No stopping Thais’ march to the polls

Newlyweds and hospital patients among those determined to take part, write Post reporters

The first election in five years yesterday drew voters from all walks of life to vote regardless of age, illness, tsunami threats or wedding nuptials.

In Surat Thani’s Phrasaeng district, 107-year-old Kiam Putthong walked with her daughter from her house to vote at the village’s pavilion, the venue for polling station 8 of Constituency 5. There, she cast her ballot without any assistance at all.

Meanwhile, Swang Khamasundara, a 103-year-old voter from Samut Prakan, said he had been determined to exercise his right. “I am happy, at least I have done my duty as a citizen,” Lt Gen Swang said.

He also said that yesterday’s election was important for Thailand to once again become accepted by the rest of the world.

“If there are no elections, we are incomplete as a country. Administrative power was seized and according to the global community, elections are mandatory for democratic [countries]. If there’s no election, it’s against their rules,” he said.

Lt Gen Swang voted at the polling station in his neighbourhood and said it did not take long and was convenient.

Supaporn Charoenta, 48, an inpatient at Lamplaimat Hospital in Buri Ram, asked for permission from the doctors to go out and vote and come back later.

Likewise in Udon Thani, the Smiling Doctor Facebook page shared a photo of a row of empty beds in a local hospital saying the patients, mostly the elderly, had used wheelchairs and walkers to visit the nearby polling station. Many had been happy that their children had also returned from other provinces to vote, according to the page.

Meanwhile, newlyweds Jariya Sarachit, 27, and Supachai Ayapitak, 28, went hand-in-hand to vote at the 15th polling station in tambon Chao Sadej of Sena district in Ayutthaya right after their wedding ceremony. Several people who were lining up to vote congratulated them.

Similarly, Facebook user Wissanee Changlek posted a picture of a woman in wedding gown signing in at a polling station saying she was doing her duty,

both in marrying the man she loves and going to vote.

In Satun, Sa-ard Hayeebilang, kamnan of Tanyong Po sub-district, said fishermen had been casting their votes

despite six Andaman coastal provinces having been warned to monitor alerts for a tsunami after an earthquake in India on Saturday.

Winai Nga-saman, 63, said he was closely following the news but the whole family had wanted to vote. “Our village has an emergency warning tower, if a tsunami comes, we can escape in time. But we want to vote, it’s been five years [since the coup] already without an election,” he said.

Also in Satun, 17 ethnic Mani, better known in Thailand as Sakai, came to town to vote for their first time as Thai citizens, as they did not have official ID cards in the past.

In Tak, almost 100% of the 700 mainly ethnic voters went to vote at Ban Pu Ter School in tambon Mae Gu of Mae Sot district during the day.

However, governor Charoenrit Sanguansat had to negotiate with 300 residents from another district who had vowed not to vote in protest at their villages’ lack of electricity.

Umphang district chief Pakawat Khanthahiran, police and administrative officers also talked to the Mae Klong Noi and Mae Klong Yai locals who said they were unhappy their forest-area dwellings have never had any access to electricity. Some were convinced to vote but many still abstained in protest.

I am happy, at least I have done my duty as a citizen. LT GEN SWANG KHAMASUNDARA A 103-YEAR-OLD VOTER