With just over two weeks to go until the election here in Thailand I’ve found the topic of politics being brought up more and more. I know and work with a lot of young Thai people who will be voting for the first time in their lives and they are really excited about being able to give their opinion on the future of their country. However, with people being charged under computer crime acts for discussing certain elements of politics, it’s left me wondering how in depth to get when talking politics with Thai people.
When it comes to work based conversations I don’t really say a lot. In my private life with close friends and family I’ll go into more depth.
Talking At Home
Interestingly enough, if I were Thai, and could vote, it would be for the same party that my Thai girlfriend will vote for in this upcoming election. At 24 years old, it’s her first time to vote and she’s really keen to do so and talk about her reasons for choosing this party. In the privacy of our home we talk pretty freely about political events and personalities. We watched the TV debate last Sunday together and discussed it afterwards. I can feel the excitement among young people here that they can make a difference and perhaps bring change from the cycle of some previous governments failing.
The Under 30s Vote
Universities in Thailand have been known to be very politically active in the past. A recent Thai TV show debate focusing on university students highlighted the importance of this age group.
Another key factor to consider is that some parties are talking about ending army conscription, something which affects people in the under 30 demographic. The armed forces are against this idea as well as any potential funding cuts. It certainly creates a lot of talking points on both sides of the argument and a lot of youngsters are keen to talk about it.
Regardless of the result of this election, I feel these young people will be more active when it comes to holding all politicians accountable. These young people have a strong voice now and hopefully will use it in a positive way.
Echo Chamber
I’m perhaps living in an echo chamber as a lot of people I know have similar views to me and I don’t always hear the full story of opposition parties.
A lot of media talk about certain parties in a very negative way and don’t always have a fair playing field. I understand that the media will never be 100% neutral but I’m certainly not in possession of the full facts of every party in the election.
From speaking to a lot of younger Thai people I’ve heard that they know all they need to know about most parties. With a lot of old faces in the election race they know what to expect from these people either from seeing about them in the past or being told about them by others.
Speaking with only young Thai people in Bangkok I might be missing the feelings of young people in the rest of the country. It would be interesting to know their thoughts too.
Staying Neutral
In general I stay neutral when it comes to talking politics in Thailand. I only give my opinions to a select few people who I know well and trust. Whilst I’m sure I wont be harassed for giving my opinion publicly I’d rather not have to debate my opinion or risk getting into trouble.
I also know that, as an expat, whoever is in charge won’t really change my life here that much. I’ll still pay the same tax, go through the same visa process each year and probably still have to pay the tourist price at national parks.
24th March
On the 24th March Thai people will cast their votes and there will be discussion and debate in the days after about the future of the country.
Whatever the result it’s clear to see that a lot of younger Thai people are now interested in talking about politics. In the end, some people will be happy with the result, others unhappy. I just hope this current trend of young people being more interested in politics, and excited to vote, continues.
