Former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang gracefully accepted his defeat at a press conference he held at 7.30pm on Sunday.
Aswin, who stepped down as governor to contest as an independent candidate, only had 40,393 votes as of 7.41pm, far behind Chadchart who had won 268,256 of the 520,271 votes counted. The tally was reported by Nation TV.
“Based on the tally up to this minute, Chadchart is the clear winner,” Aswin said. “I respect people’s decision and would like to thank them for the votes they have given me.”
He added that hopes Chadchart will continue his policies and projects. “At this moment, I have no plans for the immediate future. I will maybe rest a little,” the former governor said.
The unofficial tally indicates that former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt is set to score a landslide victory and become Bangkok’s 17th governor.
As of 7pm, Chadchart had 218,712 of the 423,228 ballots counted, as per live updates provided by Nation TV.
The first runner up, Move Forward Party’s Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, had won 41,384 votes, while Democrat Party’s Suchatvee Suwansawat had 41,346 votes under his belt.
Chadchart was ahead of his nearest rival Wiroj with 177,300 votes – a lead that will be tough to catch up.
Soon after counting began, Chadchart was already leading with 100,000 votes. Wiroj and Suchatvee, however, took turns in becoming second and third runners up as counting continued.
The tallying of votes began as soon after polling stations closed at 5pm. On hand were members of the media, who were not only monitoring the counting but also running a tally independently.
Even media tallies showed that Chadchart was a clear front-runner from the very start.
According to the Nation TV website, independent candidate Sakoltee Phattiyakul was holding up the rear at fourth place with 38,155 votes and former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang at fifth with 33,030 votes.
Chadchart Sittipunt, who showed a clear lead in exit polls, will become Bangkok’s first elected governor in nine years.
As of 6.32pm, when 304,212 ballots had been counted, Chadchart looked like he was set to score a landslide victory with 157,173 votes under his belt, leaving the first runner-up behind with more than 126,700 votes, according to the NationTV website.
As an independent candidate, Chadchart, who is often referred to as “The Hulk” or the “strongest minister on Earth” by his fans, is clearly popular among voters not just in Bangkok but also upcountry.
Several years ago, a photograph of a barefoot Chardchart carrying bags of food into a temple in Surin went viral on social media. He said that he had gone for an early morning jog while in Surin for a mobile Cabinet meeting and decided to give alms to monks.
The local resident who snapped a picture of him, barefoot and in a t-shirt and shorts carrying bags of food, nicknamed him “The Hulk”. And the name has stuck.
In fact, his campaign posters for the Bangkok gubernatorial elections also followed the green theme that is linked with “The Hulk”.
Chadchart was transport minister in Yingluck Shinawatra’s government from October 27, 2012 to May 22, 2014, when her government was ousted by the military.
Strong links
Chadchart has a long-standing connection with Bangkok because his father, Pol General Saneh Sittipunt, was once the Metropolitan Police chief.
The politician, who has two older brothers, completed his secondary education at Triam Udom Suksa School before doing a bachelor’s with honours in engineering at Chulalongkorn University. He later picked up a master’s in business administration from the same university before heading to the world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to get a master’s in public works engineering (structure). He also completed a doctorate in public works engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Chadchart started his career as a structural engineer for a private company before becoming a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering. He then became assistant rector for Chulalongkorn from 2005 to 2012.
As an academic, Chadchart also served as an adviser to the transport minister under Thaksin Shinawatra’s second tenure and then again under Samak Sundaravej’s government. However, he was not given a formal position.
Then in 2012, he was made deputy transport minister under Yingluck’s government before rising to the post of transport minister in the same year.
Great triumphs
His recognised achievements include changes to the Bang Sue Grand Station’s blueprint to ensure it could accommodate high-speed trains, and changes to the Red Line electric train system so it had four routes instead of just three. He was also behind the purchase of eight rapid trains from CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co Ltd, as well as the overhaul of the railway system in the upper North of the country.
Chadchart also had senior Transport Ministry officials ride buses to work and report problems before he took a bus to work to get a first-hand experience of the problems faced by Bangkok commuters.
After the Yingluck government was toppled, he was appointed to the committee for drafting competitiveness strategies, but he quit the panel on October 2, 2017.
As transport minister, Chadchart was noticed for being down-to-earth. He liked taking motorcycle taxis or songtaew minibuses to work. He also often hopped on trains unannounced to check on them.
Voting for the Bangkok governor and city council wrapped up smoothly at 5pm on Sunday without any untoward incidents in the afternoon session, city clerk Khajit Chatwanit said.
Speaking to reporters at the Bangkok Metropolitan Hall 2 in Din Daeng district, Khajit said apart from three violations on Sunday morning, voting continued smoothly for the rest of the day.
He said special channels were also created for the 17 Covid-19 patients who came out to cast their vote.
