In Bangkok, a man watches Thaksins first post-election TV appearance on an outdoor screen set up by anti-government protesters
Some elections throw up surprises. But as vote counting began Sunday afternoon in his constituency on the northern fringe of the Thai capital Bangkok, election officer Somchai Sripetch wasn't expecting any. Not only were no opposition candidates standing in Nonthaburi Constituency 3a fate shared by two-thirds of Thailand's 400 constituencies, due to a boycott by three main political partiesbut the ruling party candidate was a late scratch as well, disqualified Friday because she didn't vote in the last election. Voters were asked to fill out the party-list ballot (Out of Thailand's 500 parliament members, 100 are elected by party while the...
