All politics is local (Chang Noi)

Chang Noi reflects on the impact (or lack of impact) on local rural Thai politics of the recent court decision to disband of Thai Rak Thai:

...All politics are local politics. People like this kamnan have been the bedrock of Thai politics for the last two decades. They were around before Thai Rak Thai was invented. They are still around after Thai Rak Thai has been destroyed.

Even though Thai Rak Thai has gone, the local politicians who made up the party are still there. Some 260 former MPs were not banned from politics. The 111 banned executives have brothers, wives, sons, daughters, or “our people” who can stand in their stead. If the generals block the 260 from joining another party, they have brothers, wives, sons, daughters and allies too.

If you look at Thai politics from top down, the disappearance of Thai Rak Thai might seem to open up space for its biggest rival, the Democrats. But if you look at those politics from the bottom up – from the point-of-view of this kamnan “choosing” his party – then it looks quite different....