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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011710

Palang Pracharath Party candidate Saranrat Jenjaka has acknowledged her defeat in the Bangkok constituency 9 by-election on Sunday.

As of 7.30, Pheu Thai Party candidate Surachart Thianthong was leading the count on 11,431 votes, with the Kla party candidate second on 9,786 and Move Forward third with 8,574 votes.

Saranrat was standing after her husband, Sira Jenjaka, lost the seat to a legal ruling.

Sira and Palang Pracharath Bangkok MP Chakrabhand Pornnimit attended the press conference, where they said they had tried their best to win the seat but acknowledged the voters’ decision not to elect the ruling party candidate.

They added that Palang Pracharath Party leader and Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan had contacted them to boost morale.

Saranrat also thanked voters who supported her and asked the election winner to take care of Lak Si residents. Constituency 9 covers Lak Si and part of Chatuchak district in the north of the city

Meanwhile, Chakrabhand said he believed that Sira and Saranrat would still be able to help residents even though Saranrat was not elected to Parliament.

He added that the party would study the election defeat for lessons to be learned.

“We still believe that Bangkokians are ready to support the party,” he said.

The vote count as of 7.30pm according to the Election Commission is as follows:

Surachart Thianthong, Pheu Thai Party (Number 3): 11,431 votes

Atavit Suwanphakdee, Kla Party (Number 2): 9,786 votes

Karunpol Thiensuwan, Move Forward Party (Number 6): 8,574 votes

Phanthep Chatnarat, Thai Pakdee Party (Number 1): 2,667 votes

Saranrat Jenjaka, Palang Pracharath Party (Number 7): 2,584 votes

Charoen Chaiyasit, Thai Teachers for People Party (Number 8): 163 votes

Kulrat Klindee, National Strategy Party (Number 4): 82 votes

Rungroj Ibrohim, Thai Civilized Party (Number 5): 67 votes

Published : January 30, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011708

Here is the count of votes cast in 280 polling stations in Bangkok’s Constituency 9 before the result is officially announced by the Election Commission.

Here is the latest count:

Surachart Thienthong, Pheu Thai Party: 29,416 votes

Karunpol Thiensuwan, Move Forward Party: 20,361 votes

Atavit Suwannapakdee, Kla Party: 20,047 votes

Saranrat Jenjaka, Palang Pracharath Party: 7,906 votes

Phanthep Chatnarat, Thai Pakdee Party: 5,987 votes

Charoen Chaiyasit, Thai Teachers for People Party: 333 votes

Rungroj Ibrahim, Thai Sriwilai Party: 244 votes

Kulrat Klindee, National Strategy Party: 190 votes

Published : January 30, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011700

Army troops formed long queues at a polling station in Lak Si district as voting began in Bangkok’s Constituency 9 by-election on Sunday morning.

Several polling stations in Thung Song Hong subdistrict were crowded before voting got underway at 8am, with a line of troops seen outside one.

Polling stations close at 5pm and the result is expected to be announced before 10pm.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the armed forces to remain politically neutral in the by-election. Earlier this month, the Democrat Party accused troops of pressuring residents to vote for a particular candidate in the Chumphon by-election.

Thung Song Hong has the highest number of eligible voters in Lak Si district. The district, which also includes Bang Khen Market, has 122 polling stations serving 83,712 eligible voters among a total population of 100,529.

Constituency 9 also covers part of Chatuchak district in the north of the city.

This morning, Election Commission chief Itthiporn Boonprakong told reporters at a Thung Song Hong polling station that he had inspected 20 polling stations so far and detected no irregularities.

He noted that many voters had arrived before the stations were opened, eager to cast their vote.

Polling stations were operating strict anti-Covid-19 measures, said Itthiporn, with officials reminding voters to stay apart from each other while queuing. The polling booths had also been placed in the open air, so the chance of the virus spreading was low, he added.

Published : January 30, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011697

Voting got underway in Bangkok’s Constituency 9 by-election on Sunday, with the result due to be announced before 10pm.

The by-election is being held after the constituency’s previous MP, Sira Jenjaka of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, was disqualified from office over a property fraud case in 1995.

