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Published on July 20, 2007

Bangkokians need to beware of giant advertising billboards as political parties try to get the attention of voters. Election campaigns are kicking off just as the monsoon season begins. Such a storm recently brought down a giant billboard that killed a woman eating noodles nearby.

Billboards alone are dangerous enough, but their respective campaign and political mottos are something we need to be careful of too.

The Ruam Jai Thai Group kicked off its campaign on Monday. The group, led by veteran politician Pradit Pattaraprasit, put up big billboards at three locations: Don Muang tollway, the expressway at Makkasan, and the Dao Khanong entrance.

Ruam Jai Thai's message is to try to persuade Thais to unite after two years of political turmoil.

"We have been in political crisis for two years. Thais have lost opportunities while foreign countries have benefited. It's time to unite now," one of Ruam Jai Thai's billboards says.

Ruam Jai Thai means "Thai Unity". Ironically, its founders seem scattered. Somkid Jatusripitak, who was expected to lead the group, has been banned from politics for five years by the Constitution Tribunal.

The group now is "headless". Kittiratt Na Ranong, one of the co-founders, has become a frontrunner for the leadership of the new party, but he has yet to commit.

Two more parties, the Democrats and the Matchima Group, will follow Ruam Jai Thai's campaign lead.

The Democrat Party launched its election campaign yesterday with a series of TV slots, and it will use billboards as well.

The oldest political party has decided to use its old slogan, which was used in the party's pre-coup campaign: "The people come first."

Perhaps because the people come first, that's why the Democrats always come late. The party has no potential competitor but it remains unattractive to some voters.

The Matchima Group, led by Somsak Thepsuthin, is also setting up billboards around Bangkok. Its will say: "Happiness on the Middle Path."

It sounds like a beer slogan - "Happiness you can drink" - or an ice-cream brand, "Happiness never melts." Matchima is the Lord Buddha's word for the middle way between two sides of extremism. The Buddha says the way to nirvana is not too tight, not too loose. Matchima hopes the middle way to political nirvana is by staying in the middle and waiting for the winner to invite it into a coalition.

Nevertheless, Matchima's slogan seems to be the most fitting name for the group. Somsak will never take or choose any side until he is sure that the side he chooses will form the government.

What do you think about the slogans? Do you want to change them? If you see their billboards, let us know which one you like most.

Please feel free to share your opinions with us at the Politics web log: blog.nationmultimedia.com/politicschitchat.

Political Desk

The Nation