Long-term New Mandala readers will recall the series of substantial posts on Chachoengsao politics written by Michael H. Nelson. Michael has now produced a comprehensive account of the the 23 December 2007 elections in the province that he knows so well. It is available here as a KPI Thai Politics Update. Thanks to Michael for bringing the fine details of provincial politics and campaigning to our attention once again. On the final page he delivers a telling point:

In conclusion, voting at a polling station in Chachoengsao, or anywhere else in Thailand, might seem to be a simple act. However, it is preceded by an intricate set of factors that serve to reduce the complexity of the voter’s choice to two specific marks he or she decides to make on the ballot papers.

Readers keen to learn more about how democracy has functioned in the Thai context will, no doubt, find his full analysis illuminating.