Constituency 9 covers Lak Si and part of Chatuchak district in the north of the capital.

A total of 280 polling stations – 122 stations in Lak Si and 158 in Chatuchak – will be open from 8am to 5pm, according to Bangkok election office director Samran Tanpanich.

He said citizens could exercise their voting rights with confidence, since all polling stations were equipped with temperature screening, hand-sanitising gel and face masks. He urged them to maintain social distancing and be patient while waiting to vote.

Samran said there had been no reports of voting fraud so far, adding that Election Commission (EC) officials are monitoring the vote closely.

He expects voter turnout to be higher than 60 per cent.

Voters unsure about which polling stations to use can contact the EC’s hotline at 1444, Lak Si and Chatuchak district coordination centres, or the “Smart Vote” app, he added.

Published : January 30, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011677

Move Forward Party’s Bangkok governor candidate has pledged to improve the safety of pedestrian crosswalks if elected, following a deadly incident last week.

Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn on Saturday laid out his four-point plan to upgrade zebra crossings after a 33-year-old female doctor was hit and killed by a speeding motorcycle as she used the crosswalk on Bangkok’s Phaya Thai Road. The incident sparked an outpouring of public anger, with many calling the zebra crossings “death traps”.

The four-point plan involves marking the crossings with clear lines, erecting pedestrian-activated red lights to stop traffic, and installing speed detectors.

Wiroj noted that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has spent only Bt20 million on improving 54 out of the city’s 4,160 zebra crossings, which he said showed there was a problem with poor maintenance.

His policy platform also calls for tighter enforcement of traffic laws against violators, signal connections between zebra crossings and traffic lights at intersections, and pre-emptive action by the BMA to improve safety.

Wiroj said motorists should have their driving licences suspended or revoked for serious violations. He noted that only 1 per cent of some 13 million traffic tickets issued in 2020 resulted in the fines being paid.

The governor hopeful also said that more than 100 complaints about zebra crossings have been filed through the Traffy Fondue app over the past three days. Issues most frequently complained about were unclear painted lines, no traffic signals, and vehicles failing to stop at crosswalks.

The three roads that attracted most complaints were a section under the Sathon Expressway, Banthad Thong Road, and On Nut Road.

Bangkok’s gubernatorial election is expected in a few months although no exact date has been set.

Published : January 29, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011650

The National Anti-Corruption Commission on Friday filed a lawsuit against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, two newspapers, and three other defendants over alleged corruption in the Thailand 2020 roadshow project.

The lawsuit filed with the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders named Yingluck, former deputy PM Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan, former PM’s secretary-general Suranand Vejjajiva, Matichon Plc, Siam Sport Syndicate Plc, and Rawi Lothong, managing director of Siam Sport, as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth defendants respectively.

The lawsuit alleged that Yingluck and the five other defendants had caused damages of Bt239.7 million to the country by approving the Thailand 2020 roadshow project to the two publications without properly inviting bids for the project.

The lawsuit alleged that Yingluck, Niwatthamrong and Suranand had committed malfeasance and nonfeasance from late August 2013 to March 12 2014 to unfairly help the two publications with the public relations project.

Niwatthamrong, Suranand, a representative of Siam Sport, and Rawi were present to hear the charges. The court allowed them to be released on bail. Yingluck fled the country in 2017, shortly before the Supreme Court was due to issue its verdict over corruption in the rice pledging scheme run by her government.

The court will announce on April 19 whether it would accept the case for judicial review.

Published : January 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011640

Surveys by political parties contesting Sunday’s by-election in Bangkok indicate a close-run race, with young-generation voters favouring one candidate and older voters leaning toward others.

The by-election is being held in Constituency 9 – Lak Si district and part of Chatuchak district – after its ruling party MP Sira Jenjaka (Palang Pracharath) was disqualified by the Constitutional Court.

Parties have conducted their own public surveys to evaluate the strong and weak points of their candidates. Results seen by The Nation show a marked generation gap in voters’ attitudes.

The surveys found that 60-70 per cent of voters aged 18-25 preferred Move Forward Party candidate Krunphol Tiansuwan.

The rest are expected to vote for Pheu Thai candidate Surachart Thianthong or Kla Party’s Atavit Suwannapakdee.

