Democrats Abroad Thailand

Results of the DAT National Elections -- September 10, 2009

2009-09-12T12:43:00.008+07:00

Here are the results of the DAT elections, held at the FCCT on September 10, 2009. Very big thanks and appreciation are extended to DAT members Don Linder, Fred Burian, and Barent Springstead who served as the Votes and Elections Committee -- they all worked very hard throughout the night to produce a fair and timely result that could be announced at the meeting. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all that put their hats in the ring to lead DAT for the coming two years.

The new officers are: Peter du Pont (Chair), Elizabeth Boname (1st Vice Chair), Peter Fischbach (Vice-Chair), Jennifer Erickson (Vice Chair), Rick Graves (Secretary) and Pamela Hongsakul (Treasurer)

It will be a pleasure working with you all -- Philip S. Robertson, Jr. --former DAT Chair (2005-2009)

DAT AGM ELECTIONS Final Report
10 September 2009

Candidate Proxy Votes/On-Site Votes/Total Votes
Chair
Lola Rainey 27/23/ 50
Peter du Pont 45/36/ 81

Vice-Chair
Austin Arensberg 28/26/ 54
Jeffrey Watchtel 6/3/ 9
Mike Carroll 14/22/ 36
Elizabeth Boname 38/38/ 76
Jennifer Erickson 32/32/ 64
Peter Fischbach 34/41/ 75

Secretary
Rick Graves 52/44/ 96

Treasurer
Ed Knuth 0/20/ 20
Pamela Hongsakul 0/26/ 26
Lola Rainey (write-in) 0/2/ 2
Jennifer Erickson (write-in) 0/2/ 2
Mike Carroll (write-in) 0/1/ 1

Submitted by Don Linder, member of Votes and Elections Committee and out-going DAT Vice-Chair

Agenda for DAT Annual General Mtg and Bangkok Chapter Meeting

2009-09-08T12:02:00.003+07:00

The DAT will be holding its annual general meeting at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) on September 10, 2009 from 6 to 10 p.m. The FCCT is in the penthouse floor of the Maneeya Plaza Building (see map at www.fccthai.com) The agenda of the meeting is below. All Americans residing in Thailand are welcome to attend, and if you are not yet a DAT member, you can join at the meeting.

Agenda
Annual General Meeting 2009
Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT)
and
Democrats Abroad Thailand – Bangkok Chapter
September 10, 2009
Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT)

Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT) National Meeting

6:00 – 6:30 Registration

6:30 – 6:40 Call to Order and Welcome
Philip S. Robertson Jr., Chair

6:40 – 6:50 Review and Approval of the 2008 Minutes

6:50 – 7:00 Treasurers Report

7:00 -- 7:20 Candidate Statements to the Membership

7:20 – 7:30 Elections for DAT Executive Committee

7:30 – 8:00 Discussion and membership vote on Proposed Amendments to DAT bylaws

8:00 – 8:20 Discussion of 2008 Activities and Future Activities

8:20 – 8:30 Announcement of Election Results for DAT Executive Committee

8:30 Closing/Adjourn DAT National Meeting

Democrats Abroad Thailand – Bangkok Chapter

8:30 – 8:40 Welcome/Overview of the DA Bangkok Chapter Organizing Efforts and Chapter Strategy of DAT

8:40 – 9:00 Candidate Statements to the Membership

9:00 – 9:15 Elections

9:15 – 9:30 Discussions of Future Activities by DA Bangkok

9:30 – 9:40 Announcement of Election Results for DAT Bangkok Chapter Officers

9:40 – 9:45 Closing

Biographies of candidates for election to national DAT Executive Committee

2009-09-08T11:49:00.004+07:00

Bios of Candidates for Office -- DAT Executive Committee
Chair

Lola Clayton-Rainey

Lola Rainey is a relative newcomer to Thailand. She's still learning her way around Bangkok, a bustling city of 14 million people, which means she brings a “fresh pair of eyes” to some of the longstanding problems facing American expatriates living abroad. Last year, she had the good fortune to attend the Democrats Abroad (DA) Regional Meeting in Phnom Penh. The DA Asia Region has a very talented and dedicated group of men and women who serve in leadership positions. Over two days, she received a crash course on the fundamentals of Dems Abroad history, organizational structure, core objectives and political platform. She left with a renewed commitment to the Democratic Party and a desire to serve the DAT. Ms. Rainey has been involved in grassroots organizations since she was a teenager. She learned about the two faces of America, one prosperous and hopeful, and the second, broken and despairing, while working in summer youth programs funded by federal anti-poverty grants in the 1970’s. She's been involved in local efforts to promote social justice in her home state of Arizona ever since. She's served on numerous boards and commissions in Arizona, including: Arizona Town Halls, the City of Tucson’s Human Relations Commission, the City of Tucson’s Women’s Commission, Tucson Children’s Museum and the Tucson Association for Childcare (TACC). She has also worked tirelessly for Democratic candidates and causes in Arizona.

Ms. Rainey is an attorney by profession. She's worked as both a prosecutor and defense attorney in the city, state, federal and tribal courts in Arizona and California. She holds a B.A. in journalism, a Juris Doctorate in law and an LLM. in International Trade Law from the University of Arizona and the University of Arizona College of Law. She is also a published children’s author.

Peter du Pont

Peter has lived in Thailand since 1989, speaks fluent Thai, and is firmly committed to promoting the interests of Americans here through engagement with the U.S. government and political process. Among the issues he sees as important are practical issues such as making it easier to vote from abroad; improving the get out the vote effort; Medicare and health care access abroad overseas citizens; favoring residence based taxation; and increasing access to government services abroad.
During the 2008 campaign, Peter worked with other DAT members to organize a fundraiser in Bangkok that raised $5,000 for the Obama presidential campaign, and also worked with DAT colleagues to organize phone banks that reached 900 of the 1,300 DAT members living in Thailand.
Peter has worked in Thailand and throughout Asia, in NGO, private-sector, and government-sector organizations to design and advise on the implementation of clean energy strategies and initiatives. He currently leads a major regional US program in Asia promoting clean energy options to improve energy security and mitigate greenhouse gases, the USAID ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program.
Peter has a BA in Environmental Biology from Yale, a Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Delaware.

Vice Chair

Austin Arensberg

My interest in Democrats Abroad Thailand stems from previous experience working closely on the 2004 Presidential Campaign at the University of Colorado where I coordinated campus election activities and served as my Precinct Captain for my neighborhood. Our precinct exit polls showed a 98% voting record for Kerry. On campus we registered over 8,000 students setting all-time records.

For the 2008 election in Bangkok, I helped organize two campaign fundraisers in Bangkok and helped organize with a team of DAT volunteers various events revolving around the Presidential debates at Roadhouse. I also attended the DA regional meeting in Phnom Penh in February to help with planning and coordination. Having only been involved with DAT for a bit over a year I am
inspired by fellow volunteers and excited to build last November's incredibly election. As for my professional background, I have been living in Bangkok for 4 years and currently work at a renewable energy investment fund.

Elizabeth Gray Boname

Elizabeth has served as First Vice-Chair of Democrats Abroad Thailand for the past two years. Prior to moving to Bangkok, she was active in Democrats Abroad Bosnia and Herzegovina, where her husband Andy served as Country Chair from 2004-2006 and they lived for seven years. Elizabeth has also been involved in other community and volunteer organizations, serving on the board of the International Women’s Club of Sarajevo, as well as publishing a cookbook with her best friend, the proceeds of which ($4000 USD+) were earmarked for victims of human trafficking.
Elizabeth is a former journalist who worked as a broadcast news reporter, and was subsequently employed as a police department spokesperson and then as a court’s public information/special projects officer. Most recently, she has worked as a freelance writer.
Besides being a political news junkie, Elizabeth is an avid Bridge player, loves to cook and entertain, and enjoys non-fiction books. She and Andy have two children, Lauren (10) and Nick (5).

Mike Carroll (William Michael Carroll)

Statement of Policy: 1) Promoting Regional Expansion - If elected, I will give voice to the future of Democrats Abroad Thailand, the Northeast / Isaan and Laos chapter “in formation”. In fact, as Thai NGOs do, it is more practical to organize a northern Isaan/Laos chapter and a southern Isaan chapter based more around members in Khon Kaen/Ubon/Korat. Northern Isaan would mainly encompass Nongkhai and Udorn. The Isaan/Laos chapter in formation has continued as such due to some lethargy in organizing Democrats in this area spread over a wide geographic area with many members coming from retirees in Isaan and a younger base of development and business people in Laos. Neither group is readily able to meet often together but we should promote on line, “virtual encounters” for Democrats and more public policy advocacy to attract and retain members. Phil Robertson has worked tirelessly on our behalf but his and our dedication is not in itself sufficient. We need new ways to organize, advocate, and involve our membership. DAT Arms should be take place outside of Bangkok and/or on line. We need to use better technology. Indeed this election should be conducted online or by email.
2) Public Policy Advocacy – I run on a platform committed to strongly advocating on US and Democratic Policies, which effect Americans living abroad in Thailand and nearby. DAT needs to move from a “organizational centric” inward looking organization to one that advocates strongly and publicly, in the Democratic Party, with the Congress, with the Obama Administration, and at the state and local government levels for our interests. And our interests include the advocacy goals of many NGOs, businesses and the private sector. We should build more alliances with other Americans Abroad organization in advocacy. For example, there should be a strong DA push to include American abroad in any health care/insurance reform efforts in the US. Medicare abroad should cover older citizens and younger Americans should be covered by health and accident insurance, wherever we live. Private insurers are global, why not USG policies? We also reform for the citizenship rights of Americans abroad.
3) Rallying Visiting U.S. Members of Congress/staff to Meet with Democrats Abroad – We need to increase our contacts and outreach with Congressional visits to Thailand and the region to give our members access to Democratic office holders and “make our voice hear!” The Democrats Abroad group in Laos recently was able to meet briefly with Senator Jim Webb of VA on a visit to Vientiane, through dogged local efforts. We appreciated the support and eventual contacts from Democrats Abroad in DC and the International Chair but it is clear that the organization is not savvy or geared up to put visiting members of Congress / staff in touch with Democrats Abroad. “Door Knocks” with the Congress and Administration advocating for our issues should be done worldwide, 365 days a year, all the time, not just a few days a year in DC.
U.S. Birthplace/Residence: Born/raised in Peoria, Illinois, now resident of Sacramento, CA.
Address: 14/4 Soi 8, Phaholyothin Road, Bangkok (apartment)
Work address: Program Manager, Law Enforcement and Narcotics Section, US Embassy, LPDR
Resident or/rental address in Thailand: 1975-2009 (worked in Cambodia, China, and Laos)
Background: Peace Corps Thailand, 1975-77, NGO development worker 1977-1991.
Profession: BA and MA (political science), MBA, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
Founding committee/group, DAT, 1985, Bangkok. Registered DAT as country committee.
Chair, DAT, 1986-90, D.A. Asia, DNC Member, 1992-94, Delegate Dem National Conv, 1992.
DA International Meetings: Paris, Athens, New York, Washington, Singapore, Hong Kong.
Career: international development, mainly with NGOs, since 2003, U.S. State Department.
Philosophy: “Look outward not inward, open, inclusive, participatory, think out of the box!”

Jennifer Haluptzok Erickson

My roots in the Democratic Party go back to interning for then-Congressman and now-Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota. I actively campaigned for Tim Johnson and Clinton/Gore in the 1996 elections. I was privileged to serve in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Vice President as a White House Intern. Following my internship, I continued to work with former Vice President Al Gore and his staff on public policy initiatives in education.
In the years following my graduation from college, I served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, attended law school on a full tuition scholarship, became a lawyer in Wisconsin and Texas, litigated federal cases ranging from intellectual property to bankruptcy, and moved to Thailand with my husband.
In Thailand, I serve as the Co-Chair of the Community Projects Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand and am a member of the Advisory Task Force for Junior Achievement – Thailand. I also assist expatriates with legal matters as a Senior Advisor with Siam Legal and have represented (pro bono) persons seeking refugee status before the UNHCR.

Peter Fischbach

Originally from New York City, I am a lifelong liberal Democrat, and have been an active member of Democrats Abroad Thailand for 18 years, including three previous terms as Vice Chair. When I first joined Democrats Abroad in 1991, DA Thailand was a small but active group of US citizens who appreciated the importance of keeping in touch with US politics and of providing an avenue for other like-minded people to do the same. Then, as now, one of our primary functions was to help facilitate voter registration, and I have been actively involved in that effort ever since, organizing registration tables at the annual US Independence Day picnics and various American Chamber of Commerce events and, together with many other dedicated volunteers, helping literally hundreds of US voters throughout Thailand, one-on-one, with their individual problems in obtaining and using absentee ballots. I am standing for re-election to the DAT Executive Committee because I am willing to continue contributing significant time and energy to those efforts.
In addition to voter assistance, I have participated over the years in most of the activities typical to maintaining an organization’s well-being: drafting by-laws, discussing strategy, planning events, building membership, raising funds, writing newsletters, etc. In 2007-2008, I took an active role as part of the Democrats Abroad Global IT Team, helping to coordinate the complete overhaul of the organization’s IT systems for use by all DA country committees worldwide. Following the unexpected departure of a vendor, I became the de facto global “project manager” for this effort, organizing the activities of volunteers around the world during the two months leading up to the 2008 Global Primary. By helping ensure that the Democrats Abroad database and systems conversion were successful, we were able to run the Global Primary without incident, not only enfranchising tens of thousands of new Democratic voters, but helping to more than double Democrats Abroad membership. I continue to be involved with the global IT Team in an advisory role.
My wife and I live with our two children in Bangkok, and I run a small but successful company here providing IT recruitment services. I am active in the local business community, and have served on the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, and also as chairman of the Chamber’s IT committee. Not being the quiet sort, my progressive politics are by now well known to most in the American community here! I look forward to the continued opportunity to serve Democrats Abroad.

Jeffrey M. Wachtel, Ph. D.

As reported in The Nation the day after Super Tuesday (February 6, 2009) …”Dr. Wachtel a leadership advisor is from Florida and has lived in Thailand since 2001. He met and almost found himself working for George W. Bush, Jr. before he was elected president.” Starting out as an intern for his Congressman, he ran several campaigns in New York. From 1994 to the year 2000, Dr. Wachtel was an informal strategy and leadership speech advisor to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, United States of America and was named to Who's Who in America, Year 2000 Millennium Edition.
Admittedly a “Blue Dog” Democrat with some leanings across the aisle to liberal republicans, Jeff worked on the Marketing Committee of DA Thailand. In the words of the Vice-Chair he served as her “wing man,” by customizing DA’s advertising and placing the advertisements in Pattaya and Chiang Mai newspapers.
Dr. Wachtel holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts, Political Science from SUNY Cortland, an M.A. in Political Science, IR and Comparative Government from SUNY Albany, an M.S. in Hotel, & Food Service Management from Florida International University and a Ph.D. in Business Administration Organizational Behavior & Strategic Management with a related field in Marketing from Georgia State University. He is the father of a six month old son Dylan and enjoys playing with his son, jogging and going to movies. He is currently working on his first novel.

Secretary

Richard E. Graves

Rick has served DAT as secretary from 2007 to the present. Rick is an attorney (licensed to practice in Washington State), but he has not actually practiced law since the early 1980's. His official status in Thailand is retired. His main careers were in medical software and manufacturing (Rick and his wife, Sharon, have a factory in China, and Rick helps part time). Rick earned a BS in Physics from MIT and a JD from Columbia Law School. Rick and Sharon have a son, William, who is now 17 months old and is being raised as a Democrat.

Treasurer

No candidate, write-ins accepted under rules to be explained at meeting.

Biographies of candidates for election to Bangkok chapter positions

2009-09-08T11:43:00.003+07:00

Bios of Candidates for Office -- DAT Bangkok Chapter
Chair
Al Caudullo

While Obama’s victory is still fresh on our minds, we must remain vigilant so as not to lose the ground that we, as Democrats, have gained. We must search for ways to enthuse, inform, and invigorate our membership. This is how we can grow our influence and reverse the devastation of 8 years of disastrous Republican rule.
My name is Al Caudullo. As an expat in Thailand for 8 years, I have enjoyed a wonderful immersion into Thai society. I have a Thai wife and three beautiful children – ages 9, 4, and 3. I brought with me 30 years of entrepreneurial business experience. My successful business in the U.S. enabled me to work for an extremely varied list of clients. From Microsoft to Sony Pictures, from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to the Academy Awards in Hollywood, to name a few. Since moving to Thailand, I have built a thriving video production company doing projects for a range of U.S. and Thai clients , such as National Geographic, CBS’s 60 Minutes, Central Air Thailand and even the Pottery Barn Kids.
I am a member of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand.
And to give back to the community I have begun teaching Film Production at Mahidol University. I have a successful TV show in syndication airing all across the U.S., Europe, Russia and Australia.
Since establishing myself in Bangkok a year ago, I have been happily getting involved in the Obama campaign and election, and was privileged to attend the U.S. Embassy Election Party. As a founding member of Democrats Abroad, Bangkok Chapter, I have already set up our own website and have many ideas and events to help keep our members informed on news and events going on in Bangkok. I will try to maintain and grow our ranks so that when the next election comes, our party will continue to thrive.
As you already know, Bangkok is a diverse and wide spread community of expats. Through our new website we will keep our members informed and create an interactive Democratic Community. I look forward to serving you.

