Sukhumbhand Re-Elected Bangkok Governor, Defeats Pongsapat In Major Upset

[WhizBang]

 

As long as it keeps another PTP tw"i"t out of the BKK running, and Abhisit is still in control of some areas, I can only say today's result has made me smile, with a wide grin.

Up yours, Yinglick, and your confidence in the Bangkokians coming your way - for once, the people voted in the right direction.

-mel.

Hear hear.

[Nickymaster]

i do not know why anyone is surprised,Bangkok has been staunchly Dem for over a decade, and will remain so i suspect.

blatantly populist policies dont work where you have an educated voter base.

Not exactly. The Democrats benefit from the fact that millions of Bangkok residents are not allowed to vote in the election.

If the voting rules followed the typical practices in other democracies where all that mattered was the need to have lived in the region for a year, then the voter pool would be very different with hundreds of thousands of PTP leaning people voting. This is just the way the voter requirements are structured. It is no different than the hundreds of thousands of Thais working in Phuket, not being allowed to vote in Phuket elections since they are not registered in Phuket and why the police allocation still depends upon the 300,000 registered population ves the almost 1million actual population. This is how it is in Thailand.

Could it be that they can vote elsewhere, and don't consider Bangkok their home?

That’s what I thought too. I suppose those people who are not registered in one city are registered in another city and in order to show their unconditional love for Thaksin I would assume that they have already used their right to vote.

[hellodolly]

I was preparing this post in the topic which just got closed. So let me just put it here.

It would seem some of the apologists have woken up early.

I'm too lazy to search, but I vaguely remember many to say this would be a clear move away from 'old politics', 'the fine impression our PM makes on all', 'police officers are so much liked in Bangkok', 'seamless co-operation', etc., etc.

By now it seems to be 'doesn't matter', 'well done Pheu Thai'.

Anyway it looks like we got a 60++% turnout of voters, something Pheu Thai had stressed as being important for their candidate. The rain and only Dem's being chauffeur driven (as our dear gKid mentioned) must have played havoc on all carefully laid out plans. Interesting is also that the Bangkok Governor race seems to have polarized voters a bit more again. We seem to have close to 90% of votes for two candidates when in 2009 that was 75%. Of course it could be none of the other 23 candidates this time were really inspiring voters who have to vote for the top two assuming they wanted to vote. And now we have to wait and see in how far the Pheu Thai led government really committed to resolve various problems in co-operation with the new Bangkok governor. BTW, where there any 'real' commitments?

For the record, I maintained the position that the Democrats would most likely win. As you may recall, I repeatedly stresses that the polling results only reflected resident's preferences and not the preferences of those registered to vote. Bangkok has millions of residents that are not legally allowed to vote as they are registered in different regions. Mo conspiracy to deny people the vote either. You have to be a registered voter to matter in the election. What may have played against the PTP was the assumtion of some that they would win and so the PTP favouring voters did not turn out,. In any case, the Democrats won and that is that.

That is such a week excuse I almost liked it.

[TomTao]

The people of Bangkok have spoken, congratulations to the Democrats, lets hope the promises uttered during the campaigning are kept.

[hellodolly]

What a smack in the face to Pheu Thai Party which had expended much money and effort.

It's also a warning to Pheu Thai Party they don't have the pubic support they expected and the next national elections might tip them out.

They have been thinking they were invincible with there general election win. They have been carrying on like they had the majority of the people with them.

Now maybe they realize they only had 48% and that number is dwindling. they have been strutting around like they had 52% I believe that now they understand that their 48% was not a mandate.,

They are probably realizing some of those votes were cast for them in the believe that Thaksin would be back real soon. Some of them were against Abhist and the percentage would most assuredly been lower if the yellow shirts had voted.

Hopefully they get the message and decide to do a decent job of ruling Thailand.

But I seriously doubt it.

[HeavyDrinker]

'Kin nora! Like it's going to affect any one of us....

[Khonper]

As long as it keeps another PTP tw"i"t out of the BKK running, and Abhisit is still in control of some areas, I can only say today's result has made me smile, with a wide grin.

Up yours, Yinglick, and your confidence in the Bangkokians coming your way - for once, the people voted in the right direction.

-mel.

My wife used to like the Thai Rak Thai party but lost confidence before it became PTP. In the last year she is soooo down on Yingluck and the way the cost of living in Bangkok has doubled, that since 6:00pm she has been grinning and laughing. Very unThai but at least now she knows she is on the right team. Yingluck has been given the first insight into her perceived popularity. The spin doctors can't cover this one up.

Actually what prices/costs has doubled up? i must have missed that.

[Buchholz]

Well, the Shins were certainly ready for a party with their polished sunglasses.

I was wondering about that photo... What's with the whole clan wearing sunglasses on a rainy/overcast day?

.

it's related to a couple of song lyrics...

.

Well I hope the guy enjoys his day of fame on Tvisa because doesn't look good for the future!!,,,,,,,

.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades,

I gotta wear shades

- Timbuk3

AND

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

so I can

so I can

Watch you weave then breath your story lines.

I said

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

- Corey Hart

,

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What does tonight's outcome say for what must have been a handful of different poll results reported in the "news media" over the past few week, if memory serves, each of them claiming that Pong was far ahead of his rival?

Seems as though the believability of the poll results ranks right up there with the believability of PTP campaign promises...

