Caution urged in ties with Cambodia

Aug 12, 2011
Bangkok Post

The government should handle Thai-Cambodian relations carefully and do its best to protect the national interest, Bangkok governor and former deputy foreign minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra says.

He said the Yingluck government faces a different challenge to the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration when it comes to Thai-Cambodian relations.

The government could look forward to better relations with Cambodia but it should not be seen as too cosy with Phnom Penh to the point that people suspect they have a common interest, he said. The public was keeping a close watch on possible trade-offs of national interest between the governments.

He endorsed former prime minister Mr Abhisit's decision not to process Thailand's intention to withdraw its membership of the World Heritage Convention and World Heritage Committee.

MR Sukhumbhand also commented on the Democrats' defeat in the July 3 election, saying his party lost because their executives think and speak in an amataya (elitist) fashion. Most leading members of the Democrat Party do not truly understand grassroots people.

"Democrat executives think and talk like bureaucrats. They could not communicate well with people in the streets. Chuvit Kamolvisit has better communication skills," he said.

One key message that the Democrats used in their platform was for voters to choose them if they wanted to protect the monarchy. But most people didn't care about the issue because they didn't believe the institution was in danger, said MR Sukhumbhand.

For most Thais, daily economic difficulties were much closer to their hearts and it was these which decided the poll.

Although the Democrats won twice as many Bangkok seats as Pheu Thai _ 22 to 11 _ the party garnered only 70,000 more votes. "That is a dangerously narrow margin," the governor said.

"If there is a swing of some 20,000 votes, the number of seats could be very different and the Democrats could be reduced to many fewer seats."