Vice Chair
Jenn Kovolski

Jenn is a political junkie and an enthusiastic Democrat. A resident of northern Virginia, she's been living in Bangkok for a year. She has been working in international development and community mobilization for over ten years, with a focus on women's empowerment. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. Jenn currently works on a USAID-funded regional environment project. She has a M.A. in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She is married to a Red Sox fan. Jenn is one of the founders of the DAT - Bangkok chapter and is excited to help it grow into a vibrant and active community.

Instructions for Voting in the DAT Election -- September 10 2009

2009-09-07T19:07:00.002+07:00

Many of you know that during the 2008 election year, the size of the DAT membership tripled! This is a huge success, but it also imposes a new challenge as we prepare for our bi-annual elections. Our by-laws require 5% of the membership to either participate in person or by proxy. Your vote and proxy are important both for determining future leadership of DAT AND ensuring that enough members are represented that the meeting is held and counts under our by-laws! Your proxy will be used for the business portion of the meeting (consideration of revised bylaws); but everyone must please vote the candidates of your choice on the ballot portion of the form linked here.

If you are unable to attend the Sept. 10 general meeting of Dems Abroad Thailand, please print and complete the proxy/ballot form. Sign and date the form; you must also include a copy of photo ID for purposes of verifying your signature. You may transmit the ballot by one of the following means:

* fax the form and copy of ID to (02) 2295560 by no later than 4:30 p.m., Sept. 10, OR
* scan the form and copy of ID and send as an email attachment to Democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com (cc
rick_graves@democratsabroad.org by 6 p.m. Sept. 10)
* hand carried by another member (If you take this alternative and your form does not reach the Vote Counting Committee for any reason, your vote will not be counted)
* Note: all times are Bangkok time.

If you are able to attend the Sept. 10 meeting, you may vote in advance following the above instructions. For those who are planning to attend the meeting, there will be voting at the meeting. Please bring a photo ID (of any sort) with you.

Bangkok and nearby province residents: Please complete a separate proxy/ballot form to vote in the inception meeting of the Bangkok chapter! Instructions are the same as those for the DA Thailand proxy/ballot.

Please RSVP if you will attend by sending an email to DemocratsAbroadThailand@gmail.com, indicating whether you plan to purchase the FCCT buffet dinner @ 500 Baht payable to the FCCT.

For more information on the election, the candidates and a copy of the current and proposed DAT bylaws, visit the DAT page on the web .

Thanks for your interest in this election meeting, and your support of Dems Abroad. We look forward to seeing you Sept. 10--please arrive no later than 6 p.m. to facilitate registration and a prompt opening of the meeting.

I look forward to seeing you on September 10, at the FCCT.

With best wishes,

Phil Robertson

Call for Nominations -- Elections and Annual General Meeting of DAT

2009-07-18T13:03:00.003+07:00

DAT will be holding its annual general meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 6:00 PM onwards at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT). This is an important meeting since all positions on the national executive committee of DAT will be up for election. Therefore, pursuant to Section 6.2.1 of the DAT by-laws, I hereby call for nominations for the positions of Chair, Vice-Chair (3 positions available), Secretary, and Treasurer. DAT members can either nominate themselves, or nominate other DAT members. Nominations must be done in writing by email to Rick Graves, the DAT Secretary, at gravesricharde "at" yahoo.com and with a copy to Phil Robertson at DemocratsAbroadThailand "at" gmail.com Nominations must be received no later than close of business on August 25, 2009.

Democrats Abroad Thailand is also very proud to announce the organizing of its Bangkok Chapter. This chapter has been organized by a group of members based in the Bangkok area, and has been accepted as a chapter by the DAT Executive Committee. The first meeting of the DAT Bangkok Chapter will occur back to back with the DAT annual general meeting. There will be an election for the positions of the DAT Bangkok Chapter on the same night (September 10, 2009) at the FCCT. Therefore, we are calling for nominations for persons interested in the following positions – DAT Bangkok Chapter Chair, Vice-Chair, Chapter Secretary, and Chapter Treasurer. Nominations should be sent to Richard Graves, the DAT Secretary, at rick_graves "at" democratsabroad.org with a copy to Phil Robertson at DemocratsAbroadThailand "at" gmail.com The deadline for nominations to be made for the Bangkok Chapter positions is close of business on August 25, 2009.

The FCCT is an easy walk from the Chit Lom Skytrain Station, and there is a map and other info on the FCCT web site here.

Finally, on a personal note, let me add that after two terms as Chair of DAT, I will stepping down from my position because I am term-limited, in accordance with the international rules set by Democrats Abroad. I look forward to working closely with whoever is elected to replace me and working with you all to make sure these two important elections go off smoothly.

With best wishes,

Phil Robertson
Chair -- Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT)
email: democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.com
mobile phone: (66-85) 060-8406
fax: (66-2) 672-0592
skype: philrobertsonjr

DAT Celebrates Obama Inauguration with a HUGE crowd at the Roadhouse

2009-01-31T15:13:00.011+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand invited members, friends and colleagues from America and around the world to join the historic celebrations of the Inauguration of President Obama and Vice-President Biden. Some 900 people came through the doors at the Roadhouse at some point in the evening (according to Chef Dana) and the restaurant ran out of glasses at one point - attesting to the thirst for drink AND celebratory excitement that overwhelmed all those who assembled. The third floor of the Roadhouse, with monitors blaring, no doubt started to resemble the packed atmosphere of the Mall in Washington -- except that we were spared the freezing temperatures! All the Thai-English Obama shirts were gone in a frenzy, and the special Obama Inaugural mugs were also snapped up -- though we still have a few boxes left of those, so get in touch if you are interested. But the best thing of the evening was the sense of camaraderie and common purpose, to take back our country with the best leader we could find, a truly international President -- who I am confident will make us Democrats Abroad quite proud.

Here are some photos from Lance Woodruff, DAT's long-time member, collaborator, activist and photo-documenter.

Service Outage Fixed -- New Team on Duty

2009-01-23T09:17:00.003+07:00

Dear World:

We, the United States of America, your top quality supplier of
the ideals of liberty and democracy, would like to apologize
for our 2001-2008 interruption in service.

The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has
been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4.
Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now
operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on
January 20.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look
forward to resuming full service and hope to improve in years to come.

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DAT Day of Service at Pak Kred Babies Home

2009-01-22T14:27:00.005+07:00

Thanks to Brian Thomson and many civic-minded DAT members who participated in the DAT Day of Service to collect supplies and deliver them to the Pak Kred Babies Home in Nonthaburi. You all embody the spirit of unity and service that Obama is calling us all to fulfill!

Here is their report from the visit, courtesy of Dr. Donald Persons.

Just wanted to take a note to record what we did yesterday.

Democrats Abroad (Thailand) Donates to Local Babies Home

(Sunday, January 18, 2008, Sala Ya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand) A group of people in the Bangkok area recently gathered at the Pak Kred Babies Home in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand to distribute donations and to get to know firsthand about the needs of this home for abandoned and orphaned young people. Brian Thomson of Democrats Abroad (Thailand) organized the event wanting to turn the recent election of Barack Obama into something more concrete by actions for communities where Americans live in Thailand. A large quantity of rice, powdered milk and diapers were received from both Thais and expats in the greater Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom areas.

Another Democrats Abroad member, Anita Simone, is an active volunteer at the center and can vouch for the needs of these 1-5 year-old infants and young persons whose parents in these difficult economic times might not be able to afford to raise the child at this time. Some children’s parents had personal or family crises. Some of the children were abandoned at nearby hospitals or were left on the street in hopes that someone would pick them up. What is most important is that they receive loving care and protection from adults. A child cries because they have been poked, pushed or lost an object to a fellow child. Who will be there to help? So Anita is an example a new and growing breed of socially-engaged Americans in the world.

Although the gifts will be of use to the children, the staff at the center and our own team’s observations concur: there are deeper needs at this center and at similar homes for children throughout Thailand. For example, the number of children per staff person or volunteer needs to be reduced from perhaps 15 down to about 5 children. Personnel and activity rotation is needed to reduce burnout. Incentives such as scholarships and continuing education to overworked and undereducated staff would be of particular help to increase knowledge about early childhood care and learning. Management seminars at local universities and outside auditors could also help the operation in policy and implementation levels to continually improve how it uses its resources. Parental and economic coaching could also be helpful for eventually putting some of these children back under the care of their biological parents. Some adoptions have been done from overseas parents wanting children; however, Thai adoption of children is not so common.

One thing is for sure: the current economic downturn presents huge challenges to an already overburdened orphanage system. So it will require people to stand up in an impossible situation and say: Yes we can! This is the inaugural event of a movement that has come to Thailand through its American expat community.

Monday, January 19, 2009 Dr. Donald S. Persons Reporting

DAT Inaugural Events in Bangkok and Chiang Mai on Jan 20 evening

2009-01-18T09:21:00.001+07:00

Be part of a worldwide celebration as Democrats Abroad gather for the swearing in of our 44th president, Barack Obama!

Join fellow Americans in Thailand to watch our new president take the oath of office at our DAT Inaugural Celebration on Tuesday, January 20th at the Roadhouse Barbecue in Silom (map available at www.roadhousebarbecue.com). So far nearly 100 people have confirmed their attendance!

We’ll be there from 8:30 PM onwards with campaign clips from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Saturday Night Live, in addition to a special message from outgoing DNC Chair Howard Dean to Dems Abroad. The Inauguration ceremony itself will take place between 10:00 PM and midnight (Bangkok time), with plenty of coverage of the parades and other events leading up the formal swearing in.

We’ll also have two white DAT t-shirts for members to sign that we’ll be sending with our best wishes to President Obama and Vice-President Biden at the White House.

Our popular Thai Obama t-shirts will be available, as well as a limited supply of commemorative Thai Obama inaugural mugs!

For those in Chiang Mai, inaugural festivities will kick off at 10:00 PM at the UN Irish Pub (24/1 Ratvithi Rd. 053-214-554).

Please RSVP to democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com if you can make it. We look forward to seeing you there!

All the Best,

Phil Robertson Jr.
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand

Drop-off points for donations -- DAT Day of Service for Pak Kret Orphanage

2009-01-14T07:36:00.002+07:00

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to President-elect Obama’s call for a day of service! All of us can help play a part to help the new Administration highlight community service at a time when many, both at home and here in Thailand, are feeling the effects of the economic downturn.

Your enthusiasm is making it possible for us to start collecting of donations of goods which will be delivered to the Pak Kret Babies Home, an orphanage housing newborn infants and young children. What better way to show our host country that we mean it when we say that we want change?

Remember that the orphanage needs specific supplies--please no cash donations. Here is the list of items that they need:

1. Dumex brand infant formula 1 and 2
2. Small and medium sized disposable diapers
3. White rice

We have five drop-off points in Bangkok and the surrounding areas, please choose the most convenient one and bring your donation. Those of you attending the inauguration ceremony will get a chance to see photos of the children and how the donations are being put to good use. We will also post photos on the Bangkok for Barack Facebook site and the DAT blog.

Drop-off points:

Asoke Area: Tom Van Blarcom
TQPR Thailand
3rd Floor Rajapark Bldg.
163 Sukhumvit 21 Rd.
Klongtoey-Nua, Wattana
Bangkok 10110
Tel. 0 2260 5820/Fax: 0 2260 5847-8
download map here

Nana Area: Anita Jennings
BT Residence, Apt.26d
10 Sukhumvit Soi 8
(Nana BTS exit)
Mobile: 087-907-7907
Please tell security that you have come to drop off a donation. They will show you up to the apartment.

Silom Area: Dana Caron
Roadhouse Barbecue
Corner of Rama 4 and Suriwong Roads
Tel: 081-837-6855
map: www.roadhousebarbecue.com
* Saturday 10AM to 10PM only

Nakorn Pathom: Don Persons
Mahidol University
Condo B
Cell: 083-696-5414

Nichada Thani: Wendy and Tony Banbury
39/373 Nichada Casa
In Nichada Thani
Home: 02-960-3373
Cell: 086-904-1627

There is a slight change in departure time from Mor Chit Station on Sunday the 18th. Instead of leaving at 10:00 a.m., we now will be leaving at 9:00 a.m. This should give us one hour to visit with the children before their 11:00 a.m. nap time. Let us know if you will be joining us for the delivery and so that we can make sure that we have enough vehicles.

If you have any questions contact Brian Thomson at Thomson.bk@gmail.com or 089-927-1986.

Phil Robertson

Obama Call to Community Service -- Thailand Event on 18 January

2009-01-13T23:50:00.004+07:00

Friends and Fellow Democrats,

“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”—Barack Obama

As you may know, President-elect Obama has requested that part of the Inauguration celebrations include a community service activity to coincide with Martin Luther King’s Day. The global Democrats Abroad has taken up this call, and DAT is committed to doing our part!

To support these efforts DAT is collecting donations for some of Thailand’s most vulnerable citizens—the orphans housed at Pakkret Babies’ Home in Nonthaburi. Donations will be collected this week at several locations throughout Bangkok and Nichada Thani and then delivered on Sunday 18 January.

To make this a successful event, we will need volunteers. Most importantly we will need people who are willing to use their homes or businesses as drop off points for donations.

Of course we will also need people to make donations. Items only, no cash please! Pakkret Babies’ Home has specifically requested the following items:

1. Dumex brand infant formula 1 & 2
2. Small and medium sized disposable diapers
3. White rice

People who are interested in coming with DAT to the orphanage to deliver the donations are more than welcome as well. The trip is highly recommended; it could be the most heart-warming experience you have in the New Year. We will be leaving from Mor Chit BTS station on Sunday 18 January at 9:00 AM, returning to Mor Chit around 4 PM. Volunteer drivers are welcome as passenger space is currently very limited.

Volunteers, please contact Brian Thomson at Thomson.bk@gmail.com or call him at 089-927-1986.

Phil Robertson
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand

DAT Inaguration Celebration at Roadhouse -- 8:30 p.m. -- 20 Jan 2009

2009-01-08T22:40:00.001+07:00

DAT will be holding an Inauguration Celebration on Tuesday, January 20, to welcome our new President, Barack Obama, starting at 8:30 p.m. at the Roadhouse Barbecue in Bangkok (map at www.roadhousebarbecue.com). It’s free, and all are welcome! Come to cheer with your friends and fellow Democrats and share all the excitement of the parades, crowds, ceremonies, oath of office and the (soon to be) President Obama’s Inauguration speech that will be showing live on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Roadhouse.

The official Inauguration schedule (see website www.pic2009.org) states that the official Inauguration ceremony will start at 10 a.m. in Washington, but there will be plenty of news coverage prior to that, because as many as 3 million Americans are expected to travel to Washington, D.C. for the celebration, making it possibly one of the largest public gatherings of Americans ever. By law, the oath of office must be taken before 12 noon (i.e. 12 midnight, Bangkok time) and following the Inauguration speech, the official Inauguration parade will start, taking us to right up to closing time in Bangkok.

DAT will also have our "greatest hits" of political humor and videos (courtesy of Elizabeth and Andy Boname) running on some of the monitors as the Inauguration approaches. To get us in the mood, and keep us hoppin’, Chef Dana is promising a roast beef special and other delicacies who want to come eat, plus 100 baht margaritas all night long. He is also promising to invent a special Obama cocktail for the night, which will be available at a special price, but won’t reveal the recipe just yet!

A limited number of the Obama Thai-English t-shirts, and other DAT t-shirts, will be available in exchange for a donation to the organization, which will make sure we are able to be one step ahead to get out the vote for mid-term elections in 2010 and beyond!

Please RSVP if you think you can make it to the historic Obama-Biden Inaugural watch party by sending an email to DemocratsAbroadThailand@gmail.com

Phil Robertson
Chair, DAT

The Inauguration ceremony schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day
The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:

* Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
* Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
* Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
* Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
* Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
* Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
* President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
* Inaugural Address
* Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
* Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
* The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"

After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.

DAT Announces Obama-Biden Inauguration Party -- evening of January 20 - and more DAT activities

2008-12-22T23:25:00.001+07:00

Dear DAT members,

Seasons greetings to you all! Here is wishing that you spend many hours and days over the holiday season with friends and family.

First of all, save the date -- January 20, 2009! DAT in Bangkok is already planning for the New Year as well, and the biggest first event we will have is an Inauguration Celebration Party, to watch live the Inauguration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden as our new President and Vice-President! DAT will be gathering at the Roadhouse Barbecue (map at www.roadhousebarbecue.com) from 8:30 p.m. onwards on the night of Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The Inauguration Ceremony will take place between 10 and 12 p.m. (Bangkok time), but there will be plenty of coverage, parades and other events leading up the formal ceremony -- so come on down and enjoy this historic occassion in the company of friendly fellow Democrats! DAT will also be encouraging members to send their best wishes and sign the two white DAT t-shirts that we will be sending to President Obama and Vice-President Biden at the White House -- let them know that the Americans in Thailand are sending all best wishes in their mission to restore our country's international standing in these dire times in the world! DAT will have our t-shirts available, and there are plans for a special inauguration coffee mug too! More details will be forthcoming on all of this, including possible Inauguration Parties organized in the provinces too.