Earlier in the day, two Bangkokians were caught tearing up their ballots and one was reprimanded for crumpling his ballot paper.
Khajit added voters who failed to exercise their right have until May 29 to explain why to their district registrars and their rights will be preserved if their reason is justified. They can also register the reason for missing their vote via www.bora.dopa.go.th and www.ect.go.th or through the Smart Vote app.
He added that voters who used their own pen to mark their ballot do not have to worry about their votes being discarded if the ink is the wrong colour. He said if the ballot is marked clearly, it will be considered valid no matter what colour the ink is.
Earlier, Election Commission chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong had said only blue ink can be used otherwise ballots will be considered invalid.
Khajit said the EC chairman later issued a memo telling all election officials that the ink colour does not matter as long as voters mark a clear “X” on their ballot paper.
Three voters got into trouble on Sunday morning for allegedly destroying, or trying to destroy, their ballot papers, a Bangkok city clerk said.
Khajit Chatwanit, a clerk with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said voting in the first half of the day was relatively smooth except for these three cases.
A voter in Suan Luang district was caught tearing up his ballot paper for Bangkok governor, while another – a 65-year-old man in Samphanthawong district – said he tore his ballot paper up because he did not want it to be misused. The third offender was caught crumpling up his ballot paper at a polling station in Klong Toei district.
Khajit did not name the offenders, but said the two who had torn up their ballot papers will be interrogated, while the third man was reprimanded and his crumpled ballot put in the relevant box.
Meanwhile, the first two offenders will be fined 5,000 baht each if police believe they did not have any bad intentions. However, if they are found guilty of trying to influence the results, they will be tried in court and may face a maximum fine of 100,000 baht and/or a jail term. They will also be struck off the voters’ list for 10 years.
Separately, one voter in Sai Mai district complained that he had forgotten to pick up one of the two ballot papers. Voters get to use two ballot papers in this election – one for the Bangkok governor and another for a councillor.
“The Bangkok governor election is buzzing. Candidates, politicians and well-known figures have all come out to vote, and they are encouraging the public to vote in large numbers for a better future for Bangkok.”
“The Bangkok governor election is buzzing. Candidates, politicians and well-known figures have all come out to vote, and they are encouraging the public to vote in large numbers for a better future for Bangkok.”
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who cast his vote at a polling station in Phya Thai district, said he wanted every Bangkokian to exercise their voting right.
He said he cast his vote because it was his responsibility as a citizen and was glad that the situation was peaceful and stable enough to hold elections after nine years.
The PM also called on people to monitor the APEC meeting, which is also being held on the same day.
When asked if he had any advice for the next governor, the PM refused to answer, saying he would rather wait until a governor is chosen.
He also refused to have his photograph taken saying snapping pictures while people are voting may be in violation of the law.
The Election Commission has said it expects a 70 per cent voter turnout in Pattaya on Sunday as residents cast their vote for a new mayor and council members.
Election commissioner Pakorn Mahannop voiced this hope while inspecting the polling station in the compound of a Catholic church in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district at 9am.
Pakorn said the election committees of Chonburi and Pattaya have cooperated well in the organisation of the elections, adding that nothing untoward has been detected yet.
He added that election officials manning the polling stations have been trained well, and know how to enforce the election law strictly.
The commissioner also called on Pattaya voters to come out and elect their mayor and councillors so the turnout can at least hit the 70 per cent mark.
Once polling stations close at 5pm, votes will be tallied and an unofficial result should be released by 9pm, Pakorn added.
Bangkokians should exercise their voting rights and choose their governor and councillors, so the city can become a better place, leaders of Thai Sang Thai and Pheu Thai parties said on Sunday.
Sudarat Keyuraphan, who chairs Thai Sang Thai and was previously Pheu Thai leader, said her party was ready to help the new governor improve the capital. She was speaking to reporters after casting her ballot in Chatuchak district.
Sudarat also promised that Thai Sang Thai candidates will do their best if elected. She also celebrated the fact that Bangkokians are finally being allowed to vote after nine years, and said she expected the country’s politics to change after this.
Meanwhile, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who leads the so-called “Pheu Thai family” and is the party’s public participation and innovation adviser, said she was excited that Bangkokians are finally getting to cast their vote.
The youngest daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra was speaking after casting her ballot in the Khan Na Yow district.
We hope the new Bangkok governor will make the capital better, she said, adding that everybody should use their balloting right because it is key to introducing changes in the city.
She also said that she believes all candidates are capable of introducing changes and improving the capital.
Khajit said the EC chairman later issued a memo telling all election officials that the ink colour does not matter as long as voters mark a clear “X” on their ballot paper.
Meanwhile, the first two offenders will be fined 5,000 baht each if police believe they did not have any bad intentions. However, if they are found guilty of trying to influence the results, they will be tried in court and may face a maximum fine of 100,000 baht and/or a jail term. They will also be struck off the voters’ list for 10 years.
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