The rainwater people

It seems that the northeast and the north are the match-winners in Thailand. The red shirts like them because they are their people, and the "Democrats" make them so important that they want to pull their right to vote. So it seems decisions are made on the countryside.

In last weekends Bangkok Post Andrew Biggs wrote in his Sunday column about vote-buying and the people upcountry. He better had not done this. What followed was a shitstorm as we call it in German. In front Andrew Marshall, the out-of-country-but-still-knowing-it-all-journalist, and right next to him @forestmat who tweeted this gem: "can you check for me if he's spent time in a rural NE village, drinking rainwater, cooking on a charcoal fire?"

So I learned today that only if you had your cup of coffee made of rainwater and your pork steak made on a charcoal grill you are qualified to understand and analyse the Isan folks.

Here is the thing: As long as we refer to the people in North- and Northeast Thailand as countryside guys, Isan people, farmers or even worst "the uneducated", we discriminate them. They are as Thai as everyone else. Actually the fact that there is less education shows that the oh so smart Bangkokians aren't able to provide education in the whole country. And look whats graduating from the universities in the capital? Generation selfie. While at the same time Thailands best programmers and finest vets are educated in Khon Kaen.

All my friends in the Isan part of Thailand have nice houses, and yes they may drink rainwater because they built a sophisticated rainwater-recycling system that cleans the water and makes it drinkable. And yes, they use a charcoal grill, because that's how you do BBQ. Only the rice is done in the rice-cooker, and the cake got a warm-up in the microwave.

See, of course there are some very poor people on the countryside. And some very uneducated. But they are everywhere, in Bangkok, in Phuket, in Chang Mai, Ubon Ratchathami and Hat Yai. That's how the world is - different. Smart guys and stupid guys, eductated and not educated, with knowledge and without knowledge.

We should stop thinking what makes a differences between people living in different parts of Thailand and start thinking of what they have in common. It is more than some advocates of either side of politics may think.

Protests continue in the streets of Bangkok

It is getting a bit confusing in the City of angels. There is the Pheu Thai ruled government, that tried to get a strongly disputed amnesty bill through the institutions. Didn't come far: even before the senate started to discuss, PM Yingluck announced it will withdraw the bill.

Some problems with this: The opposition doesn't believe her, and so do the protesters in the streets of Bangkok. Also, the law says that the senate has to make a decision, either making changes or reject. Then the bill goes back to the parliament, where it can't be touched for 180 days. Only then it can be withdrawn.

Maybe Yinluck thought it will stop the protests, but it didn't. Some politicians sensed a chance to get public attention and start to radicalise the movement. It is now against the government.

Meanwhile, the red shirts, until now compatriots and helpful mob for the Pheu Thai party, start to get angry as well. They didn't want to see an amnesty for their political enemies. So they also demonstrate against the bill.

The reds are still the reds, while the Democrats, formally in yellow, now use the colors of the Thai flag. The game is still the same: Redshirts are mainly from the country side, older, less educated. The current opposition gets it's support from the urban middle class and young people.

So far so good, demonstrations are part of a democracy and an important right. My friends in Laos and Vietnam for example do not have this right.

But: When - as it happened today - politicians use hate speech at these gatherings, or resign as MP to join the demonstrators, it seems there is not much trust in the institutions. I am not taking sides here, both parties have the same problem: They just want to be in power, and it seems they are not afraid about some violence.

Todays ICJ ruling that the temple of Prehar Vihear is on Cambodian land, not Thai, doesn't makes it easier. Experts expect ultra-nationalists coming out and make the situation even worst. The question is what the government will do. Nobody really thinks that Yingluck is able to manage the situation, and it is in question what Thaksin, the man behind the scenes will do.

Best case would be that eventually the government steps down and calls for elections. Worst case is that clashes in the streets of Bangkok will turn all eyes to the army.