Please note that global Democrats Abroad is also taking up President-Elect Obama's call for national service. Specifically, Dems Abroad is engaging in two global projects: letters and gift packages to American servicemen and women, and spreading cheer among the most needy at home in the US through foodbank contributions, at http://democratswork.org/index.php?page=display&id=177

Second, DAT will be holding its regional Asia-Pacific organization meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on February 7-8, 2009. The meeting is open to all members of Democrats Abroad in the Asia-Pacific region, so if you want to learn more about what we do and get involved, please plan to join us. As Chair, I plan to attend and I believe several other DAT leaders will also be going. If you are interested in joining us, or learning more about this meeting, please send an email to DemocratsAbroadThailand "at" gmail.com and I will ensure you get updates as the plans come together. Please also note that DA is an all volunteer organization, which also means that it is a "pay your own way" organization -- we do not have any travel costs for either leaders or members to participate in our activies.

Finally, for those of you who ordered Obama t-shirts and have not yet picked them up -- please get in touch with us ASAP. The demand for the shirts is great and we are not going to be able to hold orders forever. If you know that you are going to pick them up at some definite date in near future, please tell us that -- that counts for letting us know what your plan is. However, if we have not heard at all from you about your order by January 3, then we regretfully will not be in a position to ensure that all the shirts you ordered will continue to be available. It is important to remember that these shirts are being exchanged for donations to DAT (500 baht per shirt) -- so that we can build the party chapters in other parts of Thailand (Chiang Mai and the North, NE/Isarn and the Mekong, Phuket and the Andaman, Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard, perhaps Hua Hin and the South) in the future. So please -- follow through on your support for DAT -- you took the time to pre-order, now communicate to us at DemocratsAbroadThailand "at" gmail.com about your order.

Happy New Year, and best wishes to you all from DAT, the Best Party in Town.

Phil Robertson
Chair, DAT

More Election Night Party Photos from the Roadhouse

2008-12-22T22:45:00.013+07:00

DAT members and friends made the long drive from NichadaThani into town and assembled en masse on the night of November 5th on the 3rd floor of the Roadhouse Barbecue to cheer in the new era, here are some great photos of our big victory night. Thanks to the Banburys for the deft camera work!

In the course of evening, I recall that there were quite a few rounds of some sweet drinks called B-52's amidst the house-rocking chants of O-Ba-Ma, O-Ba-Ma, O-Ba-Ma (with the chant continuing for three minutes or more each time, yelled at the top of your lungs...). The next morning saw a few hang-overs and hoarse throats, that is for sure!

A Cartoon that Says it All!

2008-12-09T20:43:00.001+07:00

IMPORTANT -- Obama T-shirt Pick-up and Payment Procedures

2008-12-02T23:14:00.005+07:00

Democrats Abroad in

Thailand

For those of you who have ordered either the Thai/English Obama t-shirts, or the “Bangkok for Barack” t-shirts, as part of DAT’s last t-shirt order, here are the instructions on payment and pick-up of the shirts. The shirts will be delivered to DAT late on December 8^th, meaning that they will be available starting on December 9.

As has been stated many times in the past, the donations you provide to DAT are used by this organization for voter registration drives in Thailand -- such as supporting efforts to encourage Americans in Thailand to visit www.votefromabroad.org and other voting sites in order to take part in upcoming US elections, and supporting other activities that help “get out” the American Democratic vote in Thailand. You can be especially proud of wearing your DAT-provided T-shirt because it means you are already contributing to our efforts to build on our Congressional majority in upcoming elections in 2010.

There are two ways that you can make your donation, and receive your shirts – by either bank deposit to the DAT bank account, or in cash. DAT is not able to take credit cards, handle pay-pal requests, or any other form of donation – sorry about that, but we are an all volunteer organization and we need to keep things simple!

Bank transfer: Please make a bank transfer to DAT’s account – which is at Krung Thai Bank (Queen Sirikit Center branch. The name of the account is John Andrew Boname (who is DAT’s Treasurer) and the account number is 009-0-09385-2. After you have made the bank transfer, please send the bank pay-in slip to us. You can scan the bank-slip and email to us at democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com or you can fax it to us at 02-634-3799. In either case, include your name, number of shirts that you have ordered (so we can double-check against our list) and contact information. One shirt is provided for each donation of 500 baht.

For those who wish to have the shirts mailed to you, DAT will have to request that you reimburse us for postage. In Thailand, we send the shirts by EMS – for every 2 shirts you have ordered, add 50 baht to your order. If you have ordered an odd number of shirts, please top up the postage cost (i.e. for 7 shirts, please pay postage for 8). For those wishing to have shirts sent overseas, postage reimbursement is 200 baht per shirt. These postage reimbursements are based on the real reimbursements of postage from our experience in sending shirts in September and October.

For those of you in Bangkok, we strongly encourage you to make arrangements to pick up the shirts directly from us. Save yourself a trip to the bank, and come hang out with DAT! DAT will be at the Roadhouse Barbecue (www.roadhousebarbecue.com, corner of Rama 4 and Suriwong Roads) with the shirts on the afternoon and evening of December 9, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. – please send us a note to democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com if you expect to come to pick up your shirt on that day. You can make your donation in cash then, or bring the bank pay-in slip for your donation and show it to us. Phil Robertson, DAT Chair, will be the one handling the distribution of shirts that day, and he is reachable at (085) 060-8406.

Starting on December 10, the shirts will be available in exchange for a donation at the office of ISM Tech. To pick them up there, you will need to call (02) 634-3800, and speak to either Peter or Jaeng, and tell them when you are planning to go to ISM Tech. There is a map on their website, at www.ISMTech.net, hit the contact us button, and then download the map. They are located walking distance from the Chong Nonsi BTS stop, on Silom Road. Please, please do call ahead -- so that people can pull together your shirts and be prepared to get them to you easily and quickly.

Show your Obama and Democrats spirit around town -- let's make sure everyone knows that change is coming!

Finally, DAT will be organizing an Inauguration Party to celebrate the official investiture of Barack Obama as our 44th President. Details are still being worked out, but the event will be in Bangkok on/around January 20, 2009. DAT members will receive email notice of this event (for those who are not members, you can join at www.democratsabroad.org, hit the join button on upper right hand side), and you can also check back on this space where news of the event will be posted.

Obama Sticker from Down Under

2008-11-30T15:46:00.003+07:00

The DAT celebration party at the Roadhouse -- which was free admission -- was attended by people from many nations who cheered a return to responsible leadership in the US -- including a group of Australians from the ARTIP anti-human trafficking project based in Bangkok. One of their group was inspired enough to come up with her own sticker design -- which she distributed for free to anyone who wanted them at the festivities. Woohoo indeed!

DAT at US Embassy Election Watch Party -- 5 Nov 08

2008-11-29T00:21:00.011+07:00

DAT split its representation on Election Day in Bangkok -- with over 180 members going to the US Embassy's official "Election Watch" party at the Grand Hyatt Erawan -- and well over 200 heading to the DAT unofficial club house on the third floor of the Roadhouse Barbecue on Rama 4 and Suriwong Roads. These photos are from the Embassy party.

It was full of media (7 live media interviews in Thai for Chair Phil Robertson), hundreds of Thai school-kids (all asking questions from some civic education questionnaire -- "why do you support the Democratic Party?" -- the mind blurs with all the answers possible for that one...), some Americans, various Thai big-wigs (PM Somchai showed up - and gave a speech -- and then Bangkok Gov. Apirak appeared shortly thereafter -- the battle of the dueling entourages was on!), a few (and I do mean few) Republicans lead by "Sal" and "Al", the mystery McCain staffers never seen before election day despite big titles like "Country Coordinator" -- who predicted a McCain victory early on but rapidly became more reticent as the morning progressed. Needless to say, the DAT table was front and center, and surrounded by a constant flood of DAT members offering cheers and high-fives! Ambassador Eric John picked the right color with his neon blue silk tie as the Democrats romped -- and when California was called for Obama, and the network declared him the next President, the vast majority of Americans and Thais in the crowd cheered madly. Obama won 90% of the straw poll at the event -- and the cheers reflected that. A pile of McCain-Palin buttons sat off on a side table, undisturbed... YES WE CAN -- and then DAT moved en masse to the Roadhouse.

Photos of the Campaign in Thailand -- Fundraising Dinner for DAT -- Sept 2008

2008-11-28T23:31:00.011+07:00

DAT was determined to run advertisements in Thailand's many English newspapers to encourage Americans to vote -- but that costs money! But combine some of the best food in Thailand at Ruen Thong Restaurant on Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road and a good cause, and DAT members turned out, ready to support us!

Over 25 members turned out, donating 1000 baht each to the cause -- and with the free corkage allowed by the restaurant, the wine was flowing as fast as the conversation of hopes for something different, something better for the US -- especially since the Presidential debates were just around the corner! With this and other fundraising, the DAT was able to run ads in The Bangkok Post, The Nation (Bangkok), The Phuket Gazette, The Chiang Mai Mail, The Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Today, Pattaya People, The Korat Post, The Nonthaburi News, and last but not least, The Vientiane Times.

DAT's favorite photographer, Lance Woodruff, was on hand to snap some photos. As is apparent from all the photos, it was a really lively crowd! Thanks, Lance for capturing the event so clearly -- and much appreciation to everyone who turned out for a fun evening.

Photos of the Campaign in Thailand -- Obama Policy Platform Session at the Roadhouse -- July 08

2008-11-28T23:15:00.008+07:00

Once it was clear that Sen. Obama had won the Democratic nomination, there was time to start thinking about ideas and policies -- and the Obama campaign encouraged "house parties" for engaged citizens to propose their views on what should be front and center in the Democrat Party platform to be adopted at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Democrats Abroad has its own platform but we thought it was important for the members to have their say -- and in late July, about 50 DAT members came down to the Roadhouse Barbecue to do just that -- over some cold ones and Chef Dana's best ribs and other grilled offerings. Americans Abroad for Obama leaders Jon Fox and Brian Thomson played an important role in organizing the event -- with Jon coming up with the original idea, and Brian cranking on his lap-top to keep up with the discussion and make sure the ideas were put in a form that could be submitted through the Obama campaign website.

Chair Phil Robertson moderated the discussion, which was quite vociferous at times -- reflecting the fact that we're Democrats and we have strong views (and we're not afraid to express them!) A reporter from The Nation came by and wrote up an article about DAT (see earlier entry in this blog) which garnered us more attention in US expat circles in the Kingdom. Policy progress while having fun too -- the essence of DAT!

The best Party in town!

Photos of the Campaign in Thailand -- Independence Day 2008

2008-11-28T22:50:00.011+07:00

DAT was busy all year 2008 -- registering Americans to vote anywhere we could! Bangkok does not have alot of places that Americans tend to hang out, so we had to make our own opportunities. One of the best places was the annual 4th of July party, held this year on a muddy field at the Port Authority of Thailand sports stadium in Klong Toey. DAT had the best spot in the fair -- right next to the booth of the Roadhouse Barbecue, which had great Belgian wheat beer on tap! DAT Treasurer Andy Boname had a chance to relax with one of those after registering a ton of people...

Chef Dana was on hand grillin', which was good -- because we got might hungry as we registered over 150 Americans to vote that day. We also broke out the new t-shirt design, "Bangkok for Barack" -- which people were eager to see and have. All in all, a great time was had by all -- except the Republicans Abroad, who were nearby and struggled to muster 15 people the entire afternoon. But they were kind enough to let us have some FPCA voter registration forms when we ran out of ours!

Austin Arensberg and the Americans Abroad for Obama also busted out a new t-shirt design -- which was more popular with the younger party-ers...

The Coolest President

2008-11-23T21:03:00.001+07:00

What else can you say? It's so true...

Inter-Press Service Quoting DAT

2008-11-23T20:52:00.002+07:00

This is an interesting article that tries to get at an important, yet still unclear factor about the international reaction to the election of Pres. Barack Obama -- how will he perceived and what does his election mean for countries around the region? IPS does a good job of pulling out some of those issues in this article. Enjoy -- Phil

SOUTH-EAST ASIA:
Obama Victory Spells Renewed US Interest

Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK, Nov 7 (IPS) - In Indonesia, many know him as ‘’Barry’’. To others U.S. president-elect Barack Obama is the ‘’Menteng Kid’’ for the primary school he attended while living in South-east Asia’s largest country.

Indonesia had a little more to celebrate than its neighbours when Obama was declared elected on Tuesday. Among those who rejoiced was Israella Dharmawan, Obama’s teacher during his childhood in central Jakarta.

‘’I remember he once wrote two stories titled ‘My mother, my idol’ and ‘I want to be a president’,’’ she said in a story appearing in Thursday’s ‘Jakarta Post’ newspaper. Obama was six when he came to live in Indonesia in 1967 and lived there for five years with his mother, Ann Dunham, and his Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro.

‘’I hope to see him become a good president and keep his campaign promises,’’ the former third-grade teacher added of the new U.S. leader who had come across to her as ‘’good, cheerful and easygoing as a young boy’’. ’

For Indonesia there is significance in U.S. voters creating history by voting an African-American to the most powerful job in the world. The possibility of a member of a minority community being elected president remains remote in Indonesia, where the Javanese, the majority ethnic community, hold sway.

‘’This phenomena teaches us all that ethnicity, race and other labels are not important. What matters is our capability,’’ Jusuf Kalla, the country’s vice president, was quoted as having told the Indonesian national news agency Antara following Obama’s victory.

Kalla is a leader of Golkar, the country’s largest political party. But media reports note that the likelihood of him running for president in the 2009 elections are doubtful because of his origins. He is a member of the Bugis ethnic minority from the mountainous island of South Sulawesi.

Obama’s example would not have been lost on Malaysia, Indonesia’s neighbour, where the Malay majority maintains a firm grip on political power at the expense of the country’s minorities, such as ethnic Chinese and Indians.

Even in Singapore -- which has policies to maintain racial harmony -- the political culture favours a member of the dominant Chinese community for the office of prime minister.

‘’The U.S. election could inspire people from minorities in this region to think of what is possible,’’ says Phil Robertson, chairperson of Democrats Abroad Thailand, a group of U.S. citizens living here who campaigned for Obama, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.

‘’It could broaden people’s ideas that a person from a minority could rise to the post of political power based on the ideas he or she represents,’’ added Robertson in an interview. ‘’Obama’s victory is an inspirational moment.’’

The widely followed U.S. elections offered other sober lessons too: the gulf between what passes for democracy in this region as against the robust U.S. system.

An official response from the Philippines, a former U.S. colony in the region with a similar polity, said it all. ‘’Our own democracy and electoral process can be enriched by the lessons, model, and example that the last U.S. presidential contest can offer, particularly in terms of the primacy of issues and blueprints of governance, as well as the efficiency and integrity by which the electorate’s will is safeguarded,’’ said Gabriel Claudio, political advisor to the Philippines president, in a statement.

Elections in South-east Asia’s few developing democracies are plagued by fraud, questionable candidates and tension, which, at times, leads to violence before and after the elections. Suppression of the media and stifling of open and free debate also stains this region’s electoral culture.

For the 10-member ASEAN the Obama victory comes after growing concern among the region’s leaders that the George W. Bush administration was losing interest in the regional bloc. While Bush described South-east Asia as the second front in his ‘war against terrorism’ after the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., Washington opted for the bilateral route rather than multilateral measures.

‘’After 9-11 terrorism became the main priority for the Bush administration, it wanted immediate results, which ASEAN is not geared to. Defence is not its strength,’’ Robert Fitts, a former U.S. diplomat who has served in three South-east Asian capitals, told IPS. ‘’So it developed bilateral relations and dealt directly with the defence ministries and the police in the region and spent less energy with a multilateral body like ASEAN.’’

With the Bush doctrine in tatters, a greater engagement with ASEAN is expected, underscoring Obama’s inclination towards multilateralism. ‘’He wants to reinvigorate multilateralism and that includes ASEAN,’’ says Fitts.

ASEAN includes Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei.

‘’Obama will create a new impetus for ASEAN-U.S. policy,’’ says Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior editor and columnist on regional affairs at ‘The Nation’, an English-language daily in Thailand. ‘’Many ASEAN leaders want stronger ties with the new U.S. administration, because they know that they stand to gain more.’’

DPA -- Democrats Abroad Get Ready to Party in Asia

2008-11-08T08:57:00.001+07:00

Democrats Abroad get ready to party in Asia

(DPA)

4 November 2008

BANGKOK - Democrats Abroad members will be gathering in special venues throughout Asia, from a secret 'watering hole' in alcohol-free Kabul to a popular barbecue house in Bangkok, to watch the US election results on Wednesday, Asia time.

If pre-election interest is anything to go by, the turnout to watch the televised results abroad is expected to break records for Democrats Abroad - the official arm of the Democratic Party for Americans living outside of the United States.

"Democrats Abroad in Thailand has more than tripled our membership in the past 10 months," said Phil Robertson, chairman of Democrats Abroad Thailand. "I've never seen such excitement over an election."

In BangkokS embassy has organized an election watch for American citizens at the swank Grand Hyatt Hotel Wednesday, while Democrats Abroad has planned a separate event at the Roadhouse Barbecue restaurant.

"I predict the Roadhouse is going to be the wilder scene," said Robertson, echoing the great optimism that Democrat candidate Barack Obama is the likely winner of the US presidential election.

Similar election-watching gatherings of Democrats Abroad in Asia are planned throughout Asia including in alcohol-free Afghanistan, at a "local water hole" and the Brass Monkey Bar and Restaurant in Taipei.

Final results of the election will only be known by Wednesday in most Asian countries because of the time difference.

While this election has generated uncommon interest among Democrats Abroad, which has opened new chapters in Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Nepal and Malaysia, the exact number of overseas American eligible to vote on Tuesday remains a mystery.