The surveys found that voters aged 26 to 35 favour no particular candidate, though Krunphol may receive a slightly larger share of their votes.

Meanwhile people aged 36 to 60 – the largest group of voters in Constituency 9 – prefer Pheu Thai’s Surachart and Atavit of Kla. The rest of their votes are expected to be shared among Krunphol and Palang Pracharath candidate Saralras Jenjaka, according to surveys.

Voters aged 60 and above lean towards Phanthep Chatnarat, candidate for the conservative and royalist Thai Phakdee, a new party.

But many voters from this group also support Surachart, a political veteran in this constituency.

The surveys also found a large group of undecided voters and voters angry with the government. These people said they would vote for various leading candidates – except Palang Pracharath’s Saralras.

On the strong and weak points of leading candidates, the surveys found that the popularity of Phanthep rests on the royalist platform of his party rather than his personal credentials.

But Atavit of the Kla Party is a former MP for the constituency, so has built up personal popularity.

Meanwhile the Kla Party is popular thanks to its co-founder, former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij.

Pheu Thais’ Surachart enjoys strong support in Constituency 9, where he received 32,115 votes at the last election and was only narrowly beaten by Sira.

Krunphol is popular among young voters both for his personality and Move Forward Party’s liberal platform.

Surveys indicate that prospects for Saralras, the wife of Sira, are bleak because she has no political clout of her own and depends on the popularity of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, which is reeling from reports of internal rifts.

Published : January 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011601

A former Bangkok member of Parliament has filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday against the opposition Pheu Thai Party candidate contesting this Sunday’s by-election in Bangkok.

Sira Jenjaka, a former Bangkok MP for the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, accused Surachart Thianthong of violating the electoral law by promising to push for a flat transit train fare of Bt20.

The ruling party politician claimed what the candidate did constituted an offence under Article 73 of the law, which prohibits “any deception or persuasion that is misleading about the candidate’s popularity”.

“An MP has no power to make that possible,” Sira said, referring to the flat fee of Bt20 promise. “So I am here to ask the EC to investigate if this candidate has violated the electoral law.

“If elected, he is going to become an opposition MP, and not the transport minister,” Sira said, adding that even the minister would need to repeal related concession contracts, which would lead to a lot of legal issues.

Sira’s wife Saranrat is contesting the by-election in the city’s Constituency 9 (covering Lak Si district and part of Chatuchak district) against Surachart and candidates from six other political parties.

The vacancy was created after the Constitutional Court unseated Sira in a verdict handed down in December that his 1995 conviction for fraud meant he was not qualified to contest the March 2019 general election. The Constitution bars anyone with a criminal conviction from standing for election to the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Trairong Suwankhiri, a senior figure in the coalition Democrat Party, on Thursday voiced his support to Kla Party secretary-general Attawit Suwannapakdee, his former Democrat colleague who is also contesting the by-election.

Trairong said he gave Attawit his blessing and wished him an election victory when the latter called on him.

The veteran politician said a “quality politician” like Attawit was needed to help improve the quality of Thailand’s House of Representatives. “He is a man of reasons. He does not use expletives, tell lies or incite. Also, he is very knowledgeable,” Trairong said in praise of Attawit.

In a related development, Pheu Thai organised a training session for its election volunteers on Thursday to prevent possible fraud and ensure a fair and orderly vote.

The training was conducted by the party’s executives, legal experts, and former EC deputy secretary-general Krit Uawong.

The participants, who are to be dispatched to all polling stations in Sunday’s by-election, are expected to observe the voting — from the start until the vote count — and report any suspected irregularities.

Published : January 27, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011503

Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) remains a a strong political institution, and is not just a political vehicle for someone to be in power, the party’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Patcharin Samsiripong, who is also a Bangkok MP, was commenting on reported rifts in the party and possible differences between party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The PPRP, last week, expelled former secretary-general Thamanat Prompow and 20 other MPs from the party. Thamanat is known to have strong ties with Prawit and his expulsion is seen as a sign of rifts between Prayut and Prawit because Thamanat reportedly engineered a failed move to have Prayut voted out in a previous no-confidence debate.

