Anti-Thaksin Candidate Wins Governor Election

[george]

Apirak Kosayodhin, will be the next governor of Bangkok.

Anti-Thaksin candidate wins Bangkok governor election

Apirak Kosayodhin

BANGKOK: -- Apirak Kosayodhin is the new governor of Bangkok.

Khun Apirak, candidate #1, who was the leader in the opinion polls has won the Bangkok Governor election race. He was the choice of those who wanted to check on Prime Minister Thaksin Shanawatra's Thai Rak Thai’s grip on power.

Khun Apirak has slowly worked his way up after graduating from Chiang Mai University, joining Pizza Hut where his job included making pizzas. His last job was CEO for cell-phone giant TA Orange before the party asked him to run for the governor’s post late last year.

The Democrat Apirak Kosayodhin, 43-year-old, and former telecommunictions executive, had a small lead in most opinion polls conducted by television networks which were revealed after the close of voting today.

The Thai Rak Thai ruling party of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra did not have its own candidate but was seen as backing a former MP and champion of women's rights, Pavena Hongsakul, who was standing as an independent.

The most colourful candidate of a bizarre campaign, Chuwit Kamolvisit -- who made his fortune running a string of upmarket massage parlours before turning into an anti-corruption champion -- was tipped to finish third of the 21 runners, according to the latest television polls.

Exit polls were strictly banned by the country's election commission and the first unofficial results are expected around midnight (1900 GMT).

Election websites taken off-line

Both front runners, Apirak and Pavenna, took no chances of being disqualified by the unpredictable Election Commission. Both of their websites were taken off-line today.

The results of Bangkok’s gubernatorial elections were due to come online at 17.00 hrs today, but the website – http://www.bma.go.th – has proved so popular that accessing it is almost impossible. The website was supposed to display information on all 22 candidates, as well as voter turnout for each of the capital’s administrative districts, the final count was not yet available at that time.

Analysts said that the victory for Apirak, the only candidate running under a political banner, would be seen as an anti-government vote.

But Thaksin remains a rock-solid favourite to retain power in national elections tipped to be held in February next year. Thaksin swept to power in 2001 and his coaltion holds 365 of the 500 lower house seats. His approval ratings remain high and his party has attracted a steady stream of defectors since July. The premier has said he wants to win 400 seats on election day.

Nakarin Mektrirat, a political analyst, said the expected result would show that Thais did not want one overwhelmingly powerful party in the country.

"It shows that middle-class people, educated people and Bangkokians do not want to see a monopoly in politics," he told itv television.

More info as it is available.

Source: thaivisa.com, Agencies, 2bangkok.com, The Nation

[bkk barney]

thk fok for educated bkk ppl maybe they can out toxin..

[Rinrada]

Well done Khun Apirak....now have a word with Ken

[stumonster]

thk fok for educated bkk ppl maybe they can out toxin..

ask the girls why they like apirak and they will tell you he is a handsome man

we should see some standand backpedalling from mr T on monday.

[castelleone]

well then, we can say that BKK people have guts to vote what they think is good for them. congratulations!

[sabaijai]

I met Apirak at a friend's wedding in June, and I thought he was a stand-up guy, easy-going but bright. At the time he was already beginning to campaign for BKK guv.

Back then people were saying he didn't stand a chance. Just goes to show, it ain't over till it's over ...

[WISteve]

So tell us what some of us really want to hear if you please, expats.....what is Apirak's stand in regard to us mongers who visit Thailand and hope to retire there in the near future? I've looked for websites and all I can find are news sites with well-digested positions. What was his stance before the web sites started shutting down?

~WISteve

[ovenman]

we should see some standand backpedalling from mr T on monday.

No need to. Mr. Big set this up brilliantly. Had Pavena won the election, Mr. Big could step to the front and take credit for the tacit Thai Rak Thai support of her candidacy. With Pavena now having lost, it's no harm or foul to Mr. Big since she was never a TRT candidate in the first place. Perfect strategy of playing both ends against the middle...

[george]

The guys at Radio Bangkok has invited him for an interview on his views of expats and expat life. Will be done shortly I believe. Both the radio and Khun Apirak have to be launched first....

[ovenman]

Analysts said that the victory for Apirak, the only candidate running under a political banner, would be seen as an anti-government vote.

But Thaksin remains a rock-solid favourite to retain power in national elections tipped to be held in February next year. Thaksin swept to power in 2001 and his coaltion holds 365 of the 500 lower house seats. His approval ratings remain high and his party has attracted a steady stream of defectors since July. The premier has said he wants to win 400 seats on election day.

Nakarin Mektrirat, a political analyst, said the expected result would show that Thais did not want one overwhelmingly powerful party in the country.

"It shows that middle-class people, educated people and Bangkokians do not want to see a monopoly in politics," he told itv television.

No doubt that there's a certain amount of truth in those observations but don't let's forget that Bangkok also rejected the actual Thai Rak Thai candidate for governor back in 2000. It was Sudarat Keyuraphan who stood for TRT in that election. She was subsequently awarded the Health Ministry as a consolation prize by Mr. Big after Thai Rak Thai ultimately came to power in 2001.

[DaveYo]

Hmmmm, so Anti-Toxin wins. That seems to be the best news so far. Might be something that can shape up between now and February as a major threat to Toxin himself.

If he favors the expats in the upcoming interview, lets all of us pull for him to at least find a front runner to go against Toxin with the same ideals.

Keep in mind tho folks, being a Governor is nothing compared to Toxins power. He only holds the King of Hearts. Toxin is holding all the Aces.

Daveyo

[john b good]

This is the best news that I have heard in many a loooooong long day.

It wll show the head waiter that with all the cronyism in his party he cannot control the minds of all the people all of the time.

Well done Khun Apirak

[Zoltan]

He seem like a nice guy by his looks and he cooked Pizza so he knows what work is like hopefully he will help the people and not get corrupted.

[udon]

Good news! Let's hope that he can enforce the anti-pollution laws that have been in place for years and never enforced for fear of the black-hats who own most of the trucking and coach companies in Thailand

[iChubbyGirl]

thk fok for educated bkk ppl maybe they can out toxin..

ask the girls why they like apirak and they will tell you he is a handsome man

we should see some standand backpedalling from mr T on monday.

Hi

Not every BKK girls think like that na. I voted for him not about physical but wanna say i'm anti TRT. that's all. Besides, he is a new generation and look like a smart guy.

but Really great to heard that Chuwit is in the 3rd place, his vote won Chalerm

[astral]

Congratulations to the voters of Bangkok.

A job well done.

[Speedy]

Couldn t be more DELIGHTED

hope that with the next elections it is bye bye TAX SIN

[iChubbyGirl]

hope that with the next elections it is bye bye TAX SIN

I hope so but it's hard cuz he has a big party and big money too

[winle]

could any one tell me when the geral election is i thin i will follow it ,more than the u.s,,, if indeed toxin is voted out of power why will this help us expats?? bars can stay open later or something???

[qwertyuiop]

Couldn t be more DELIGHTED

hope that with the next elections it is bye bye TAX SIN

No chance.

The party holds some 365 seats out of 500

Khun Taksin is less popular than previously but that does not necessarily translate into being unpopular.

[qwertyuiop]

could any one tell me when the geral election is i thin i will follow it ,more than the u.s,,, if indeed toxin is voted out of power why will this help us expats?? bars can stay open later or something???

Scheduled for early next year i believe.

Do not hold your breath regarding bar closing times. My feeling was that the measures that K. Purachai tried to bring into force concerning the nightlife were basically popular with voters especially parents