Thailand’s Generals Get a Slap in the Face

Polling station in Ban Khung Taphao, Uttaradit Province

In the first election since the army seized power by force in September 2006, Thais in the country’s poor northeast region used ballots to strike back, propelling a party aligned with deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra to a strong victory.

The election highlighted a deep urban-rural divide and underm…