Taken for Granted: Election 2012 in Thailand

Missing what was probably one of the most significant elections in my lifetime, I sat in front of a fuzzy reception of CNN, amazed that it was even in English. I rushed out of my first morning class and biked to Kelsey’s school where one of her teachers so graciously found the channel for us to follow our country’s election. Being very interested and somewhat informed on political current events, it was hard to watch the outcome knowing that I hadn’t been able to participate.

Enough arguments have been started and completed on Facebook, most everyone of them void of compassion and full of malice toward the “other” party, so I choose not to even make comments in regards to the logistics of the election. Granted, my opinions lie in vast the minority, if that give you any hint as to where my affiliation lies, but that’s beside the point. Liberty is the core of my belief system, and as I stand back to look at the whole picture from 8,000 miles away, I’ve gained a better perspective than I could ever hope to gain if I was in the States, personally attacking people through a microscopic lens.

As I strained to watch the television, Kelsey’s teacher, Pen, made a profound statement. Though not in these exact words, she commented on the efficiency of our system and how lucky we were to be in a country where people are only arguing over politics rather than having to live in fear amongst the corruption and killings associated with it. And that’s when she explained an abridged version of Thai politics to me.

All I know about the story I’m about to tell is from the experience of a local Thai. I’ve not read any sound documents, but I’m convinced that personal stories are the richest form of any history. The last prime minister of Thailand, a man named Thaksin, became a billionaire businessman overnight and began to abuse his power, corroding Thai politics from the poverty ridden class to the police force. Pen described to me the false vows he’d made to the lower class, promising them loans and “free” money. In a funny and somewhat blunt way, Pen described the farmers as gullible and “not smart at all,” so they believed Thaksin. Banks suddenly began giving out money like candy, and people who lived in huts began buying the newest model of expensive cars on the market. When they failed to pay, banks heartlessly (and by means of Thaksin’s newly implemented ideas) took the main possession of these poor farmers, their land. Suicide rates amongst that class skyrocketed, yet they still flock to his empty promises. When Thaksin’s corrupt tendencies and money laundering surfaced, he was quickly labeled a criminal and fled the country. For nearly a decade, Thaksin has wandered the world, battling exile and seeking refuge and begging to be readmitted into the country. The division of his supporters (driven ignorantly by the poor) and his enemies has caused nothing but havoc in Thailand. Occasionally, Thaksin will hold video conferences in undisclosed locations, rallying his supporters and calling them to acts of violence. Once, Pen said, he even promised that if he heard gunfire during his speech to silence the skeptics, he would return to Thailand and rule again. An outbreak of murder began, and Thaksin was nowhere to be found. Rumor has it that he is hiding in Hong-Kong now, evading arrest. Pen said that recently, the captain of the police force in Bangkok located him and immediately hopped aboard a plane, ecstatic to have discovered his whereabouts.

“What do you think the policeman did?” Pen asked.

“Arrested him, I hope!” I replied, intrigued with such a bizarre story.

“No. He went so Thaksin could promote him and put new stars on his uniform.”

So here we are - in a country where politics doesn’t cause upheavals on Facebook or incessant Tweets with agendas. It causes murderous outbreaks, blind belief, uncertainty and death. In wake of this election, stop for a moment and be thankful for the Liberties and honor we DO still possess. Politicians are sometimes full of empty promises, yes, but at the end of the day, we live in a free country - one that’s abundant with prosperity, invokes some semblance of proper leadership and has the ability to unite in the face of tragedy.

I currently live in a country where cars pull over, people stop mid-walk and time stands still at 8 AM and 6 PM when their national anthem is played over television, radio and loud speakers across every city... where the symbolism of their King is admonished and where flags fly at every home, business, school and deserted street. Let's be as thankful for our nation's leaders and lasting liberties as Thais are for theirs, despite such disparity.