BBC Coverage of Thai Election

The final result may be only slightly less disturbing than the initial exit polls which gave the TRT 399 seats. The Nation now has the count at about 374, not enough to avoid censure motions against cabinet members, but enough for the party of free giveaways to unilaterally change the constitution.

The BBC attributes the extent of the TRT victory to the good economy and to Thaksin's performance during the tsunami crisis. Funny then, that the TRT was virtually shut out of the South by the Democrats. Obviously the people who actually live in the South and experienced Thaksin's "leadership" during the tsunami aftermath first-hand don't see his handling of it in the same positive light as the rest of the country. According to an expat I talked to who lives in Phuket, Thaksin's visit to Phuket in order to "supervise" the relief efforts led to the closure of some roads for security reasons that hampered the efforts to transport emergency supplies and bodies. He added that everyone in Phuket was aware of this.

The BBC reports also fail to mention the accusations of massive fraud and vote buying that have surrounded the whole campaign.