What seems clear, from feedback at the chapters, is that more Democrats abroad have bothered to register and submit their ballots in this election than in the previous 2004 presidential contest.

"Our phone calls to our members all around Thailand show that 93 per cent of them have cast their ballot," said Robertson.

"We're extremely excited for the election returns to come in on November 5, and we have a reason to be. Finally we will have an American leader in the 21st century that we can be proud of."

Quote from Phil Robertson -- Chair, DAT

2008-11-03T13:12:00.000+07:00

"In my years working with American voters living in Thailand, I have never seen anything like the enthusiasm I see for Barack Obama. This is truly a watershed election for America, and for all of us living overseas -- because the victory of Barack Obama will mark the beginning of a new start for America in foreign policy, in our relations with countries around the world, and in the way that people around the world perceive the United States. Americans here in Thailand and elsewhere in Asia have really done their part -- DA Thailand has tripled our membership over the past ten months, and our phone calls to our members all around Thailand show that 93% of them have cast their ballot. We're extremely excited for the election returns to come in on November 5, and we have a reason to be! Finally we will have an American leader in the 21st century that we can be proud of. "

Philip Robertson Jr.
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand

Victory Parties in Bangkok - November 5, 2008

2008-10-30T11:14:00.001+07:00

Come and join Democrats Abroad Thailand to celebrate what will be a historic victory for Barack Obama, and for Democrats in the House and Senate, on Wednesday, November 5th in Bangkok!

There are two events that will be taking place on that day.

First, there is an invitation-only “Election Watch” event being sponsored by the US Embassy which will take place in the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Erawan (Ratchadamri Road, near Chitlom Skytrain station) from 7 AM to 2 PM. DAT has negotiated and received a limited number of invitations and we are opening these up to DAT members on a first come, first served basis. DAT must provide a list of attendees to the Embassy so we need to hear from you no later than the morning of 30 October 2008. RSVPs must include the full name and email address of the DAT member (sorry, non-members cannot be accommodated) and must be sent to Democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com. For those who met the deadline before our quota from the Embassy fills up, we will send you a formal invitation that you must print out and take to the Hyatt, along with photo ID (passport). DAT will have a table at the event, which will include big screens, inter-a ctive activities, and DAT give-aways (a free t-shirt every time a selected swing state is called for Obama-Biden!). Since the Embassy is also inviting senior Thai officials and civil society representatives, and other diplomats, DAT members who attend are requested to dress professionally. (Who knows, members of the royal family might attend.)

The other, less formal event is the DAT Victory Party which will be ongoing at the Roadhouse Barbecue from 9 AM and continuing all day (and evening!). Chef Dana will have breakfast ready and happy hour prices all day for DAT members and friends – so please join us any time during the day to watch the election results, hear the commentary, and celebrate the movement of American Democrats that we have built in Thailand, the US, and around the world. There is no need to RSVP for the Roadhouse event – just come along at any time – you will no doubt be able to locate us just by the cheering. The Roadhouse is located at the corner of Rama 4 and Suriwong Roads, walking distance from the Sala Daeng BTS stop. There is a map on the web site (www.roadhousebarbecue.com).

We look forward to seeing you, and celebrating with you, on November 5!

With best wishes,

Phil Robertson
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand
email: democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com
mobile: (085) 060-8406
fax: (02) 672-0592

DAT T-shirts are available!

2008-10-22T05:55:00.012+07:00

Americans in Thailand!

We have available the DAT "Bangkok for Barack" and "Thailand for Obama" Thai/English t-shirts – the two coolest political shirts in Thailand! In exchange for a 500 baht donation to DAT, we will give you a t-shirt! You can pick them up, or we can arrange to mail them to you. We have all different sizes (they are American sizes), please ask for the ones that you want. See some of our models (thanks to Rick Graves' niece in Seattle, my daughter Annie, DAT Treasurer Andy Boname, and Rudy Porter) wearing the shirts below!

The process for getting a shirt is one of the following. First, give us an order of the shirts you want, specifying the number of shirts, and sizes, and your contact information, including phone, email and mailing address. Send it to Khun Jaeng (jaeng 'at' ismtech.net) and Phil Robertson at democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.com

Then you can do one of the following. You can make a deposit to the DAT bank account for the number of shirts that you want, and then send DAT the bank pay-in slip (either by fax or as a scanned document attached to an email) and we will mail you the shirt within 2 or 3 days of receiving your proof of payment. The DAT bank account is at Krung Thai Bank, account name: John Andrew Boname; account number: 009-0-09385-2, bank branch: Queen Sirikit Convention Center. If you fax the slip, please send it to the attention of Khun Jaeng, ISM Tech, fax number: 02-634-3799. If you decide to email it, please send it to Jaeng above, with a copy of your email sent to democratsabroadthailand 'at' gmail.com Of course, please also make sure to include the mailing address that you want the shirts to be sent to!

Alternatively, you can call Khun Jaeng at (02) 634-3800 during normal working hours (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and make arrangements to visit the ISM Tech office on Silom Road (at the corner of Silom and Naradhiwat Rachakarin Roads) and pick up the shirt directly.

No shirts will be mailed until we have proof of your donation to DAT!

The money will be used to promote get out the vote efforts targeting Americans in Thailand. So you are getting a great t-shirt, showing how you feel about this election, and contributing to efforts to promote the Democratic ticket among Americans in Thailand! Thanks for your support for Democrats Abroad Thailand, and for the cause of Democrats in 2008 -- please support Obama-Biden, and Democratic candidates for US Senate and House of Representatives so that we have a working majority for reform and change in 2009 and onwards!

Best wishes,
Phil Robertson
Chair
Democrats Abroad Thailand
(085) 060-8406 (tel)

2nd Presidential Debate at the Roadhouse -- October 8 -- 6 to 8 p.m.

2008-10-07T15:35:00.001+07:00

The next Presidential debate is just around the corner -- and DAT will be screening it on Wednesday, October 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Roadhouse Barbecue (www.roadhousebarbecue.com, map on the website). We suggest that you get there by 6:00 if you want to have dinner before the debate replay starts.

Word in the US media is the McCain camp is desperate, and will be coming out mean and dirty, trying to trash Barack Obama on a personal and policy level -- and so our candidate needs your support! Come out and cheer on Barack Obama with a group of progressive Americans -- and let everyone know how you feel about this election! And come out to meet old friends and make new ones, and of course, enjoy the delicious cuisine and cold beers always on offer at the Roadhouse -- the DAT's unofficial Bangkok club house! There are more TVs and a great sound system (both which were used to great effect during last Friday's showing of the V-P debate) and plenty of room for all. Another batch of DAT's cool Thai/English Obama t-shirts will be available, along with bumper stickers and other Obama paraphernalia!

Worried about where is that absentee ballot you requested? Or not even sure that you're registered? Changing your address in Thailand and worried your absentee ballot might not catch up with you? Something else? The "vote doctors" from Americans Abroad for Obama and DAT will also be in the house -- and ready to take your questions and find solutions for problems with absentee ballots -- bring your questions, voting materials and anything else -- and they will find an answer for you!

Please RSVP if you're coming to democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.com!

Come on down and join us on October 8th, for another evening with the best Party in town -- the Democratic Party!

With best wishes, and onwards to victory in November,

Phil Robertson
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand

Cool Obama Thai/English T-shirts Available

2008-09-26T07:18:00.005+07:00

Haruko Yamauchi, one of our dedicated DAT members, came up with another great design for a t-shirt which DAT is proud to give to members who donate 500 baht or more to the DAT. The shirts are black, with the Thai/English Obama on the front, and the Democrats Abroad URL on the back -- see below. If you are interested, please contact democratsabroad "at" gmail.com.

DAT also still has the original Haruko design, which we launched during the 4th of July celebrations in Bangkok -- the "Bangkok for Barack" design -- and you can also get those from us. This design is on a white t-shirt, with the www.democratsabroad.org URL on the back in red.

For both t-shirts, we have all different sizes -- from XXL down to kids' sizes.

Wear your politics for all your friends to see this important election -- and let's get Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House, and increase our Democratic majorities in the Senate and House!

On to victory, 2008 -- and looking cool all the way there...

Phil Robertson
Chair, DA Thailand

Presidential Debate Party -- Sept 27 -- 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. -- Roadhouse

2008-09-26T07:13:00.002+07:00

Democrats in Thailand,

The Presidential Debates are just around the corner – where are you going to watch them? Why not join a friendly crowd of Democrats Abroad to cheer on Barack Obama? DA Thailand will be organizing debate parties for each of the coming Presidential debates, as well as the Vice-Presidential debate (when the McCain handlers have to finally let Sarah Palin speak for herself!).

DA Thailand is organizing a no-host social night to watch the first debate on the evening of Saturday, September 27 at the Roadhouse Barbecue (www.roadhousebarbecue.com – there is a map on the site), starting at 6:30 p.m. Come on by to support Barack Obama, see friends, share political chatter and views, and of course, enjoy the Roadhouse’s great ribs and other food, and ice-cold beers. DAT will have our Obama English/Thai language t-shirts on offer (they are the coolest t-shirts – the talk of the town!), as well as Obama bumper stickers and buttons for those who want them.

Please RSVP (if you plan to attend) to democratsabroad "at" gmail.com

Here is the schedule for the upcoming debates. Each of the debates starts at 9 p.m. in the US and runs for 90 minutes. Given the time difference between the US and Thailand, which means that all these debates will be live in the early morning BKK time, DA Thailand will be taping the debate and then (in Bangkok) showing each on the following evening (nights of September 27, October 3, October 8, and October 16). Other DAT Chapters in the North, Mekong/Northeast, and Pattaya/Eastern Seaboard will also likely be organizing events and we will be relaying news of those events to you separately. Here is the schedule:

First presidential debate:
Friday, September 26 (BKK party Saturday evening)
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

Vice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 2 (BKK party Friday evening)
Washington University in St. Louis, MO

Second presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 7 (BKK party Wednesday evening)
Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Third presidential debate:
Wednesday, October 15 (BKK party Thursday evening)
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Look forward to seeing you with us at the debates!

Best wishes,

Phil Robertson
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand

Obama-Biden Victory Fundraiser -- 20 September 2008 -- Bangkok

2008-09-15T00:21:00.004+07:00

Cocktails, Camaraderie and Campaign Chatter
is the suitable name for the Obama-Biden Victory Fundraiser that Jaimie Seaton Berendsen will be holding at her house on 20th September -- please come out and support the cause -- minimum donation is $100 but all the donations go to the Obama-Biden Campaign - call Jaimie for details at
(089) 987 8008

Click on the image on the left to see the formal invite!

Look forward to seeing you there!

Democrats Abroad Social Night – Getting out the Vote! 6:30 p.m. -- Saturday, 6 September -- Reun Tong Restaurant

2008-09-02T10:56:00.007+07:00

Democrats Abroad in

Thailand

members and friends!

Come out and join friends in DAT for some of the best Thai food in Bangkok at the Ruen Tong restaurant on Saturday, September 6, starting at 6:30 p.m. DAT is raising funds to run voter registration ads in major newspapers all over Thailand (featuring the www.votefromabroad.org website) in September and we need your help to do this! The cost of the dinner is 1000 baht per person for all the Thai food you can eat and DAT has arranged free corkage with the restaurant so bring your bottle of wine to complement the food. Please RSVP to Phil Robertson, Chair of DAT at democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.org or by phone to (085) 060-8406.

Many will remember that Ruen Thong is the same restaurant where DAT held an event in early February to support our efforts to organize the Democrats Abroad Global primary. The mouth-watering food was commented favorably on by all, and the atmosphere enjoyed by the two dozen Americans who came by was fun and exciting! Photos from that February event are down below this posting -- so you can see all the fun we had then, which we will repeat on this Saturday!

Please join us – all funds raised go directly to support the efforts of DAT to encourage the Americans among us to register and vote in this pivotal election in November! The Ruen Thong restaurant is located across the street from the original Tawan Daeng brewery on Naradhiwas Rajanagarin Soi 30, right next to a 7-11. The phone number at the restaurant is (02) 681-1284 or (02) 681-1285. We will be on the second floor in the private function room.

DAT in the Bangkok Post -- Awakening the Overseas Electorate -- 31 Aug 2008

2008-08-31T23:46:00.002+07:00

Awakening the Overseas Electorate

The excitement of the US presidential election is bubbling over in Thailand's Yankee expat community, thanks in large part to advances in IT that Democrats seem more adept at tapping into, writes ERIKA FRY

When Peter Fischbach moved to Thailand 18 years ago, he joined Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT). It was a nascent group at the time, made of a handful of members who started meeting in the late '80s and who kept in touch about events and elections by snail mail and the occasional fax.

An active Democrat for much of his life, Fischbach wanted to do his part, and with another DAT member, he started a newsletter for members - mostly, to get the word out about party and political news from back in the US. This was 1990, when, as Fischbach recalls, the media landscape was limited to local papers and a video cassette recording of the previous night's CNN broadcast, which was delivered daily.

When Jonathan Fox, a 29-year-old community organiser, moved to Thailand four months ago, he joined DAT and started a Facebook group. An active Democrat for much of his life (and for Obama during the primary season), Fox wanted to do his part, and he googled, Facebooked, and otherwise web-searched Barack, Obama, Bangkok when he arrived in the city.

"Nothing came up, so I started it," Fox says simply of his 67-person Bangkok for Barack Obama (BFBO) Facebook group.

(Facebook is a social networking website, and joining a group on the site pools you into an online community).

The group, whose members now include DAT Chair Phil Robertson, DA Asia-Pacific Chair and Chiang Mai resident, Gary Suwannarat, and at least one non-voting Frenchman, has become "a sort of focal point for DAT and a central place where people can go and learn about events," says Fox.

While providing this sort of community space was part of his intent, so was voter outreach. "There's a problem - it's a general one, but particularly true in Thailand - in reaching young, mobile voters, the young people that are in Thailand studying for a semester or teaching English for a year, the volunteers, the researchers."

Though he's modest about it - "The group is only around two months old. It's more than my four friends and me." - a quick look at BFBO member profiles would seem to indicate his effort has been a success. He frequently receives inquiries from people asking how to volunteer, get involved, or vote.

The experiences of Fox and Fischbach (whose own DAT involvement hardly died back in the word processing days; he recently was among the small global taskforce that built the internet infrastructure for DA's Global Primary and Votefromabroad.org website and serves as DAT Vice-Chair) reflect changing times, sure.

But their stories also illustrate a major shift underway in terms of the significance and electoral strategy wrapped up in America's overseas voters, as well as a shift in the scale and scope of US political activity and organisation abroad.

The number of Americans living abroad is put somewhere between 4-10 million (the figure remains too difficult for the US Census Bureau to track). And though the population has historically been woefully under-represented in elections (only one million registered in 2004), every citizen of legal voting age - no matter how long they've been away from the States - has the right to vote in the state they last resided.

Yet, according to Chris Kimble, Chairman of Thailand's Republicans Abroad chapter (TRA) and Robertson, a huge number of these, including those among Thailand's American expat population of 25,000, are not aware of it.

"There are many misconceptions about overseas voting," says Robertson. "People don't realise they can vote. Americans who have dropped off the radar for many years think they can't vote. That's wrong."

Suwannarat adds that others living abroad are aware of their right but either don't know how to exercise it, or, particularly for those who left the US long ago, are cynical, disenfranchised, apathetic and don't care to.

For obvious reasons, politicians have never spent much time courting these voters.

But there are signs this is changing.

While there are several reasons for this, at least part of the story lies back in 2000 and the still-contentious election in which current President George W. Bush won the contest due to a few thousand votes in Florida.

These votes, the loss of the election, and 8 years of the very unpopular Bush administration are still, amidst lingering feelings of resentment and anxiety, much rehashed and reflected on in American society. (And on American TV - HBO recently released 'Recount' which surely stirred up some old dust.) Bush's slim victory has since been variously, but not exhaustively, attributed to Ralph Nader, confused elderly voters, and expats.

The narrow margins that determined a number of recent races (DA claims responsibility for two close Senate wins in 2006 and the Obama-Clinton primary outcome) have only re-inforced this new sort of every-vote-counts-awareness.

And, just as with America's domestic voters, technology advances and media proliferation have led to an increasingly networked and well-informed set of citizens abroad.

Expat vote matters

These changes have also made far-flung voters more accessible to campaigns, and with another tight presidential race underway, these are votes the campaigns are as keen to realise, as voters are to cast.

"The one great unknown in the American electorate is overseas voters," says Robertson, noting that politicians, pundits, pollsters and America's hyperactive media have "x-rayed all the key voting states. When elections are decided by a couple thousand votes, it becomes clear this overseas vote matters."

Maybe because the memory of 2000 haunts them still, the Democrats and the Obama campaign have so far been more aggressive and far more successful in their effort to awaken the overseas electorate.

Americans Abroad for Obama (AAO), which is connected to the Obama campaign and which has 10 Regional Field Directors around the globe to mobilise voters (this includes an Indonesia-based, Princeton-educated lawyer for Southeast Asia), is a striking example of this.

In 2004, John Kerry's expat sister canvassed for voters in Europe and Karl Rove made a George Bush campaign stop in London, but such formal efforts by the Obama campaign to reach the overseas vote are unprecedented (as is his similarly thorough "50 state strategy"), and so far, unmatched by the McCain campaign.

The same could be said of the more local efforts to mobilise voters in Thailand.

