Bangkok governor race: The Thaksin factor
Tan Hui Yee
The Straits Times

BANGKOK: -- With two days to go, last-minute campaigning in the Bangkok gubernatorial election is exploiting deep divisions in Thai society.

Two dozen candidates are running for the post of governor on Sunday, though pundits say only two stand a real chance of winning.

Sukhumbhand Paribatra, 60, an independent-minded Democrat, is seeking a second term running the city.

His challenger is Pongsapat Pongcharoen, 57, the former deputy national police chief and a political rookie who is running on the Puea Thai ticket. He has pledged to work "seamlessly" with the central government, riding on public dissatisfaction with Sukhumbhand's previous run-ins with the Puea Thai administration.

Both candidates have criss-crossed the city of eight million over the past two months to woo residents with promises of more green spaces, a cleaner environment and a way out of its choking traffic.

Full story: http://www.asianewsnet.net/Bangkok-governor-race-The-Thaksin-factor-43408.html

-- ANN 2013-03-01

The city of 8 million?? Who did the research the author's 12 year old son?

The city of 8 million?? Who did the research the author's 12 year old son?

You have to understand that the Straits Times is a lapdog newspaper of the ruling Lee family and are not given the option of thinking for themselves. I'm confident this article had to pass inspection from the article police in the adminstration before it was published as all articles are. I'm sure it is only a typo . Case in point. I worked there for two years. While I was there one of the ruling party PAP MP's son was caught with drugs. This is a death sentence in Singapore. The boy walked. The Straits Times did not question the court's decision. So don't put too much confidence in what you read from this so called paper.

Why not the Thaksin factor, he sold a one billion business empire to a Singapore government owned enterprise and has yet to pay tax on this transaction, my how the Prime Minister set a fine example to the people of Thailand, now he's a criminal on the run, some factor.

The city of 8 million?? Who did the research the author's 12 year old son?

8,280,925 (2010) Bangkok, Population

However, the other paper says Bangkok has a registered residential population of 5.7 million

The official population in Bangkok now stands at 8.7 million people. There are some 3.1 million migrants in Bangkok. With suburbs and surroundings there are almost 20 million people in the great Bangkok area. http://dennisthernblog.com/?tag=population-bangkok

"The Thaksin Factor" i.e.

If you don't vote for the ruling party you will be on the back of the line for help (Lee Kuan Yew-style democracy)

Are his minions going to incite the burning (and looting) of Bangkok again? (Shinawatra-style democracy)