Determined 19 year old leaves ICU to cast vote in Thailand’s General Election

The political drive of Thailand’s youth was exemplified by a resilient 19 year old who left the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Chanthaburi to exercise his right to vote in Thailand’s General Election yesterday.

Staff at Bangkok Chanthaburi Province transferred Kampanat, aka “Boom,” – suffering from a severe allergic reaction – via wheelchair out of the hospital to the ambulance and escorted him to the polling station to have his rightful say in his country’s future.

Boom’s mother Chuliwan said that her son fell seriously ill after suffering an allergic reaction on Friday. Knowing he wanted to vote for the first time in Sunday’s election, she inquired with doctors whether it would possible while he was still receiving treatment, reports CH3.

The doctors informed Chuliwan that Boom was permitted to leave the ICU temporarily to exercise his right to vote so long as he did so under close supervision of medical staff who would assist him there and back via ambulance.

Chuliwan proudly told reporters that her son Boom, who receives special treatment for autism, is responsible for not wasting his right to vote. She praised the staff at Bangkok Chanthaburi Hospital for making it possible.

The director of the hospital revealed that patients at the hospital may freely go out to exercise their right to vote. If they are critically ill like Boom, hospital staff will escort and supervise the patient to the polling station free of charge.

Representing a huge shift in the population’s political stance, the youth-led Move Forward Party (MFP) – in favour of radical reform of the country’s institutions – took a stunning lead in yesterday’s polls.

MFP won the imagination of young and old voters alike with their plans to amend Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws that punish those who insult the monarchy with a jail term of up to 15 years.

Academics predict that the MFP will likely form a coalition government with the Phue Thai Party and other smaller parties after winning 151 of the 500 seats in the lower house – 10 seats ahead of the Phue Thai Party, led by the daughter of former ousted Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra, Paethongtarn.