DAT is hardly a nascent organisation these days. Membership of the group now numbers somewhere in the thousands (DAT leadership does not disclose exact figures), and has grown "almost geometrically" with the candidacy of Obama, says Peter Foley, a member of DAT since the late '80s who currently serves as chair of its Chiang Mai chapter. (He is also a former DAT chair). Most recently, the organisation launched a Pattaya and Eastern Sea Board chapter to add to those that already operate in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Isan, and Laos.

Foley and Robertson attribute this explosion of interest to a variety of factors, among them enthusiasm for the party's candidate, whom Foley calls "one of the most exciting to come on the political stage since Abe Lincoln."

They also credit advances in technology, media proliferation (and greater voter awareness) and the current political climate for their growth in numbers.

"I always say our best recruiter is George Bush," says Fischbach. "People are really anxious to do something."

He recently assisted one such anxious soul, a resident of Thailand for the past 22 years who had last cast a vote for John F. Kennedy, with his voter registration. It was not easy, the process entailed a few phone calls with Illinois election officials and tracking down an address in Chicago that no longer exists, but "He wanted to vote. He's so fed up about Bush," explained Fischbach.

Suwannarat, Fischbach and Robertson say these forces have recently helped to attract a broader set of members to DAT. Suwannarat says the organisation now includes more casual Democrats ('not just the die hards'), while Robertson and Fischbach mention there have been more and more business-minded expats (even oilmen!) joining their ranks, perhaps defecting from the Republican party.

TRA's chair Kimble, who has presided over the organisation of 100 or so Republican members since January, concedes that "the whole world is sort of against Bush right now" and that DA has been especially skilled in mobilising recently.

While he says TRA membership has been less active than in past years, he says it's due to leadership change in the organisation, and not lack of Republicans.

It's also important to note that RA and DA are fundamentally different organisations. While DA is connected to the Democrat National Committee as a 51st state in the party's nominating process (registered Democrats Abroad vote in a Global Primary, 22 DA delegates attended the Democrat convention this week), RA is a fundraising organisation that is independent of the Republican National Committee and does not campaign for candidates. Registered Republicans living overseas vote in party contests in the state they last resided.

Educating voters

Despite the distinctions, both groups consider it their mission to register and educate voters for their party. Both groups stage their main registration drive at the US Embassy's Independence Day picnic, hold politically-minded activities like films, speakers, discussions and speak of the important social aspect of their organisations (oddly both Robertson and Fishbach reconnected with long-lost contacts from their high schools through the organisation).

Robertson adds that DAT strives to bring a Thai spirit to events so there is "always lots of sanook." In recent months, much of that fun has centred around the approaching election and Obama. Last month, they threw a 'platform for Barack Obama party' at Bangkok's Roadhouse Barbeque restaurant (Robertson noted the pub-like venue captured the spirit of the early ale-drinking days of the Republic) and in June, a handful of members spent a Saturday scouting out Bangkok for the Obama Bridge project, a venture in which Obama-supporters around the world posed in photos near bridges, to signify the candidate's bridging qualities ('Yes, we span' was the slogan of the day). The photographs, including that of the Bangkok group aside Praram 8 bridge, were collected in an album that was presented to Obama earlier this week at the convention. DAT, incidentally, returned to the Roadhouse Friday to celebrate this and other convention moments, by watching the video footage of Obama's convention speech, eating ribs, and drinking something close to ale.

Yet, even if these organisations succeed in registering and mobilising their voters, successfully casting a ballot from abroad is hardly an easy or foolproof task.

The problem is the process, which entails back-and-forth international mailings and which can only be initiated when a voter - well-in-advance of the first Tuesday in November - sends a ballot request form to the last state in which they reside, is complicated and time-consuming.

In a report last year, voting experts from America's Overseas Vote Foundation and National Defense Committee said that anywhere from a quarter to half of overseas voters fail in their effort to vote, for reasons that range from wrong postage to missed deadlines and mistranslated addresses.

The internet has made things easier. There are several websites, including DA's votefromabroad.org (equally useful for Republicans), that explain and simplify the process to the point that one simply needs 5 minutes to enter personal information and print (and then mail) the ballot request form.

"It makes it so much easier," says Fischbach, who helped to design and engineer the site. "It takes you through it and your ballot is arranged."

TRA and DAT both do what they can to assist voters in the process, and Fischbach can tell more than a few stories from over the years. The best advice may be to get started now, if you haven't already.

For US citizens living in Thailand, there's little else to wait for. With one convention down, and another just a day away, America's election season is officially in full swing and it's easier than ever for the voter abroad to experience the presidential election as if he or she were living in the States.

This year, for the first time, registered Democrats living in Thailand could cast votes on 'Super Tuesday' in a DA Global Primary (in years past, DA ran caucuses in individual countries). Robertson and a few DA volunteers even scrapped together a few authentic-looking voting booths for the occasion.

Candidate propaganda? DAT gives out Obama bumper stickers, buttons, and has already blown through several sell-out (or donated-out) iterations of "Bangkok for Barack" t-shirts.

Political ads - if they are really, missed - can be viewed, along with countless other clips of Obama Girls, McCain outakes and other election propaganda on the internet.

Obama voters, there's even a Facebook group for you.

If you're a Republican, you may be out of luck.

Dinner with Barack! Friday, August 29 -- Don't Miss It!

2008-08-26T14:31:00.001+07:00

Friday, August 29th – 6 to 8 PM – Roadhouse Barbecue Calling all Barack Obama supporters in the Big Mango and further afield in Thailand! Americans Abroad for Obama (AAO) and Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT) will be holding a no host event in Bangkok starting at 6:00 PM (cocktails, dinner) and then at 6:30 PM showing the historic nomination speech of Senator Barack Obama. Come join us on the second floor of the Roadhouse Barbeque for a night of great American food, drink and camaraderie as we celebrate the official start of Sen. Obama's candidacy.

Obama gear, including t-shirts, bumpers stickers and buttons, will be available and there will be informed volunteers ready to help US citizens register to vote and apply for their absentee ballot. Of course throughout the proceedings there will be plenty of time for eating, drinking and socializing. The broadcast of Sen. Obama's speech will start at 6:30 PM followed by a discussion of the prospects for Democrats in November from 7:30 to 8:00 PM with representatives of AAO and DAT.

Afterwards, be sure to stick around and enjoy the Roadhouse's live band and great atmosphere. If you can make it, please RSVP to AAOThailand@gmail.com

Where: Roadhouse Barbeque, corner of Surawong and Rama IV Road (next to Jim Thompson outlet)

Directions: See map on website at www.roadhousebarbecue.com

When: Friday, 29 August 2008 -- 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Democrats Abroad event in Pattaya -- coverage from Pattaya Mail

2008-08-16T14:33:00.004+07:00

Pattaya Mail, Vol. XVI, no. 33 – August 15-21, 2008

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd18

US Democrats in Thailand drum up support for Obama

Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
American Democrats are drumming up support amongst their fellow countrymen living in Thailand for US presidential candidate Barack Obama in the run-up to the election that will be held on November 4.

Philip S Robertson, chairman of Democrats Abroad Thailand is urging American citizens to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

August 1 at the New Orleans Restaurant saw the Democrats Abroad Thailand organization opening the Democrats Abroad Thailand Pattaya and the Eastern Region Branch, along with holding a discussion about the forthcoming election.
Philip S Robertson, chairman of Democrats Abroad Thailand along with Loran Davidson of Democrats Abroad Eastern, and Rey Bwono, Democrats Abroad Thailand volunteer discussed the Obama campaign with 30 American expats.
Robertson said that all American expats in Thailand have the right to vote in the US presidential election, and that every vote counted. He said that in the 2000 election between Al Gore and George Bush, there was a difference of only 537 votes.
The meeting was held to debut the Democrats Abroad Thailand Pattaya and the Eastern Region Branch, an area in which a lot of American expats reside.
Robertson said that Democrats Abroad are active worldwide, and in Asia have branches in the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, India, and Nepal. In Thailand, the organization has branches in Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Korat, and Nongkhai, with their Bangkok office acting as headquarters.

Get your cool T-shirts -- Bangkok for Barack

2008-08-09T15:56:00.000+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand is lucky to have a very talented member -- Haruko Yamauchi who has come up with an excellent design that we have turned into a "Bangkok for Barack" t-shirt. The design has Bangkok for Barack on the front and the www.democratsabroad.org URL on the back. Those interested in the t-shirt should send an email to democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.com

2008-08-05T20:48:00.000+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand,

How many of you thought that actress Gwyneth Paltrow was a British citizen? After watching her in "Shakespeare in Love", how could we not imagine that? Well think again -- she is an American citizen, and will be voting from abroad in London for Sen. Barack Obama and Democrats down the ticket this November! Check her out and her fellow Americans out -- and recommend this video to your friends. It's time for Americans get another American friend to register and vote absentee -- and it all starts with VotefromAbroad.org

Here's the URL for the video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amukRM9SSoo

DAT in The Nation -- Obama Excitement Extends to the Beer and Barbecues of Bangkok

2008-08-02T17:56:00.002+07:00

DAT had a very, very successful event on 26 July at the Roadhouse Barbecue, where we talked about the party platform (and sent ideas to the Obama campaign) -- and The Nation sent a reporter who produced the following story:

The Nation (Bangkok), August 2, 2008

Obama excitement extends to the beer and barbecues of Bangkok

By Anthony Audi
The Nation

While Barack Obama spent last week meeting with foreign dignitaries in the Middle East and Europe, Democrats in Bangkok gathered at Roadhouse BBQ to discuss party platform over beer, baked potatoes and ribs. At least 30 people attended the discussion, and their enthusiasm underscored both the strong overseas interest in the upcoming election and a push by Barack Obama to draw faraway voters into the political process.

With unprecedented sums of money at his disposal, the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party is running a worldwide campaign, working vigorously to court not only Americans at home but also citizens overseas. As the first candidate to open offices in all 50 states, Obama is extending his "leave no constituency behind" approach to the greater world, hiring 10 full-time staffers to work outside of the US.

The effectiveness of this strategy remains unclear in a state like Utah, where a Democrat cannot conceivably win, but in Bangkok, at least, the effort has garnered enthusiasm. Phil Robertson, Chair of Democrats Abroad in Thailand, believes Obama's strategy reflects the candidate's beginnings as a community organiser in Chicago. "He realises the importance of organising," Robertson said. "In an era of razor-thin elections, every single vote centre counts, and Obama knows that he has to leave no stone unturned."

Austin, a Bangkok-based American who has designed trendy T-shirts with the slogan "Bangkok for Obama", sees the overseas vote as a rare unknown in a political process where nothing is left to chance. "All the votes in the 50 states have been X-rayed," he said, "but the big questions is Americans overseas. This is an area where the parties haven't done that much".

If this year's election results are as tightly contested as in 2000 and 2004, votes cast abroad could make a crucial difference in the final result. In 2000, some credited the overseas vote with tipping Florida - and the election - in Bush's favour, and in 2004, many believe overseas ballots that were not counted in swing states like Ohio could have won the election for John Kerry. Though exact figures are not available, estimates place the number of Americans abroad somewhere between 4.3 and 7.2 million, roughly the population of states like Massachusetts and Minnesota. The US embassy estimates that 20,000 of those expatriates currently reside in Thailand.

The overseas vote has also been a source of controversy, with as many as half of America's voters complaining that they received their ballot too late or not at all in the 2004 election. This year, Democrats Abroad are hoping to make the process easier, with such efforts as votefromabroad.org, a website that automatically fills out the form to request a ballot from overseas.

Chris Kimble, the Thailand Chair for Republicans Abroad, recognises that Democrats Abroad have done a great deal to raise their visibility. "In Thailand, Democrats are a lot more visible, they're a lot more organised, a lot more vocal than we are," he said. Kimble also expressed worry that votes from abroad might push the upcoming election in Obama's favour.

With only 20 per cent of Americans believing their country is "on the right track", the mood seems ripe for a Democratic takeover this November, and the desire for different leadership is particularly noticeable among Americans overseas. "We've been over here six years and I have travelled abroad a lot," said Henry, an American currently based in Thailand, "and in the last few years, because of Bush, the minute people realised I'm American, I've got a big public-relations job to do".

Phil Robertson went even further, describing what he sees as "a real popular revulsion towards a president who has denigrated and destroyed goodwill in the international community".

During the Democratic debate at the Roadhouse BBQ this past Saturday, the lively crowd of expatriates disagreed on several issues, whether timetables for Iraq or America's relationship with Israel, but their opinions converged when it came to their country's current president. One impassioned speaker, who wore a Super Bowl baseball cap and a Bluetooth earpiece throughout the discussion, received hearty applause after declaring that he wants "everybody in Bush's administration in jail". Another gentleman joined in, to emphasise a different, more restrained approach. "I think we should stay positive," he said. "Let's leave the bitter angry old man stuff to John McCain."

If Bush hating seems to have reached an all-time high for Americans overseas, so has Obama loving. Most Democrats in Bangkok seem to agree that unlike John Kerry, this year's presumptive nominee has voters excited about his candidacy. "The feeling of the election in 2004 was 'How can we stop Bush?'" Robertson recalled, "And in this election it has been 'How can we elect Obama'".

Moreover, aspects of Obama's heritage that have drawn scepticism from certain Americans back home - Obama lived in Indonesia for six years, is the son of a Muslim from Kenya and his middle name is Hussein - are seen as assets by Americans abroad. As a middle-aged Democrat named Betsy opined, "he's going to be a good American ambassador, because he looks more international. He looks more like the rest of the world."

Though it is not as organised and seemingly less optimistic than its Democratic counterpart, Republicans Abroad remains a potentially significant force for Obama's opponent John McCain. Chris Kimble, who described the Republican constituency overseas as "guys in the military and guys in business", sees these professions are part of the reason for Republicans Abroad's low profile. "Guys in business are busy," he explained, "so we don't do a good job getting organised". For voters like Kimble, the important election issues are financial, and in that respect, they will almost all vote for McCain. "The big concern among Republicans right now is the tax policies, and McCain is right on those issues," Kimble said.

The dynamic in Bangkok reflects the greater trend of this presidential election. Barack Obama has become the highly visible, rock-star candidate, while McCain looms quietly in the background. In the Thai capital, enthusiastic Obama supporters have made T-shirts, organised events, and created a fan group on the social networking site Facebook. When one searches the words McCain and Thailand on that same website, the only result is a group comparing the senator's face to a body part that cannot be named in this newspaper.

What does this all mean for the upcoming election? "I think there is a lot of time between now and November," said Kimble, "but it's going to be a tough year for Republicans".

DA Thailand to Launch Pattaya and Eastern Seaboard Chapter -- August 1st

2008-07-21T01:24:00.001+07:00

On Friday, August 1, Democrats from Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard will hold a social night and inaugural meeting of a new DAT chapter bringing together Americans from all over the Eastern region of Thailand. The event will take place starting at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of Cafe New Orleans (see www.cafeneworleans.info for directions and a map), Soi 10 in Pattaya.

Admission is free, and it's a "no-host" event -- meaning you pay for what you eat and drink. The key thing is this is an excellent opportunity to come share your ideas, your passions and your principles on policies and politics with your fellow Americans. DAT Chair Phil Robertson will come down from Bangkok to talk about how Democrats Abroad will be working with Americans all over Thailand to do our part to elect Sen. Barack Obama as President, and other Democrats to the House and Senate! For those who need to register to vote and/or request their absentee ballot, there will be volunteers ready to help you take care of that in a few short minutes. The management of Cafe New Orleans is offering a 20% discount on all menu items and drinks.

For more details, contact Loran at furzymouse "at" gmail.com, or Rey at pattaycrats "at" gmail.com

DA Thailand Social Night and Platform for Barack Party -- 26 July -- Roadhouse BBQ Bangkok

2008-07-15T02:15:00.000+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand members!

It’s time to get started! Sen. Barack Obama is asking for input on the kinds of issues and concerns that Americans have to ensure this year’s Democratic Party platform really reflects the views of the grass-roots – and this is a golden opportunity for Democrats in Thailand to engage. Come out and make your issues heard! DAT is organizing a major night of policy and politics at the Roadhouse Barbecue (www.roadhousebarbecue.com) to take up Sen. Obama’s call to us (see below)!

Date: Saturday, July 26, 2008

Time: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., discussing the issues and proposals – and then DAT social night continues

Where: Roadhouse Barbecue, corner of Suriwong and Rama IV, next to Jim Thompson store

Please RSVP to: democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com

DAT will also be registering Americans to vote and request their absentee ballot – and it’s friends bring friends – and we will register one and all!

Owner Dana Caron (a loyal Democrat from Maine) promises a 15% discount card for the excellent Roadhouse food (love those ribs!) and beverages – so join your fellow Americans in a night of fun and issues, passion and politics!

Note from Sen. Barack Obama --

Every four years, the Democratic Party assembles a platform that outlines the party's position on a number of issues.

Traditionally, the drafting of the platform is not open to ordinary people.

This year, that's going to change.

For two weeks in July, people all across America will hold Platform Meetings in their own communities to discuss the issues and share their input. The outcome of these meetings will be reviewed by the Drafting Committee as it creates the final Platform.

No political experience is required. Your thoughts and experiences are all that matter, and they will shape a platform that -- like this party -- is owned by the people.

Sign up to host or attend a Platform Meeting in your neighborhood! This year, ordinary people like you will gather in their homes, community centers, places of worship, and even coffee shops to discuss the issues that matter to them and help decide what should be at the heart of the Democratic platform for change.

The input we get from these meetings will help shape the platform at the Democratic Convention in August.

