SURABAYA – ADM WEB | Ahead of the general election in Thailand, the Department of Political Science FISIP UNAIR sent a number of students and lecturers to do a student outbound in collaboration with Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. The participating students consist of Marcella, Leony, Barieta, Catarina, Brilin, and Bogy (2020 Political Science students) as well as Jingga and Abdulloh Salam (2021 Political Science students). While the accompanying lecturer was Kalimah Wasis Lestari, S.IP., M.Sc. and Hari Fitrianto, S.IP., M.IP.
The activity which was held for seven days from 11 May to 17 May 2023 was intended for students to be able to observe, research, and discuss the election process in Thailand which was held on 14 May 2023. By using a mix member system, such as first past the post (FPTP) and the party list system, elections in Thailand become a stage for strong contestation between candidates and parties to win the people’s vote.
Kalimah Wasis Lestari, a lecturer in Political Science as well as an accompanying lecturer at the student outbound activity, said that the series of activities was quite long, starting from preparation to implementation. The series of activities were as follows: (1) A student selection process with predetermined requirements. (2) Preparation for student departure. (3) Visits and discussions at Thammasat University and We Watch Thailand. (4) Observation of campaign and election implementation in Pattani, Thailand. (5) Finally, lesson learn with the Prince of Songkla University.
In her interview, Kalimah recounted an interesting experience she and her students had while observing the campaign in Pattani, which was assisted by the Prince of Songkla University. “Students were divided into two groups and one group took part in a campaign parade carrying props and also interviewing candidates during the election,” she said.
Interviews did by students and lecturers focused on a variety of issues. “Students mingle information from candidates according to student concerns, some are about women and elections, some are about issues of populism, Muslims and elections, some are about the military. Meanwhile, lecturers have concerns regarding the comparative politics of the electoral system and the holding of elections,” she said.
On election day, Kalimah together with the participating students highlighted the facilities, community conditions, and election mechanisms in Thailand which were quite different compared to elections in Indonesia. “One of our findings is about money politics which is still rife. However, there are still political parties that are clean and do not use money politics, like the Move Forward Party which currently wins majority of seats,” she said. “On the D-day of the voting, we witnessed firsthand the process of voting to counting the votes. We also went to the polling station at the provincial level, there were lots of armed military men standing guard,” Kalimah added.
Marcella, one of the Political Science students who participated in the activity, connected the findings she obtained to the achievement of democracy in Thailand. “If I may conclude with all my limited knowledge, Thailand today is Indonesia during the New Order. The domination of one force that has been in Thailand for a very long time also made its people tired and want real democracy, so the elections in 2023 are very lively and full of hope,” she said.
In closing, Kalimah admitted that she was very happy for the active participation of her students throughout the activity. “I really appreciate that students are very good, they are able to get detailed and in-depth information,” she said.
Kalimah gave her appreciation to Thammasat University, We Watch, and Prince Songkla for the welcome and lessons given. She also hopes that the cooperation between the Department of Political Science and Prince of Songkla University can continue. “I hope this collaboration will continue, Political Science students can be involved in international activities so that they have broader insights and have more networks,” she concluded.
This article reflects Quality Education and Partnerships for the Goals of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (SA).
