Landslide Win For Phuket's Pian Keesin – The Mayor Of Patong

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Landslide win for Phuket's Pian Keesin – the Mayor of Patong

Phuket Gazette

BUSINESS AS USUAL: Pian Keesin has won again. Unless the Election Commission in Bangkok objects, he will be installed in his third successive term as Patong Mayor. Photo: Gazette file

One of the 12,831 eligible voters in Patong casts his ballot. Photo: Kritsada Meuanhawong

PHUKET: -- Pian Keesin was re-elected to a third consecutive term as Patong Mayor yesterday, with members of his “Rak Patong” party winning 17 of the 18 seats contested to give him an unassailable majority in the new city council.

Turnout for the polling, which ran from 8am to 3pm, was 63.5% of 12,831 eligible voters. There were 217 spoiled ballots and 420 “no votes”.

In the mayoral balloting, unofficial results posted outside Patong City Hall last night showed Mr Pian with 4,352 votes to 3,154 for challenger Kittisan Kuru, a two-time council member and leader of the Patong Gao Na (Patong Progress) party.

Only one of his team members, Chalermsak Maneesri, was able to win a council seat, narrowly beating the only independent candidate for the last available seat in District 1.

Mr Chalermsak served a short term as mayor in 2003 before he was ordered by the Phuket Provincial Court to step down for electoral fraud after charges were levied against him by Mr Pian.

Apart from Mr Chalermsak and his brother Surasak, who is another former mayor ordered to step down on corruption charges, Mr Pian has had a virtual stranglehold on the Patong political scene since the early 1990s.

Yesterday’s win, if ratified by the Election Commission in Bangkok, will mark the start of his fifth term as mayor of the popular tourist town.

Results (all unless otherwise marked):

District 1

Jaroern Khwanyeun (Rak Patong)

Prasarn Noochet (Rak Patong)

Prasit Phatkor (Rak Patong)

Mana Phanchalad (Rak Patong)

Narong Cheuayuan (Rak Patong)

Chalermsak Maneesri (Patong Gao Na)

District 2

Thanin Attasup (Rak Patong)

Wirapot Iabsup (Rak Patong)

Banyat Somnam (Rak Patong)

Prasit Changlek (Rak Patong)

Sawai Sanguanphon (Rak Patong)

Boontaen Piromrit (Rak Patong)

District 3

Manit Yooyen (Rak Patong)

Saichon Sombat (Rak Patong)

Thamanoon Sombat (Rak Patong)

Thanichai Jamjarat (Rak Patong)

Wirawit Kreuasombat (Rak Patong)

Pradit Kongkaew (Rak Patong)

The results must be confirmed by the Election Commission (EC) in Bangkok before the new city council can convene.

Election law dictates that the EC must either validate or reject the election results within 30 days of the election date.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16818.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-09-03

[steelepulse]

So, more of the same same for Patong. It's pretty funny that Pian had Chalermsak removed for voter fraud the one time he didn't get his seat back. Pot, kettle, black...................

[canopus1969]

That's not fair. The had a good run so now he should step down and let someone else stick their nose in the trough.

[NomadJoe]

So tuk tuk problems won't be addressed this term then, not while the tuk tuk co-op's president's dad is the Mayor and his party holds 17 of 18 seats.

[LivinginKata]

Did anyone really thing he would loose ? He has the money and the clout. He will be there forever.

[Soupdragon]

There should be a maximum number of terms anyone can serve.

Maybe he will retire when he gets his cut from the tunnel project.

[NomadJoe]

Did anyone really thing he would loose ? He has the money and the clout. He will be there forever.

4,352 votes to 3,154 not really a landslide. 17 of 18 sets held by the rak satang party is tho.

[NamKangMan]

Did anyone really thing he would loose ? He has the money and the clout. He will be there forever.

I agree. He was always going to win. Nothing to benefit tourists, expats and tourism in Phuket, in the foreseeable future.

At the local level, we have Mayor Pian Keesin, and at the national level we have Mr.T, via his sister, with a similar stranglehold over the country.

Like Mr.T, when Mayor Pian decides not to run, or retires, I'm sure his son will be installed. So, the next generation of the rape and pillaging of the tourism industry here, and the country, will continue. Reminds me a little of North Korea.

Once again, sad to see Phuket being "managed" this way.

[jocko]

Did anyone really thing he would loose ? He has the money and the clout. He will be there forever.

Ye you CAN make a lot of money from T