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Published on February 27, 2008

But to her great disappointment, even the bar at her luxury hotel declined to sell her any alcoholic drinks - banned from 6pm Friday until

6pm Sunday as advance voting for the Senate took place.

"How can the tourist business thrive here? And next weekend, beer is going to be banned again, right?" Bertha asked, knowing

that the actual Senate election will take place next Sunday.

That's exactly what restaurants and bars nationwide would like to ask the Election Commission (EC).

Advance voting has been around for some time, but before last December's general election, citizens casting votes in advance were required to produce a very good reason. For example, they were expected to be out of the country on election day. To prove this, they needed to show a plane ticket or similar document.

Thais living abroad were also allowed to vote in advance, thanks to the time difference.

But since the recent general election, advance voting has involved some unfamiliar and downright strange elements. The advance round lasts two days, while the actual voting lasts only one.

Any election requires arranging for voting booths and officers who are entitled to extra pay, but the actual voting day will cost less than the advance days.

Before this, people casting votes in advance were not deprived of alcoholic beverages, as the booze ban took place only on the actual election day.

The EC insists that advance voting is crucially important, because it allows upcountry residents to cast their ballots without having to return to their home towns. This step was taken as a means of increasing voter turnout.

With higher expenses, it seemed to work in the general election. But the Senate election proved to be different. Throughout the weekend, only 30 per cent of 2.1 million preregistered voters turned up.

Now that the EC expects turnout to be at least 70 per cent, let's see how many will turn up next Sunday. If 10 million voters go to the polls, how will the EC justify the expense of last weekend?

Bertha and other tourists, as well as restaurants and bars, also want to know the answers. So do Thai consumers.

Luckily, this ban applies only for MP and Senate elections, or else Thailand would be alcohol-free for most of the year - which is exactly what the Thai Health Organisation wants.

achara_d@nationgroup.com

The Nation