Platform Meetings are a great way to connect with fellow supporters and help write the next chapter in the history of the Democratic Party.

We'll make sure you have all the resources and support you need to succeed. All you need to provide are your ideas for America and your hunger for change.

I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to make your voice heard in the political process.

Thank you for all that you do,

Barack

DAT in the New York Times

2008-07-06T15:50:00.000+07:00

New York Times

Overseas, Democrats Gather for the 4th

By Leslie Wayne

For some Democrats living outside the United States, the Fourth of July may have more of a hometown feel this year.

From Chiang Mai, Thailand, to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, Democrats Abroad, the overseas branch of the party, is holding a series of American-style barbeques planned to celebrate Democratic politics and principles and to encourage overseas Americans to register to vote. The group is working closely with the nonpartisan Web site to get expat Americans registered to vote.

"We plan to celebrate the Fourth of July in every corner of the world," said Christine Schon Marques, the international chair of Democrats Abroad. "We are united and dedicated to doing all that we can to help get a Democrat elected to the White House."

In Leeds, England, the group is meeting at the "Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen." Buenos Aires, home to the tango, will feature a party at Le Café Merval, where a DJ will play American music. In Costa Rica, Americans are invited to the Cerveceria Costa Rica – a well-known Costa Rican brewery. And, the Toulouse, France chapter has plans for a "fun political trivia quiz" in a private home.

Events are also taking place in Dublin, Ireland, Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland, Bangkok, Thailand and three locations in the United Kingdom.

In Florence, forget about visiting the Uffizi. There's an "American picnic" with games, music, speeches, barbecue and voter registration.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/04/overseas-democrats-gather-for-the-4th/

2008-07-04T19:33:00.000+07:00

Happy 4th of July -- see the voter registration information in the previous post, in case you are not yet registered or have not yet requested your absentee ballot for November!

We had over 20 DAT members come out for the Obama Bridges project, with home-made signs, Barack shirts and hats (including Bert's locally made hat), and of course all our Obama signs. Beyond taking the photos, the gathering was an excellent opportunity to make new friends, plan for future activities (including a T-shirt that will be forthcoming based on the Bangkok for Barack design), and revel in the fact that we have a nominee that is principled, passionate and exciting -- all things that the other side lacks! Here are some cool photos -- Yes We Can and Yes We Span! See you at the party on 5 July at the Port Authority.

DA Thailand Voter Registration - Chiang Mai (July 3) and Bangkok (July 5)

2008-07-02T17:51:00.000+07:00

Come join us for Independence Day celebrations as we begin our very important work to elect Sen. Barack Obama as the next President of the United States! Events will be taking place in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai! We will be registering voters, and helping people apply to get their absentee ballots for this November’s critical election, and are looking both for volunteers to help, and for members to come by and learn what we will be doing for the rest of the year! And while you’re at it, join the celebration of our country at the annual Independence Day picnic (organized by AmCham in Bangkok, the US Consulate in Chiang Mai), with food, games, fireworks and fun for the entire family!

Bangkok:

When: Saturday, July 5, 2008
Time: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Sport Club-Football Field, Port Authority of Thailand, Sunthorn Kosa Road (please see www.idaybkk.com for map and details on how to get there)

Democrats Abroad Thailand will be conducting voter registration and we are looking for volunteers. Look for our booth! We will be organizing one-hour shifts, so please sign up now to help your fellow Americans get registered and ready to help Democrats take back the White House in 2008! Peter Fischbach, the DAT vice-chair, is overseeing this voter registration effort, and those interested in volunteering him should send him an email at email: peter@ismtech.net Please make sure to include your phone number in that email, so that Peter can call you!

Chiang Mai:

When: Thursday, July 3, 2008
Time: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: American Consulate, 387 Withchayanond Road. Please note that Consulate requires passports to be presented for admittance. For more information, see the con sulate announcement at

http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/root/pdfs/2008_july-4-picnic.pdf

Look for the votefromabroad.org banner. Trained volunteers will help you register and request your General Election ballot.

We look forward to seeing you all for the I-Day events. Yes We Can!

Best wishes,
Phil Robertson
Chair, Democrats Abroad Thailand

Obama Bridge Project

2008-06-25T10:13:00.000+07:00

On June 22, a group of enthusiastic Democrats Abroad Thailand members gathered at the Phra Sumen Fort park on Phra Arthit Road to take a photo for the Obama Bridge Project, an effort launched by Democrats Abroad around the world to take photos to show that we believe that Sen. Barack Obama will be a bridge to build understanding between America and the world, re-building the links that have been so profoundly damaged by the destructive foreign policies of George W. Bush. Other Obama Bridge photos from countries around the world can be found at this link:

The photos will be assembled into a book by Democrats Abroad and presented to Barack and Michelle Obama at the Democrat National Convention in August. Thanks from Democrats Abroad Thailand go to our volunteer professional photographer, Sikarin "Fon" Thanachaiary, who took these snaps!

Unity and Moving Forward

2008-06-18T20:46:00.000+07:00

The note below was posted on the Democrats Abroad list-serve by Margo Miller, who was one of the leading proponents of Hillary Clinton among Democrats Abroad. The Democrats will unite behind Obama, and defeat McCain!

Posted by: "Margo Miller" margodmiller89 "at" yahoo.co.uk

Friday, June 13, 2008

It’s time to put a Democrat back in the White House! We’ve all given so much to our respective candidates over the past months and now it is time to do all we can, in the words of Hillary Clinton, to “elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.”

This has been a tough week for Hillary supporters. Eighteen million of us across America and around the globe worked so hard for her and never gave up on her candidacy or the issues she has fought for her entire life. Thank you to all her supporters within Democrats Abroad who worked so hard in trying times.

We will vote for Barack Obama and we will do all we can to see him elected as the next President of the United States. For some of her supporters, it will take some time to come around and respect from early Obama supporters will go a long way to help. We come at his candidacy from a very different place from his early supporters. We are supporting him because we care deeply about the issues and on the issues they agree on virtually everything of substance.

Over the coming months, I will continue to do all I can to get out the vote from abroad – letting every American I find know they have the right to vote, their vote gets counted, their vote can make the difference, and all they have to do is go to www.VoteFromAbroad.org. I also will be in close contact with the fabulous Hillary supporters I have gotten to know over the past year and help them through this difficult time and remind them why they were supporting Hillary and why for those very reasons they should now support Barack Obama. I am here as a resource to the Obama campaign and to all of you to help in outreach to Hillary supporters, both those who have already enthusiastically embraced Barack Obama’s candidacy and those who are still coming around more slowly.

Together we can take back the White House and see a larger Democratic majority in the House and Senate. Thank you for all you are doing!

All the best, Margo Miller

DA Thailand Spreading the News to Laos

2008-06-12T10:26:00.001+07:00

On May 10, I went to Vientiane, Lao PDR to discuss with Americans there about getting involved in the Democrats Abroad and seeking support for a DAT Northeast Thailand chapter, and also ultimately -- at the right time -- organizing a DA Laos chapter. Mike Carroll did a tremendous job of organizing attendance, and Carol Cassidy opened up her lovely home and held a great party for approximately 15 or so Americans who came by to talk and snack on the amazing food Carol had laid out for the event, and enjoy an evening of American style politics. I gave a speech, as did Robert van den Bosch, who had recently been working on a US campaign for the House of Representatives. I expect that we will be able to organize the NE Thailand chapter in the next month or two -- we have a good core of supporters in and around Udon Thani, and the group in Vientiane.

Here are some photos from the event -- note the amazing fabrics that Carol has hanging in her house! Those interested in getting involved with DA Northeast/Esarn and Laos should contact Mike Carroll at mikecar21 "at" yahoo.com

Phil Robertson
Chair, DA Thailand

Statement for Unity -- Senior Democrats Speak Out

2008-06-04T22:23:00.000+07:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Governors Association Chairman Joe Manchin and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued this joint statement.

"We have come to the end of an exciting primary and caucus process -- the voters have spoken," the statement says. "As the Democratic leaders of the Senate, House of Representatives, the Governors and the Democratic National Committee we commend all of the participants of the 2008 primary process, especially Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for making this such a transformational election. Because of the enthusiasm our candidates have inspired, our party has brought record numbers of voters to the polls, gained millions of newly registered Democrats and now has advantages in states many thought were difficult to win. We are grateful to the millions of Independents and Republicans who have crossed over to vote for a Democratic candidate for President.

"Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election. To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted super delegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country.

"We once again congratulate all of the candidates for their leadership and dedication to providing this country with a New Direction. We look forward to working with them and with all Democrats to win the White House, congressional seats and state capitals so we can deliver the change the American people deserve and demand."

Democrats Abroad Thailand Social Night -- March 29

2008-03-29T17:17:00.001+07:00

Dear Democrats in Thailand,

The DA Primary has come and gone, but the struggle for the nomination for President of our Party continues! The competing campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are now looking towards Pennsylvania, Oregon, West Virginia and a handful of other states, and ultimately, to the Democrat leaders who form the so-called "super-delegates" who may make the final decision. What does this all mean for our Party? How do you think the Hillary and Barack campaigns are being run? What will this current state of continuing competition (perhaps going all the way to Democratic Convention in Denver in August?!) mean for the cause of unity against McCain and the Republicans in November?

Come share your views and ideas with your fellow Democrats this coming weekend! Democrats Abroad Thailand is planning our first post-DAT primary "no-host" social night on Saturday, March 29, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Roadhouse Barbecue (see www.roadhousebarbecue.com for map). We will have several tables on the 3rd floor of the Roadhouse, so come ready to eat, drink and share your views about what's going to happen with our Party in the coming days. The entire DA Thailand executive committee will be on hand, so also bring your ideas to share on the kinds of activities you want to see us organizing from April to November.

Look forward to seeing you on Saturday -- please RSVP to democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com if you think you CAN make it.

New York Times Article about Democrats Abroad

2008-03-16T13:59:00.000+07:00

The Democrats Abroad Thailand polling place at the Starbucks in Nongkhai (set up by Mike Carroll and his team in NE Thailand) continues to be famous -- even the New York Times has included it. An interesting article, and a good overview of what we are trying to accomplish -- turning out as many Democrats as possible to vote from overseas and influence elections -- and make sure that there are never any repeats like Florida 2000, when absentee ballots voted for the GOP swung the balance...

New York Times
March 16, 2008

Forget Iowa. How About That Antarctica Vote?

By LESLIE WAYNE

LONDON — They call themselves residents of the “51st State,” which is a broad territory that covers all continents, counts around six million Americans and displays a passionate interest in the Democratic match-up between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Democrats Abroad, a branch of the Democratic Party with members in over 100 countries, is in the middle of the same race for delegates and heated debates over who should be the party’s nominee as Democrats in the United States. The only difference is that their politicking may take place in a pub in Ireland or a Starbucks in Thailand.

And with 11 delegate votes that will be under its control at the party’s convention, Democrats Abroad is more than a debating society. It is an increasingly vibrant wing of the Democratic Party, particularly as more Americans fan out across the globe yet seek to maintain their voice in the politics back home.

“Years ago, we were just a small group of people in London and Paris,” said William D. Barnard, chairman of Democrats Abroad U.K. “When we held a primary, it meant that everyone met in a pub or a bar and cast a vote. Now, it’s incredible. With the historic nature of the campaigns and the closeness of it, we’ve changed the way we operate.”

Democrats Abroad was started in 1964 and gained voting delegates to the party’s convention in 1976. But as recently as 2004, overseas voting in the primaries took place in caucuses, where Democrats had to show up in person — difficult for such a far-flung group.

This year, the Democratic National Committee held its first ever “Global Democratic Primary,” where Democrats could vote in person, by mail, by fax and, unlike in the United States, over the Internet.

And vote they did: A total of 22,715 Democrats in 164 countries cast their ballots in a primary planned to coincide with the coast-to-coast nominating contests on Feb. 5.

Senator Obama, of Illinois, gained a lopsided victory; he took 66 percent of the total and gained three delegate votes, to the one and a half delegate votes for Senator Clinton, of New York. All told, 22 Democrats Abroad delegates will attend the party’s national convention this summer in Denver, each representing a half-vote when superdelegates and others are included.

Primary votes came from as far away as Antarctica, where an American researcher at McMurdo Station was able to vote online. In Thailand, voting took place at a Starbucks at the Laotian border. In New Delhi, voters met at a restaurant called Ploof, where they voted upstairs and celebrated downstairs.

Here in London, more than 1,800 Democrats crammed into Porchester Hall. Fire marshals had to keep people moving in and out to comply with safety regulations.

This weekend, Democrats from 30 countries will meet in Brussels to select a total of nine at-large delegates from three global regions. This will be followed next month by a global convention in Vancouver, British Columbia, to complete the delegate selection process.

“A lot of people would have voted in the past, but the party did not reach out to them,” said Karin Robinson, who heads the Obama effort in London. “People living overseas for a long time felt disconnected or didn’t know how to vote. But we are now adding to the total votes available to the party, and the Democrats are looking wherever they can for new votes.”

A parallel group, Republicans Abroad, is not affiliated with the Republican Party and has no representatives or votes at the party’s convention. The Republican Party does not offer primary voting overseas and instead encourages party members to vote by absentee ballot.

For their part, Democrats Abroad say they could play a crucial role in the general election, when all overseas voting is done by absentee ballot. Around 330,000 overseas ballots were cast in the 2006 election, according to the United States Election Assistance Commission.

A Web site — www.votefromabroad.org — was set up by the Democratic Party to help potential voters with navigating the registration and absentee ballot processes. The idea behind the site, besides making absentee voting easier, is to break what many Democrats overseas say is a “myth” that their absentee votes do not count.

Overseas Democrats say their votes can make the difference in highly competitive races. They point out that in the 2000 presidential election, George W. Bush credited his victory in Florida to 537 votes from overseas Republicans. Democrats Abroad say votes from Virginia residents living overseas provided the margin of victory for Jim Webb in the state’s Senate race in 2006, which helped to shift control of the chamber to the Democrats.

“Overseas votes can make a difference,” said Margo Miller, co-chairwoman of Americans Abroad for Hillary Clinton. “If you look at victories in some of the close races in 2006, votes from abroad had something to do with it.”

Traditionally, Americans abroad have often been looked at as a quick source of campaign cash. That tradition has continued, as both Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton flew to London late last year to hold fund-raisers for their spouses’ campaigns. By the end of 2007, the Obama campaign had raised $462,340 overseas and the Clinton campaign had taken in $435,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit group in Washington that collects campaign finance data.

But even more, the campaigns are taking advantage of this new international enthusiasm by trolling for votes. Overseas Democrats say that they have seen firsthand the effects of Mr. Bush’s foreign policy and, for that reason, are highly motivated to capture the White House.

From “Meet-ups in Mumbai” to “speakeasies” at restaurants and pubs around the globe, Democrats have come up with ways to talk politics and socialize. In England, home to around 300,000 Americans, more than 150 events have been organized, including movie screenings and political debates.

The Obama campaign has focused on overseas fund-raising — and the fact that a sinking dollar makes donations seem relatively cheap. In addition, the campaign has organized international conference calls with key staff members to connect overseas voters with key players during the Iowa, South Carolina and Texas primaries.

At American sporting events — for instance, when the National Football League and the National Hockey League played overseas exhibition games — the Obama campaign sent out volunteers with clipboards to find supporters.

The Clinton campaign, which has strong followings in Israel, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines, has followed a similar strategy. Democrats in 25 cities in 14 countries on 6 continents participated in a conference call with the campaign’s chairman, Terry McAuliffe. Other international conference calls featured the Clinton strategist Ann Lewis and Richard C. Holbrooke, a former ambassador in the Clinton administration. Another conference call with Mr. Clinton connected Democrats in 30 countries.

Democrats say they are so energized by the race this year that the feeling can be quite contagious — even to their foreign friends.

“The saddest letters that I have to write,” said Mr. Barnard, the head of Democrats Abroad U.K., “are to my British friends who wish us well and want to contribute their money or their time. And I have to tell them that they can’t.”

Sign Up for Voter Registration Training -- Help your Fellow Americans

2008-02-27T00:42:00.000+07:00

During the week of Feb. 5-12, almost 600 Americans in Thailand voted in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary! While this was a big accomplishment, the fact is that for the general election in November, we're back to the old method -- everyone has to send their absentee ballots back to the U.S. And to do that, we have to make sure that as many Americans as possible are registered to vote. Democrats Abroad Thailand has a long tradition of helping Americans in Thailand get registered, helping almost 3000 Americans vote from Thailand in 2004. We want to do that again, but we need the help of our members!

Fortunately, the US Embassy has arranged for a NON-partisan voter registration workshop for Americans who want to do what I consider one of the most patriotic things any American can do -- which is help a fellow citizen participate in our democracy, and vote. The training is FREE, and will be held at the US Embassy THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. Please REPLY to me at this email ASAP and we will get you on the list to attend.

The details (as provided to me by the US Embassy Voting Assistance Officer) are below.

I hope that you can spare three hours of your time to become trained on how to help people register to vote -- in this year, we need everyone's help!

Best wishes,

Philip S. Robertson Jr.
Chair -- Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT)

Email from American Embassy Bangkok follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Voting Assistant. This coming year will be a busy one for voting activities, as we will actively promote overseas voting for the presidential primaries and election. The Federal Voting Assistance Program is a non-partisan organization dedicated to guiding voters in the overseas voting process. Your primary roles will include the following: to help with correct completion of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) by utilizing the Voting Assistance Guide (VAG); to promote voting awareness in your American community; and to assist with voting outreach events.

