M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra Re-Elected Bangkok Governor for Another Term

(04/03/2013)

M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra of the opposition Democrat Party was re-elected Bangkok Governor for another four-year term in office, following the Bangkok gubernatorial election on Sunday, 3 March 2013. According to unofficial results, M.R. Sukhumbhand received 1,256,349 votes, an increase from 934,602 votes he won in the previous election. Coming second was Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, gaining 1,077,899 votes. Police General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, an independent candidate, ranked third, gaining 166,582 votes. Mr. Suharit Siamwalla, also an independent candidate, came fourth, receiving 78,825 votes, while Mr. Kosit Suwinijjit, another independent candidate, came in fifth place, gaining 28,640 votes. The voter turnout was 63.98 percent, representing 2,715,640 votes, out of 4,244,465 eligible voters. The turnout was higher than that of the previous gubernatorial election, which came to only 51 percent. Out of the 50 districts in the city, Thawi Watthana saw the highest voter turnout, at 72 percent, while the lowest voter turnout was seen in Dusit district, at 56.85 percent. Both M.R. Sukhumbhand and Police General Pongsapat surpassed one million votes. In the past, former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej was the only candidate who was able to gain more than one million votes. Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra congratulated M.R. Sukhumbhand for his victory, and she pointed out that her government and Pheu Thai Party were ready to work seamlessly with the Bangkok Governor. Although the vote for Police General Pongsapat was not enough for him to serve as governor, she said that Pheu Thai was glad to continue to push for the implementation of policies it presented to the people. Police General Pongsapat conceded defeat and said that he was ready to help Bangkok residents, although he did not win the election. He would discuss his future with Prime Minister Yingluck after she returned from an overseas trip. The Prime Minister is on a visit to Sweden, Belgium, and the European Union Headquarters from 4 to 7 March 2013. Meanwhile, M.R. Sukhumbhand thanked the Prime Minister for pledging to work with him without a dividing line in order to move the city forward. He himself is also ready to work with the Government seamlessly, as well. M.R. Sukhumbhand urged about 800,000 Bangkok residents who did not cast their votes for him at the election to help build Bangkok with him. He pledged to work harder and thanked Bangkok residents for trusting the Democrat Party to run the capital for 12 consecutive years. Aged 60, M.R. Sukhumbhand was a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, from 1980 to 1993. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister from November 1997 to February 2001. He was first elected Bangkok Governor on 11 January 2009. M.R. Sukhumbhand officially submitted his resignation on 9 January 2013, one day before the completion of his four-year term as Bangkok Governor in order to be eligible to run for another term in office in the Bangkok gubernatorial election on 3 March 2013.