillingness to articulate who 'they' are is a convenient form of running away and failure to face the possibility - which is if you actually analysed who 'they' are then you would find 'they' are not all the ogres you would want them to be and might even find common ground to move forwards. I wonder if you would have had a similar outcome to your conversation with a Blue Sky watching cabbie? BTW who benefits from perpetuating such closed mindedness?
Like dislike 22 people liked / 6 people disliked this comment
dao
Post : 4,646
Send message

Discussion 16 : 20 Jan 2013 at 09.3416
Post this to my Facebook
Its easier to finger point and not name names than it is to accept the fact that the red shirts are being duped by a guy who is fact what they say they are fighting against .
Like dislike 77 people liked / 28 people disliked this comment
jonny
Post : 12
Send message

Discussion 15 : 20 Jan 2013 at 08.3715
Post this to my Facebook
@KYS This is True. We have perfected killing, we bring life into this world so casually; and yet we travel from dust to dust without having lived a deliberate, happy life. We know so much, some of us even Know Best, but no one seems to know how to be happy without hurting someone else. We must be intolerant of things which are not tolerable. Our deceit must die a quick death. Our emotions that do not serve our interests must be lined up at dawn and summarily executed for treason. We must be shamed of our natural position; on top of food chains, no enemies, no threats, but we cannot live happily in Paradise?

We are just FIGHTING to survive.
Like dislike 3 people liked / 1 people disliked this comment
Wally
Post : 66
Send message

Discussion 14 : 20 Jan 2013 at 08.3614
Post this to my Facebook
One of the few touted aspects of modern democracy are the huge expenses associated with a successful political party. As such they all need financial backing which will usually come from the very wealthy elite, as such those parties then work for and on behalf of their financial backers. In Thailand it seems different wealthy groups back various parties and essentially take turns raping the Treasury. In the US the same banking elite back both parties, so apart from a few irrelevant social issues they are the same. This leaves the voters with the choice of no good choice, it really doesn't matter any more.
Like dislike 6 people liked / 1 people disliked this comment
geoffo
Post : 2,917
Send message

Discussion 13 : 20 Jan 2013 at 08.3513
Post this to my Facebook
Long hair is a sign of freedom from the oppression of "them" but short hair helped keep schools free of head lice.
Like dislike 3 people liked / 2 people disliked this comment
commonman
Post : 211
Send message

Discussion 12 : 20 Jan 2013 at 08.3212
Post this to my Facebook
Maybe your best yet, but depressing finally. What's to be done? Both sides equally corrupt, everyone accepts this. Must we wait for the Chinese to come and legislate the limits to corruption. Don't they have bootstraps in this land?
Like dislike 4 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment

First Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Last

From the back seat of a red taxi | Bangkok Post: opinion