As a Voting Assistant, you will need to be knowledgeable about the use of the VAG. All states have slightly different procedures for overseas voting as outlined in the Voting Assistance Guide. The FPCA will facilitate communication between the local election official and the voter. Once the voter has submitted a FPCA, the local election official in his or her county will be notified of his or her presence overseas and accordingly send any registration forms or absentee ballots to the address listed on the FPCA at the appropriate time.

We appreciate your contribution to this program, as it is crucial for its success. As a volunteer, you will act as an extension of the embassy by increasing the awareness through creative means which will uphold our American values. Unfortunately, embassy personnel cannot reach every community in order to spread the promotion of voting and information about election dates, so we are counting on you to enhance voter participation in American communities throughout Thailand.

The American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit of the US Embassy will host a non-partisan Federal Voting Assistance Workshop at the Embassy. Here are the details:

Who: Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will send representatives from Washington D.C. to present the workshop to volunteers wishing to help out with overseas voting and to spread the word
When: Friday, February 29th
Where: American Embassy Bangkok/Consular Wait Room or NOB Cafeteria
Time: 1300-1600
What: The workshop will help volunteers to become educated on the overseas voting process
Bring: Questions! Questions! Questions!
P.O.C.: Sierra Dunaway, ACS, 02-205-4561, DunawaySS "at" state.gov

You must RSVP before the workshop to ensure all participants are on the visitors' list for Access and Security.

Remember: Your Vote Counts. Can America Count on You to Vote???

Sincerely,

Sierra Dunaway
Voting Assistance Officer
American Embassy Bangkok
Tel: 02-205-4561
Fax: 02-205-4103

Bangkok Post Reports on DA Primary and Thailand Results

2008-02-23T09:44:00.000+07:00

Unfortunately, the Bangkok Post sometimes doesn't fact check -- there was no DAT election center at any Starbucks in Bangkok -- rather, it was at a Starbucks in a Tesco Lotus mall up in Nongkhai, on the Thai-Lao border! But 15 years in Thailand have taught me to just confront these situations with a smile and a small shake of the head. This is a continuation of their incorrect story on Feb. 5 which resulted in me fielding calls from a handful of American voters in Bangkok who were evidently hunting for the right Starbucks in Bangkok to cast their vote. We got them sorted out and they came over to the FCCT in time to make their voice heard. All that said, we do appreciate the coverage the Bangkok Post has given us -- this story below was front and center in the headlines on their website all day yesterday (Feb. 22). And it is a catchy headline...

Barack takes Bangkok

(BangkokPost.com)

Barack Obama has easily won the primary election by Democrats Abroad, held at a Bangkok Starbucks and other unlikely venues worldwide early this month.

Obama trounced Hillary Clinton by about 2-to-1, the results showed. No one was in third place.

Polls in Thailand were set up in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Udorn Thani and Nong Khai, as well as Internet voting.

Of 598 votes cast by American Democrats in Thailand, Obama won 415 votes against Clinton's 169 - 69.4 per cent against just 28.3 per cent.

Edwards (5), Kucinich (4), Biden (2), Uncommitted (2) and Richardson (1) also won votes in Thailand, according to tallies by Democrats Abroad.

These are the official, worldwide results released by Democrats Abroad headquarters in Washington:

Barack Obama 65.6%
Hillary Clinton 32.7%
John Edwards 0.7%
Dennis Kucinich 0.6%
Joe Biden 0.1%
Bill Richardson 0.1%
Uncommitted 0.2%

Overseas Americans who back the Democrat Party voted by Internet, mail and in person, according to results released by the Democrats Abroad group in Washington, an organisation sanctioned by the national party.

More than 20,000 U.S. citizens living abroad voted in the primary, which ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. Obama won about 65 per cent of the vote, according to the results released on Thursday in Washington.

This gave Obama his 11th consecutive victory in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Most primary elections, conducted to choose a party's candidate for the November election against Republican John McCain, are at the state level.

Voters living in 164 countries cast votes online, the group said.

Expatriates voted in person in more than 30 countries. Apart from the Bangkok coffee-shop poll, they voted at hotels in Australia and Costa Rica, and at a pub in Ireland.

The results took about a week to tabulate as local committees around the globe gathered ballots.

Obama Wins Democrats Abroad Global Primary

2008-02-21T21:48:00.000+07:00

Global Election Determines Delegates to Democratic National Convention

Online Voting Successfully Enables American Democrats Worldwide to Participate

Washington, DC – Today, Democrats Abroad announced that Senator Barack Obama has won the organization's Global Primary. The results were certified by the International Chair in Geneva, Switzerland.

The results of the Global Primary are as follows:

Biden 0.1%

Clinton 32.7%

Edwards 0.7%

Kucinich 0.6%

Obama 65.6%

Richardson 0.1%

Uncommitted 0.2%

These results determine the allocation of 4.5 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention. Senator Obama won 2.5 delegate votes, and Senator Clinton 2 delegate votes. A further 2.5 votes will be determined at the Democrats Abroad Global Convention in April. In addition, Democrats Abroad holds 4 superdelegate votes. A total of 22 delegates, each with a half vote, will attend the Convention.

The Democrats Abroad Global Primary was conducted February 5-12, 2008. Balloting took place at voting centers in over 30 countries, by mail and fax, and for the first time, on the Internet through a secure online voting system. Online ballots were cast from 164 countries and territories, from Antarctica to Zambia.

"With the U.S. image so badly damaged by the present Administration, American Democrats living overseas were eager to have their voices heard," said Christine Schon Marques, International Chair of Democrats Abroad in Geneva. "Across the board we saw an enormous diversity in participation, including many first-time voters."

For the first-time ever, online voting enabled Democrats in every corner of the world to take part -- including Adam Lutchansky, a researcher at the US scientific mission at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. "The online Democrats Abroad Global Primary expanded the frontier of voting opportunities, and it works easily, even from the harshest continent on Earth," says Lutchansky.

Under the Democrats Abroad Delegate Selection Plan, the results of the worldwide primary are to be applied to the Regional Caucuses once the allocation of delegates to each Caucus is made. Rounding to determine the allocation among the Regions results in 2 delegates to be elected by each of the Americas and Asia-Pacific Regional Caucuses, and 5 delegates to be elected by the Europe, Middle East and Africa Regional Caucus, resulting in one delegate each for Obama and Clinton in the Americas and in Asia-Pacific, and three delegates for Obama and 2 for Clinton in EMEA.

Democrats Abroad Regional Caucuses will take place in Brussels on March 15 and 16, 2008, for Europe-Middle East-Africa and in Vancouver, BC, on April 11, 2008, for the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

The Democrats Abroad Global Convention will take place in Vancouver, BC, April 12-13, 2008.

The Democratic National Convention will take place in Denver, Colorado, August 25-28, 2008.

The U.S. Presidential Election will take place on November 4, 2008. Deadlines for requesting overseas absentee ballots vary per state. To vote in the U.S. Presidential Election in November, overseas voters must request a ballot from local voting authorities in the place where they last resided in the U.S., also possible at www.VoteFromAbroad.org

For a complete look at the Global Primary results broken down by country committee, please visit www.democratsabroad.org.

More Photos from the DAT Polls at the Roadhouse

2008-02-15T18:57:00.001+07:00

Photos from the DAT Poll at the Roadhouse

2008-02-13T14:53:00.001+07:00

Thanks to Don Linder, DAT Vice-Chair, for taking these photos. And thanks to all the volunteers who came out to help organize the polling center, and to all the Americans who took time on a Saturday to come out and vote in what is surely one of the most exciting Democratic Primary contests EVER!

Results from DAT Polling Stations in Nongkhai and Udon Thani -- Feb 9th and 10th

2008-02-12T10:12:00.000+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand organized polling centers to give Americans up in the Northeast of Thailand the opportunity to vote on the weekend of February 9 and 10. In Nongkhai, we used a Starbucks outlet (but the article from the Associated Press which did not specify which Starbucks -- leading to puzzled calls to DAT officers from Americans asking "what, I can vote at any Starbucks?") and Udon Thani, we were kindly hosted by the Charoen Hotel.

These are partial results, based only on the Americans who turned up to vote at the polling centers, and not including any who may have voted by internet or fax. There were reported by Mike Carroll, the Voting Center Manager for the NE and volunteer who put in so many hours to support this effort in Isarn!

Sen. Barack Obama -- 80%
Sen. Hillary Clinton -- 14%
Gov. Bill Richardson -- 6%

Thanks again to Mike and the band of volunteers in Isarn! In Nongkhai, DAT would like to thank Penny Khounta, Charles Alton, Gary Jahn, and Kevin Kamp. In Udon, we would like to thank Frank Brunet, John Murphy, John Neihaus, and Paul Pitarys. DAT looks forward to working with all of you to establish a formal Northeast Thailand Chapter of DAT in the coming months.

DAT also wants to thank the Starbucks in Nongkhai, the staff and management of the Charoen Hotel, and all the folks at Steve's Irish Clock Pub in Udon.

DAT Chiang Mai Polls on Feb. 5th and 9th

2008-02-11T01:19:00.000+07:00

DAT's Chiang Mai and the North chapter opened voting centers at the AIDSNet Foundation in town (Feb. 5 and 9) and Payap University (Feb. 5 morning) and saw very good turn-outs of Americans turning out to help determine who will be the Democratic nominee for President.

With the very important caveat that these results are partial, and do not include any email, fax or mail votes from the North, here is what happened:

Feb. 9 -- AIDSNet Foundation

Sen. Barack Obama -- 84%
Sen. Hillary Clinton -- 16%

Feb. 5 -- AIDS Net Foundation

Sen. Barack Obama -- 87%
Sen. Hillary Clinton -- 9%
Uncommitted -- 4%

Feb. 5 -- Payap University

Sen. Barack Obama -- 66%
Sen. Hillary Clinton -- 28%
Sen. Joe Biden -- 3%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich -- 3%

Thanks to Gary Suwannarat, Catherine Nesbit, Martha Butt, Carol Grodzins, and all the other DAT Northern chapter volunteers who helped at these important polls! DAT really appreciates your support. We also appreciate the support of the leadership and staff at the AIDSNet Foundation and Payap U. for making space available for DAT to hold the polls!

Results of DAT Voting Center -- Bangkok -- February 9, 2008

2008-02-09T21:07:00.000+07:00

Democrats turned out from Bangkok and suburbs, and as far away as Pattaya and the eastern seaboard to vote at the DAT Voting Center at the Roadhouse Barbecue at the corner of Suriwong and Rama IV Road! A very good time was had by all, voting and dining on the excellent food and beverages on offer from Chef Dana (from Maine - who was the first voter at the poll) and his great staff.

The results of the votes cast between 3 and 8:30 p.m . at the Voting Center were the following:

Sen. Barack Obama -- 63%
Sen. Hilary Clinton -- 35%
Sen. Joe Biden -- 1%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich -- 1%

Please note that these results are partial, and do not include votes by email, fax or mail that may have been cast by Democrats in Bangkok.

Thanks go to Andy Boname, the Voting Center Manager, and all the great volunteers who came out to assist their fellow Americans vote.

Thanks also to Dana and the Roadhouse staff for keeping us well fed and watered throughout the day and for making your great venue available for our polling station!

Go Democrats in 2008!

Super Tuesday in Bangkok

2008-02-09T17:36:00.000+07:00

By Don Linder, Vice-Chair, DAT

Super Tuesday Democratic primary polling in Bangkok took place in a very different atmosphere from what you’d expect in say, New York, California, Alabama, or North Dakota. Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT) organized polling for the first Global Democratic Primary at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. The bar was open, as it always is from afternoon on, and although we’d asked the bartender to change the TV broadcast shown on the several flat screen TVs from Bloomberg to CNN, he switched to Al Jareeza TV, which featured substantial coverage of the primaries. Definitely not Kansas anymore.

The Democratic Global Primary gives a voice in the primary process to the millions of full-time American ex-patriates and many more American travelers. A voter who has registered with Democrats Abroad may choose to vote securely on-line or by paper ballot at a polling station. Voters in the global primary may not vote in their state primaries. Democrats Abroad will have a delegation of 22 voting delegates at the nominating convention in August, effectively making it the “51^st State.”

There are 700 plus Americans registered with DAT, and by 6 pm, nearly 200 votes had been cast. Three other polling locations in Thailand – in Chiang Mai, Nongkhai, and Udorn Thani – serve ex-pats from around the country, as well from neighboring Laos and Burma.

The concerns of Americans living abroad often differ from those living in the States, as evidenced at DAT’s Issues Forum held last week at a local Starbucks. While an informal straw poll indicated that the Iraq war, the economy, and health care were top issues, the number one concern was America’s standing in the world/international relations – a grassroots issue for those who work, play, and go about their daily lives on foreign soil.

Great Observation from DA Thailand Volunteer at 5 Feb Polls

2008-02-08T08:30:00.000+07:00

Just want to say how nice it was to work together Tuesday for Democrats Abroad. Did you see the write up in the Bangkok Post? I find our group so refreshing after being among Thais all the time who approach elections with fear and trepidation, afraid to talk about the issues important to them. My Thai wife voted two weeks ago: the environment of the polling station was covered with formality, police and lack of any discussion. Back home they just said, there were no bribes this year. Hopeless. What a contrast to all of us sitting at the bar and around different tables exchanging ideas freely.

The most striking moment for me on Super Tuesday was when an 18 year old girl named Bouquet came up to the ballot box to insert her ballot for the first time in her life. She was giggly and excited and smiled so broad you could see the sunbeams breaking through the dark clouds of powerlessness which is part of being a teenager. She stepped up to the plate and claimed her rights to make a change. 18 and hopeful. They may have told her children are to be seen and not heard. But last Tuesday she said: Yes I can!
I was at the other side of the ballot box. I couldn't help but shake her hand and thank her for coming out today. So she got her Dad to take a picture of us shaking hands. Her Dad was silent behind the camera. But as a fellow father, I saw his grin of pride. I knew in my heart he was thinking: Yes, she can! It was a victory for me too: as I finished a day of volunteering to insure a free and fair election. We all did that together.

So Bouquet is the one I pondered about. I want us as Democrats Abroad in Thailand to encourage young people and their folks and their expat teachers to pick up the scent of this Bouquet ...learning to participate in public life and become young Democrats with a real voice that can bring change. Yes, we can.

Dr. Donald S. Persons, Foreign Expert
ASEAN Institute for Health Development
Mahidol University
Thailand

Voting Results from Bangkok Polling Center -- 5 February 2008

2008-02-07T10:47:00.000+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT)'s polling center at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand was a big success, with hundreds of Americans resident in Thailand coming out to exercise their right to vote to determine who will be our Democratic nominee for President. The results of the voting was as follows:

Sen. Barack Obama -- 68%
Sen. Hillary Clinton -- 29%
Sen. John Edwards -- 1%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich -- 1%
Uncommitted -- 1%

These results are partial, and do not reflect any voting by internet, fax, or regular mail. They only reflect the votes of those Americans who came to the FCCT on February 5, 2008. There will be another voting day in Bangkok on Saturday, February 9, from 3 to 8:30 p.m. at the Roadhouse Barbecue restaurant, located at Suriwong and Rama 4 intersection (closest BTS stop is Sala Daeng). A map is available at www.roadhousebarbecue.com -- look forward to seeing more of you on Saturday!

The Nation (Bangkok) -- US Expats Vote in Primary Poll in Thailand

2008-02-06T08:02:00.000+07:00

The Nation (Bangkok)
US expats vote in primary poll in Thailand

Published on February 5, 2008

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand was decked out in red, white and blue on Super Tuesday, as expatriate Americans of all ages had their say on which Democratic Party candidate should compete in the race for presidency in November.

The Chair of Democrats Abroad Thailand, Phil Robertson said this was the first time Democrat Primaries were happening in 34 countries across the globe, as well as over the Internet, and he expected a couple of hundred voters of all ages to come from all around the region to vote here in Bangkok.

"When I talk to friends of mine who aren't American they all say to me, 'You guys should be more careful about who you elect'. I think people who live overseas are broadminded and have an important voice, so I think I have a duty to make sure that voice is heard," he said.

While Democrats were divided as to who will make the best presidential candidate, Robertson said they would unite behind whoever was chosen to run for presidency.

Greg Auberry, 45, and wife Veronica Suozzi, 46, have lived abroad for many years, and have spent the last four in Hanoi. They brought their two young children all the way from Vietnam for their first taste of democracy.

"This is our democratic moment and they're so excited about it. We came to shop for groceries and we're also shopping for a presidential candidate!" Auberry said.

After much consideration, Auberry said he had decided to vote for Hillary Clinton.

"I think Obama's a much more exciting candidate, but I think in the long term Hillary will know how to govern in Washington. I think he [Obama] needs to earn his stripes. The economy, Iraq, there's too many variables for me to vote for him," he said.

He said he was unsure who would win the candidacy as it was a very tight race, but his children had their predictions ready. Dean, 10, although not an Obama fan, saw him as the frontrunner.

"I think Obama. I don't want him to win, but I think a lot of people like him," he said.

Meanwhile Ella, 4, is an Obama supporter for as good a reason as any other.

"She wants Obama, cause she like's his name!" Auberry said.

A couple of other Obama fans were Dr Jeffrey Wachtel and Dr Donald Persons.

