Lack of access to information critical of the government, poverty, the patronage system, and differing criteria when making political decisions are among the reasons cited by some as factors for their continuing support of Thaksin and his party.

"They don't have equal access to information," said Tawatchai Tositrakul, vice chairman of Earth Net Foundation, a Bangkokian who has worked for the past 22 years in the northeastern province of Yasothon promoting the growing of organic jasmine to rice farmers.

Tawatchai said many farmers he knew were aware that the Thaksin government was corrupt, but at least it had given them something. "They didn't deny that Thaksin cheated, but they say others cheated too."

He said that from his observations, corruption and the patronage system reached down to the level of village headman and had become an ordinary and accepted phenomenon in rural Thai society.

"Even for pro-Thaksin demonstrations, people will not go if they're not paid," he said.

"Villagers also exchange information as to how much they each receive [for joining a rally]. Some complain that they only received Bt100 while others get Bt500. They don't feel that they have to defend Thaksin by themselves [and so join a demonstration]."

Tawatchai said that what was needed was the creation of a better system of checks and balances, broadcast media reform and a more equitable society. "It's clear that the media is not impartial as it is being dominated."

Anant Suskham, a former Thai Rak Thai canvasser from Nakhon Si Thammarat province, said rural people in the Northeast were not emotionally attached to Thaksin but to their local MPs. And if their local MPs defected to other parties they would vote for the new party.

Anant, who recently joined an anti-Thaksin protest, said, however, that he felt rural people have a problem when it comes to understanding what corruption is.

"Conflict of interest is hard to explain. But they understand the Bt30 medical scheme and the Village Fund. We have to accept this," he said, adding that better education is needed in order to change the situation.

Wilasinee Phipitkul, a lecturer in mass communications at Chulalongkorn University, warned the educated middle class, including the print media, from stereotyping the rural poor as morally blind.

"It has become a myth that if you're from this [rural] class, with this much education, you would think like this."

She said the print media was generally only interested in asking pro-Thaksin demonstrators who came to Bangkok how much they received from the rally organisers. "This has become a barrier preventing people from thinking differently about them."

Having independent broadcast media is key to changing this situation, Wilasinee said.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

 The Nation