Patcharin said the remaining PPRP MPs are still united.

“They may have different opinions, but when they work for the people they will work with unity as a key mechanism in supporting the government to solve the people’s problems,” the spokeswoman said.

“The PPRP still enjoys stability. We are not a political vehicle but we are a political institution that is ready to work for the people to help them have well-being using the policies and solutions of the government.”

The PPRP was formed after the 2014 coup and it projected coup leader Prayut as its prime minister candidate, creating an image of the party merely serving as a vehicle for the coup leaders to retain power.

Patcharin said the PPRP still believes in Prayut and will continue to support him as the party’s prime minister candidate.

She said Prayut, Prawit, and Interior Minister General Anupong Paojinda still have close ties. “They will remain united forever and in all situations,” the spokeswoman added.

The three generals are all former Army chiefs and are known to have launched the 2014 coup that toppled the government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

Published : January 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011496

The ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) is unlikely to retain its House seat from Bangkok’s Constituency 9 when the by-election is held at the end of this month, according to different surveys.

The by-election in Lak Si district and a part of Chatuchak district has been scheduled for January 30. The by-election was necessitated by a Constitutional Court ruling that disqualified PPRP’s Sira Jenjaka on December 22 because he had been convicted of criminal fraud prior to contesting the seat in the general election on March 24, 2019.

The ruling party has fielded Sira’s wife, Saralras Jenjaka, in the by-election, hoping she can cash in on her husband’s popularity and hold on to his house seat.
However, internal opinion surveys carried out by different political parties fighting the by-election show that Saralras has low chances of winning her husband’s seat.
The surveys were carried out on eligible voters, and on the popularity of the candidates in social media.
The surveys among eligible voters showed that Surachart Thianthong of the Pheu Thai Party and Atavit Suwannaphadee of the Kla Party are the frontrunners.
In these surveys, the PPRP candidate ranked fourth in popularity, behind third-placed Krunphol Tiansuwan of the Move Forward Party, sources from the parties said.
According to the sources, the survey on the candidates among social networkers showed Krunphol as the most popular, followed by Atavit, while Saralras was third.
Political observers believe the country’s economic woes, especially the rising cost of living, and the internal rifts in the PPRP had severely affected the popularity of its candidate.
The observers also said that the changing demography of the constituency had made it a neck-and-neck race.
Many more condominiums have been built in Lak Si and Chatuchak districts whose residents are in the 30 to 35 years age group. This voter segment is believed to support the young Krunphol.

Among the larger group of voters, in the 35 to 60 years age bracket, Surachart and Atavit are fighting hard for support.
Since the Democrat Party is not fielding a candidate in the by-election, about 14,000 voters who voted for the Democrat in the latest poll are seen as a critical swing vote for the candidates in the fray.
Analysts believe that Atavit has a better chance of winning over the 14,000 Democrat supporters because he had stayed with the Democrat before joining the Kla Party led by former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij. Atavit is also supported by canvassers, who are former district councillors and who once supported the former Democrat MP from the constituency, Sakoltee Phattiyakul.
A small group of aged voters are also believed to exercise their influence. This group is expected to support the Thai Pakdee (Loyalist Thais) Party, which is fielding the lesser-known Phanthep Chatnarat in the by-election. The Pheu Thai, the Kla and the PPRP parties are trying to win support from this group as well.
Finally, there is also a group of anti-government voters, who are fed up with the government’s performance. All candidates, except Saralras, are trying to win support from this group by attacking the PPRP and the government.
On Friday, all parties will hold a final major rally and the number of people showing up could offer some hint on the election’s outcome.
The Kla Party has announced that it would introduce a social media influencer of the party at the rally that could help the party to have an edge.
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwan helped Saralras carry out a door-knocking campaign to boost her morale.
The campaign, however, has only provided more ammunition for the opponents to attack the PPRP candidate, as Saralras is seen as a high risk for contracting Covid-19. Earlier, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the PPRP’s by-election director, had tested positive for the virus. Opponents have criticised Saralras for not quarantining herself and risking new Covid-19 clusters.
Political observers see that the situation as not boding well for the PPRP in the by-election.

Published : January 25, 2022