Dr Wachtel, a leadership advisor, is from Florida and has lived in Thailand since 2001. He met, and almost found himself working for, George W. Bush Jr before he was elected President. This year he voted in his state primary, not as a Democrat Abroad, and had a last minute change of heart on his preference.

"I voted for Hillary and closed the envelope up. Then I saw the Iowa results and saw Obama had won. Barack showed all the signs of what we want in a leader. To me, he seems the number one candidate with the ability to lead," he said.

"It convinced me that Americans would vote for a black man who was a real leader and that showed me he was electable. That swayed me away from what was practical to what I thought was best for our country."

His friend Dr Persons, who has lived in Thailand since 1984, and attended Obama's church in Chicago, agreed.

"Barack has young people excited. She [Clinton] won't mobilise the people," he said.

"This guy is rock solid, good integrity, he speaks the truth and won't be pulled by the nose. The world needs him in that position. Governments of the world will be able to sit down together and talk."

Dr Persons said worry over his inexperience was irrelevant.

"The bureaucracy tells them what they do and what they don't do. He's not just alone, they will guide him. It'll be great for the America, for the world," he said.

Elizabeth Gray Boname, originally from Texas, has lived in Thailand for almost a year with her husband and two young children.

She said she was saddened by the change in foreigners' views of Americans over the past decade.

"As someone whose lived overseas since 1993, it's enormously sad for me as an American, to see how much the perception of our country has changed."

She said Obama was her preferred candidate because he was so refreshing.

"For the first time in a long time I actually have excitement for who is going to be our next president. I think he's an exciting candidate, I think he's someone who signals more change," she said.

Chris Kimble, Chair of Republicans Abroad Thailand, was the lone Republican in attendance. He said he was working on forging ties between the two groups, and although Republicans living abroad cannot physically come to vote as the Democrats can, he and his colleagues had worked hard to encourage people to vote in their home state ballot.

"We try to educate Americans on how to vote overseas. The biggest thing is to let Republicans know they can vote and how they can vote. We don't really put one candidate over the other," he said.

Both parties agreed on one thing: the presidential race is set to be a close and exciting one.

"This is gonna be an interesting election with a lot of controversy," Mr Kimble said.

Democrat supporters currently residing outside of the US who didn't have a chance to vote today, can do so in Bangkok this Saturday, February 9, and at other regional centres over the next few days.

See www.democratsabroad.org for details.

by Lily Partland

The Nation

Thai News Agency -- Democrats Voting in Bangkok

2008-02-05T23:01:00.000+07:00

Americans cast ballots in Thailand for new US president

by Lance Woodruff

BANGKOK, Feb 5 (TNA) - Americans in Thailand – in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai and Udorn – are voting in Super Tuesday, an historic international primary.

On Super Tuesday in Bangkok, Americans joined their compatriots in Tokyo, Manila, Phnom Penh and Paris, for example, in casting paper ballots which will be sent air express to Geneva, Switzerland for official counting.

"The American public have had enough of George W. Bush and his failed war in Iraq and failed economic policies," said Democrats Abroad chairman Phil Robertson.

For the first time in United States political history, Americans around the world have voted for a change of government in Washington by casting their ballots formally in recognised polling stations in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai and Udon Thani in Thailand, and more than 100 other cities worldwide. .

Super Tuesday in the United States—like last Sunday's Super Bowl football contest -- is 'super' because it's the biggest primary election day for the 2008 presidential race.

Americans living overseas at some 100 locations around the world – beginning with Jakarta, Indonesia, where the American polls opened at midnight local time – voted Tuesday in the first offshore primary elections in American history. The Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok was the venue for America's first offshore polls in Thailand.

For some Americans it is their very first election. For 18-year-old Bouquet Harger, a Matayom Six student at Mater Dei Institute in Bangkok, a Thai-American excited by the choice she had to vote – her very first as a Thai or as an American -- for the first American woman president in history, or perhaps America's first Black president.

But her years in one of Bangkok's finest girls' schools have prepared her for citizenship not only in Thailand, but as a world citizen. And as a Thai-American she has the privilege of being a citizen in two countries.

American Democrats by definition are voting for what some would call 'regime change', suggests Democrats Abroad in Thailand chairman Phil Robertson, as Republican George W. Bush has occupied the White House for two terms, and Democrats, by definition, want a Democrat in that office.

But more than that, according to Mr. Robertson, "many American voters casting their ballots today are opposed to misguided American military intervention in Iraq and the threat of further adventures in the Middle East, and the failed economic polices of President George Bush."

Numbers of independents and Republican American voters are coming out to register as Democrats, Mr., Robertson says, because they are dissatisfied with the course of the American politics, from the war in Iraq, to the meltdown of American social services and the sub-prime mortgage lending crisis. They are voting to repudiate the polices of the Bush administration, he said.

Americans around the world are also voting for Joe Biden, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson, but for the climate of the polling booths in Bangkok, it looks like it will be a close race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, which may not be decided until the Democratic National Convention in Denver in Colorado.

Thailand-generated American Democrat votes be pivotal in influencing the US Democratic presidential candidate in November, says Mr. Robertson, who predicts that whatever candidate the Democrats field in August, they will sweep the polls against the Republican candidate, which at this point looks like Sen. John McCain, who is respected by most Democrats, even if they don't agree with his politics.

The US Presidential election will take place on Tuesday November 4, when the successor to President George W. Bush is chosen by American voters.

Additional American voting will take place again on Saturday from 3-8:30pm in Bangkok and on Saturday and Sunday in NongKhai and Udon Thani. (TNA)

Information on DAT Global Primary

2008-01-31T22:42:00.000+07:00

For those of you new to the DAT blog, here are the full details about voting in the DAT Global Primary in Bangkok and Chiang Mai on Feb. 5 and 9, and Udorn Thani and Nongkhai on Feb. 9 and 10!

Polling Places for the Democrats Abroad Global Primary
In Thailand, February 5-12, 2008

Bangkok

Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Place: Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT), Maneeya Center Building, Penthouse Floor, 518/5 Ploenchit Road, Pathumwan District, Bangkok
Telephone: (02) 652-0580-1, Fax: (02) 652-0582

Map available at www.fccthai.com

Date: Saturday, February 9, 2008
Time: 3:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Place: Roadhouse Barbecue, 2^nd Floor
Corner of Rama IV Road & Surawong Road
Tel: (02) 236-8010

Map available at www.roadhousebarbecue.com

DAT contact persons for Bangkok

Phil Robertson, Chair – DAT – email: democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.com, mobile phone (085) 060-8406

Peter Fischbach, Vice-Chair – DAT – office: (02) 634-3800

Don Linder, Vice-Chair – DAT – mobile: (081) 842-2602

Elizabeth Boname, Vice-Chair – DAT – mobile : (084) 769-2477

Rick Graves, Secretary – DAT – email – democratsabroadthailand "at" yahoo.com, mobile: (089) 018-1075

Andrew Boname, Treasurer – DAT – mobile – (084) 941-1236

Chiang Mai

Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Place: AIDSNetwork Development Foundation
145/1 Sripoom Road, Chiang Mai

Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Place: Paradornparp International House
Payap University, East Campus (Mae Kao Campus)
(Adjacent to the Law School)

DAT contact persons for Chiang Mai:
Ø Peter Foley, Chair – DAT Chiang Mai and the North Chapter – telephone: 053-301-500, ext 5006; mobile: (085) 045-1624, email: drpeterfoley "at" yahoo.com
Ø Gary Suwannarat, Vice-Chair for Asia-Pacific, Democrats Abroad – mobile: (081) 716-4264, email: gswanrat "at" loxinfo.co.th

Northeast Thailand

Nongkhai

Date: Saturday, February 9, 2008 and Sunday, February 10, 2008
Time: 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (both days)
Place: Starbucks at Tesco Lotus mall,Room A-30, 304 Moo 10, Mittraphab Highway, Phochai sub-district, Muang district, Nongkhai, 43000.

Tel: (042) 465-301

Udorn Thani

Date: Saturday, February 9, 2008 and Sunday, February 10, 2008
Time: 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (both days)
Place: Charoen Hotel,549 Phosri Road, Muang district, Udorn Thani 41000

tel: (042) 248-155

http://www.udonthani.com/charoen/

(Look for signs in lobby to polling station)

DAT contact person for Northeast Thailand:
Ø Mike Carroll, mobile: (086) 854-8783, email: mikecar21@yahoo.com

Who's THE Candidate? DAT Members Speak Up at Issues Forum

2008-01-31T22:35:00.000+07:00

Here's the report from Don Linder, DAT Vice-Chair -- Telling Us the Results of the DAT Issues Forum called "Who's THE Candidate" on 30 January 2008, held at Starbucks Langsuan in Bangkok and attended by approximately 30 DAT members!

I am pleased to report that last night’s DAT Issues Forum was on the subject of “Who’s the Candidate?” was a huge success. At the highest point, there were approximately 30 people there and discussion was spirited.

Let me try to relay some of the highlights of the evening.

We started with an informal straw poll concerning the issues which I had sent in a previous email. Those issues were: Abortion, Guns, Health Care, Immigration, Stem Cell, Iraq, Iran, Same-Sex Marriage, Climate Change, Economy, Social Security, and Taxes. Among those issues in the straw poll (plus some early responses to the email), The Economy and Health Care were the top concerns, with Iraq and Climate Change as seconds. However, as discussion opened up, it became clear that the really key issue among those DAT-ers attending was Foreign Policy/America’s Standing in the World. For ex-pats, this made a great deal of sense, with one person bringing it down the personal level of “I’d like to be able to walk down the street again and not feel like I’m hated for being an American.”

Among those attending, Barak Obama seemed to be the overwhelming favorite for the nomination. Many – myself included – voiced our disappointment in what we felt was Hillary Clinton’s votes on Iraq and Iran, as well as a perception of her maintaining a status quo rather than offering a sense of change. Some spoke of the “Billary” factor, expressing a disappointment/dislike for Bill Clinton’s recent remarks in South Carolina.

With a political mood and reality in which the Democrats should be able to walk into the White House, and with McCain emerging as the most likely Republican candidate, “Electability” (or, more specifically, “Who was least likely to blow it?”) was raised as an issue. It seemed to me – and correct me if I’m wrong – there was less consensus on this issue than on personal preference for Obama or Clinton.

We discussed issues which were of particular concern to Americans living abroad; these included everything from the local and specific (visa difficulties, regulations which made it difficult for foreign spouses) to the more global (Social Security enrollment, inability to receive Medicare benefits, the declining dollar, taxation.)

A true highlight of the evening was the presence of David Glickman, who was recognized for his dedication to building and sustaining DAT from the very beginning.

It is my personal hope that we will continue this forum as the election season continues. Once the Democratic candidate is chosen, I am especially interested in finding ways to make him/her aware of the specific concerns of Americans abroad to ensure that these concerns are addressed.

Finally, there is a very interesting article by George Packer in this weeks NEW YORKER magazine entitled “THE CHOICE: The Clinton-Obama battle reveals two very different ideas of the Presidency.” It is available at

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/01/28/080128fa_fact_packer/

All my best,

Don Linder
Vice-Chair, DAT

Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean -- Vote in the Global Primary

2008-01-29T22:44:00.000+07:00

Check out my favorite candidate from 2004 -- and now Democratic Party Chair -- Gov. Howard Dean as he calls on all Americans overseas to vote in the DA Global Primary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Ev7vDlKl4

Democrats Abroad Thailand "Dinner for Victory" -- February 2nd -- 7:00 p.m. -- Ruen Tong Restaurant

2008-01-27T17:06:00.000+07:00

The Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT) will be holding a “Dinner for Victory” on this coming Saturday evening, February 2, at the Ruen Tong Restaurant, starting at 7:00 p.m. The Ruen Tong restaurant serves some of the most delicious Thai cuisine that I have tasted in my almost 20 years living in Bangkok, and we have negotiated unlimited free corkage so that you can bring your favorite bottle of wine with you!

This is THE MAJOR fundraiser before our DA Global Primary for DAT to secure the resources that we need to run our advertisements for the Primary, to rent venues to hold our polling stations, and to pay for the other expenses that we have in bringing the right to vote in the Democratic Primary to your home computer, or local polling site. PLEASE come and support DAT while enjoying excellent food, cheer, and company of your fellow progressive Americans! The cost for the entire evening is a very affordable 1000 baht per head. Alcohol is not included – as noted above, corkage is free for wine that you bring yourself – but beer and other drinks are available for order.

Please RSVP by email to democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com, indicating how many persons will come. We will collect the donation at the restaurant.

DAT has reserved a private room on the second floor of the restaurant. Ruen Tong is located at 517/9 Naratiwat Rachanakarin (written as it sounds – transliterated on official maps, etc. it usually is written Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra!), Chong Nonsi, in Yannawa district, and the phone is (02) 681-1284 or (02) 681-1285. It is at the mouth of Naratiwat Rachanakarin Soi 30. For a scanned file with map that you can show a taxi driver, contact us at the email below and we will send it to you.

Ruen Tong is located across the street from the famous (original location) Tawandaeng Brewery, where Naratiwat Rachanakarin meets Rama 3 Road. Naratiwat Rachanakarin is the road that runs from Suriwong down to Rama 3 and the river crossing Silom and Sathorn as it does so. The closest BTS stop is Chong Nonsi, but you will have to get a taxi from there (a little short of a kilometer and half to the restaurant from BTS). If you get lost, call Phil Robertson, DAT chair, at (085) 060-8406 and I will tell the taxi driver how to make sure you arrive safely!

DA Thailand Advert in Local Newspapers! Click on Image for a Full Size View!

2008-01-27T16:13:00.000+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand Advertises in Local Media

2008-01-20T23:24:00.001+07:00

Democrats Abroad Thailand is running advertisements in English language newspapers and blogs all over Thailand, encouraging Americans to vote in our Global Primary. For more details on Democrats Abroad Thailand's plans, write to democratsabroadthailand "at" gmail.com. But the short summary is this:

(1) If you are registered as a member of Democrats Abroad Thailand by the end of the day of January 31, you will be able to vote by Internet. For Americans residing in parts of Thailand where there will not be a DAT polling place, this is the major option to participate in our Primary. Join DA at www.democratsabroad.org/join

(2) If you decide to vote in person, we will have polls in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nongkhai, and Udorn Thani. More details about the hours and location of these polling stations is posted below in this blog. Those voting in person must bring their US passport, and can join DAT at the actual polling place the day that you vote.

(3) The Primary is an election run by the Democrat Party of the US. We are the 51st state party of Democrats. Therefore, to participate you must be a member of the Democrats Abroad. Joining is free.

Let's change America in 2008 -- start by voting for the 22 Democrats Abroad delegates who will cast votes at the Democratic National Convention this year -- and will make sure that voice of overseas Americans is heard loud and clear by our candidates for the President!

Details on the Democrats Abroad Global Primary from Thailand

2008-01-16T21:31:00.000+07:00

US Democrats Abroad!

Exercise your Right to Vote through the Democrats Abroad Global Primary
on February 5^th!

Have your say on who will be the next US President -- from the comfort of your own home in Thailand!

Democrats Abroad is considered the 51^st state by the Democratic Party, and now through the DA Global Primary, US citizens resident in Thailand will be able to vote by internet, fax, and (in some locales) in person at actual polling stations organized by Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT)! And these polls matter – because they determine who our 22 Democrats Abroad delegates support at this year’s Democratic National Convention. This is the first ever DA Global Primary – and Democrats in over 50 countries around the world will be voting during DA Primary week of February 5-12.

Participating is easy! Those who want to vote by internet or fax only need to register as a member of Democrats Abroad by January 30 by going to www.democratsabroad.org/join and taking approximately 30 seconds to fill out a basic form. For those who want to vote in person, they can bring their passport to the polling centers (see information below), register with DAT, and then cast their ballot. All Americans who will be at least 18 years of age on November 4, 2008 are eligible.

Membership in DA is free of charge, and opens up a world of DAT movie nights, issue roundtables and social events – connecting you to a network of progressive Americans living here in Thailand but still pushing for change and reform in our homeland.

Those participating in the DA Global Primary vote for President, but to vote for other offices (Senate, House, etc.) you will still have to request an absentee ballot from your state. Given the “hurry-up” primary schedule (when 22 states will go to the polls on February 5), don’t miss your chance to ensure your voice is hear and your vote is counted – don’t risk your primary ballot not arriving in time! Please join us for the DAT Global Primary.

For more information, contact democratsabroadthailand@gmail.com, or see our website at www.democratsabroad.org

Democrats Abroad Issues Forum - Debate the Candidates on 30 January

2008-01-08T23:18:00.000+07:00

DAT ISSUES ROUNDTABLE
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
7 pm, Starbucks on Lang Suan Road, downtown Bangkok

With just days before the Democrats Abroad Global Primary, we can sip coffee or tea and talk about the question on many Democrats' minds:

Who's THE Candidate?

For more info, contact me at
donlinder@gmail.com

See you then,
Don Linder, Vice-Chair, DA Thailand
Convener, DAT Issues Forums

The Starbucks on Langsuan Road is near the Chidlom BTS Station. We
have not found a map of Starbucks locations on the web, but there is a
Centre Point facility on Langsuan Road, and there is a useful map here:

http://www.centrepoint.com/Locations/LangsuanMap.aspx

Starbucks is near the upper end of Langsuan Road, a short walk from the
Chidlom BTS Station, on the same side of the road as Center Point.

Global Primary Polling Stations Announced in Thailand!

2008-01-06T17:23:00.000+07:00