Gee, I Wonder Who Will Win?

Thailand's prime minister Surayud Chulanont and the Election Commission (EC) agreed on Monday to hold the general election on Dec. 23 this year.

EC Chairman Apichart Sukkhakhanont said Surayud and the EC reached a common stand that Dec. 23 would be the best timing for holding the poll.

The election will elect 480 Members of Parliament (MP) according to the new Constitution which was approved by a national referendum on Aug. 19. The past general election was held on April 2 last year, but it was annulled later since election fraud was found.

For 15 years, Thailand managed to maintain a democracy. Thaksin was a second term, popularly elected Prime Minister and generally believed throughout this region to offer hope for a country without a great deal going for it. He was re-elected in 2005 by a landslide and if he were on the ballot again today, he would likely win by a landslide again.

Thaksin was in the process of decreasing the power of the military in Thailand and getting rid of a few folks when the trouble started. The military party, CNS, accused Thaksin of corruption, tax evasion and a host of other activities and staged a military coup to regain power. Unfortunately, the popular king sided with the military for unknown reasons.

I have yet to meet anyone who thinks there is much to the election fraud claim, and most people believe he took advantage of a tax loophole in selling his stock that was probably politically stupid, but not illegal.

Thaksin's accomplishments were well-established and numerous. No one expects anything positive from CNS.

Thailand has tourism, the sex trade and silk. That's about it. Of the 3, the sex trade is probably the biggest revenue generator. All of the wealthy degenerates head to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam for their sex-capades, whether their preference is men, women, children or animals. It's all available.