Patong, Phuket Set For Election Alcohol Bans

[Lite Beer]

Patong, Phuket set for election alcohol bans

Phuket Gazette

Patong native Pian Keesin, 68, will run for re-election as Patong Mayor in the upcoming September 2 election. He has effectively been mayor of Patong for the past 25 years. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: The sale of alcohol will be banned across Phuket on August 26 and again in Patong on September 2 as voters go to the polls for local elections.

The August 26 island-wide alcohol ban will come into effect as residents vote in the upcoming Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council election.

The ban, in accordance with the Election Act, will be enforced from 6pm on Saturday, August 25, and continue through to midnight on Sunday, August 26.

“The Phuket Election Commission [PEC] agreed to hold the OrBorJor council election on August 26, from 8am to 3pm PEC Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette.

Candidates can register at Phuket Community Hall from July 31 to August 4, he said.

“It took a while to set the constituency boundaries for this election because of changes in the population [distribution] on Phuket. We had to reset the boundaries for each voting district Mr Kittipong explained.

The OrBorJor council election comprises 24 seats to be contested, 15 for Muang District, six for Thalang District and three for Kathu,” he added.

One week later, residents in Patong will go to the polls to vote in the upcoming Patong Municipality mayoral election.

Phunsak Naksena, Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) at Patong Municipality, told the Gazette, Patong Municipality has set the election date for September 2.

Candidates can register from August 6 to10, from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

The polling stations will be open from 8am to 3pm on election day.

Current Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, who was born in Patong 68 years ago, began his political career before 1994 as Phu Yai Baan (village head) of Village 3 in what has since become Phuket's leading resort town.

Mayor Pian became Patong's first elected mayor in 1995 after the town was upgraded from Sanitary Division; to municipality status the year before.

He was ousted by a council budget blockade; led by Surasak Maneesri in November 2003. However, Mayor Pian was re-elected to office in January 2004 after Provincial Court judges found that his rivals had cheated in the preceding election by importing voters.

Mayor Pian has served as Patong's top official since.

In accordance with the Election Act, the sale of alcohol will be prohibited within the boundaries of Patong Municipality from 6pm on Saturday, September 1, to midnight Sunday, September 2.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16490.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-24

[NomadJoe]

He and his family are well known as the main force behind the tuk tuk/taxi mafia in Patong. No way this guy will ever lose an election.

[apetley]

He and his family are well known as the main force behind the tuk tuk/taxi mafia in Patong. No way this guy will ever lose an election.

I have no idea if what you say is true but supposing it is why would people vote for a known criminal?

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[LivinginKata]

He and his family are well known as the main force behind the tuk tuk/taxi mafia in Patong. No way this guy will ever lose an election.

I have no idea if what you say is true but supposing it is why would people vote for a known criminal?

Who said he was a criminal ?? He is just a business man heavily involved in the Tuk Tuk business. And here in Thailand people vote for the one that pays the most 'attendance money'. Just life as normal here in Thailand. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

[Greer]

OK, I know that they close the bars so that the attendance money is not squandered on booze before the voters forget (are too drunk) to vote...

[NomadJoe]

He and his family are well known as the main force behind the tuk tuk/taxi mafia in Patong. No way this guy will ever lose an election.

I have no idea if what you say is true but supposing it is why would people vote for a known criminal?

What LIK said.

The mayor owns many of the tuk tuks.

"Preechavude Keesin, president of the Patong Taxi Federation and son of Patong Mayor Pian Keesin"

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?fromsearch=yes&id=8695

Edited July 24, 2012 by NomadJoe

[steelepulse]

Cronyism at it's finest. Cat minding the henhouse. What's funny is that the opponent that beat him a few years back was found cheating. Of course giving a kickback to the few registered voters in Patong by the incumbent isn't "cheating"!

[Semper]

Court judges found that his rivals had cheated in the preceding election by importing voters.

Mayor Pian has served as Patong's top official since.

He must be the good guy then?

[NamKangMan]

He and his family are well known as the main force behind the tuk tuk/taxi mafia in Patong. No way this guy will ever lose an election.

I have no idea if what you say is true but supposing it is why would people vote for a known criminal?

Who said he was a criminal ?? He is just a business man heavily involved in the Tuk Tuk business. And here in Thailand people vote for the one that pays the most 'attendance money'. Just life as normal here in Thailand. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Don't forget his/family's vast real estate holdings on the island.

He has the game "stitched up." He owns land near the beaches/nightlife and the tuk-tuks.

Stay near the beach/nightlife so you don't have to deal with the tuk-tuks, some of your accommodation money goes to him.

Stay further from the beach/nightlife and you have to catch a tuk-tuk, and some of that money also goes to him.

He's created a regime on Phuket.

Edited July 26, 2012 by NamKangMan