[Khonper]

Bangkok Governor Elections

2009 4,150,103 voters, 2,120,721 votes cast
1. MR Sukhumbhant	Dems		934,602		45.47%
2. Yuranun P.		PT		611,669		29.72%
3. ML Nattakorn		Indep.		334,846		16.17%
4. Kaewsan A.		Team KTP	144,779		7.03%

2013 4,244,465 voters, 2,715,640 votes cast (63.98%)
1. MR Sukhumbhant	Dems		1,256,231	46.25
2. Pongsapat P.		PT		1,077,899	39.63
3. Seripisut T.		Indep.		166,582		6.13
4. Suharit S.		Indep.		78,825		2.90

All data on 2013 preliminary (of course)

So he won by, 321,629 more than his last election.

or 134.4% compared to last time.

I remember the many polls and pols saying he was trailing by 20%....

As I have said several times before:

'Polls in Thailand can be tailored to the purchasers requirements.'

'Pols in Thailand can be purchased to the Liege-Lords requirements.'

But that doesn't mean all the people believe the polls or the pols.

If you do the math correctly so he won 179000 more votes or 6.6% over PT, last time he won w 323000 or 15.7% more votes, so the gap actually is closer.

He did get 34.4% more votes but PT got 76.2% more votes.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Khonper

[Buchholz]

Not exactly. The Democrats benefit from the fact that millions of Bangkok residents are not allowed to vote in the election.

If the voting rules followed the typical practices in other democracies where all that mattered was the need to have lived in the region for a year, then the voter pool would be very different with hundreds of thousands of PTP leaning people voting. This is just the way the voter requirements are structured. It is no different than the hundreds of thousands of Thais working in Phuket, not being allowed to vote in Phuket elections since they are not registered in Phuket and why the police allocation still depends upon the 300,000 registered population ves the almost 1million actual population. This is how it is in Thailand.

They can vote they just have to register in BKK its that simple, nobody is stopping them. Just get added on a tabien baan.

You act like its a big conspiracy, its not where i am from i also have to register where i live and cant vote if im not registered there.

AND

Not exactly. The Democrats benefit from the fact that millions of Bangkok residents are not allowed to vote in the election.

If the voting rules followed the typical practices in other democracies where all that mattered was the need to have lived in the region for a year, then the voter pool would be very different with hundreds of thousands of PTP leaning people voting. This is just the way the voter requirements are structured. It is no different than the hundreds of thousands of Thais working in Phuket, not being allowed to vote in Phuket elections since they are not registered in Phuket and why the police allocation still depends upon the 300,000 registered population ves the almost 1million actual population. This is how it is in Thailand.

Is all it takes GK is to move your house registration at least 6 months prior to an election. Actually very easy to do.

.

Thanks for the fuzzy noise filtering.

.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Buchholz

[SABloke]

And the 100 000's of Southern/North Western/Central democrat supporters that live in Bangkok as well. Not everyone outside of Bangkok is a PTP/Thaksin supporter. There's more to this country than Isaan and BKK.

i do not know why anyone is surprised,Bangkok has been staunchly Dem for over a decade, and will remain so i suspect.

blatantly populist policies dont work where you have an educated voter base.

Not exactly. The Democrats benefit from the fact that millions of Bangkok residents are not allowed to vote in the election.

If the voting rules followed the typical practices in other democracies where all that mattered was the need to have lived in the region for a year, then the voter pool would be very different with hundreds of thousands of PTP leaning people voting. This is just the way the voter requirements are structured. It is no different than the hundreds of thousands of Thais working in Phuket, not being allowed to vote in Phuket elections since they are not registered in Phuket and why the police allocation still depends upon the 300,000 registered population ves the almost 1million actual population. This is how it is in Thailand.

Edited March 3, 2013 by SABloke

[EyesWideOpen]

With the inability of the PTP to buy votes in Bangkok,

the outcome of this election was a forgone conclusion....

[bigbamboo]

For some reason this shock result brings back memories of a certain Norwegiah football commentator some years ago after his country had surprisingly beaten England....

"Chalerm Yubamrung, Kittirat na Ranong, Jatuporn Prompan, Thida Thavornseth, Princess Yingluck, Surapong Towijakchaijkul, Pojaman na Pombera, Yaowapa Wongsawat, Thaksin Shinawatra.... can you hear me?........ Thaksin Shinawatra...... your boy took a hell of a beating!"

[deckard]

I'm so glad that the Bangkok residents haen't got short memories and remember the Taxin led Red Shirt arson , looting , violence and murder in 2010 .

[dcutman]

For some reason this shock result brings back memories of a certain Norwegiah football commentator some years ago after his country had surprisingly beaten England....

"Chalerm Yubamrung, Kittirat na Ranong, Jatuporn Prompan, Thida Thavornseth, Princess Yingluck, Surapong Towijakchaijkul, Pojaman na Pombera, Yaowapa Wongsawat, Thaksin Shinawatra.... can you hear me?........ Thaksin Shinawatra...... your boy took a hell of a beating!"

You suppose Thaksin is going to give electric poles a bit more respect from now on?

Edited March 3, 2013 by dcutman

[rubl]

As to the statistics I posted before, I also wrote before that that it seems we either
- have a polarized voter group
or
- only two worthwhile candidates

It may be correct, but not necessarily so, to say that the MR Sukhumbhant voter group seems more consistent and k. Pongsapat profited from the lack of other colourful figures. Maybe pre-election (only) promises from the Pheu Thai candidate have helped, but we would need another poll to find out and who can do a trustworthy one?

I do not say anything on Bangkok election results in the last general elections as in many cases different type of elections (i.e. about different governing levels) give different results.

[Maestro]

I have deleted a post with an uncorroborated claim of corruption and the replies to it,

[Skywalker69]

Well, the Shins were certainly ready for a party with their polished sunglasses.

I was wondering about that photo... What's with the whole clan wearing sunglasses on a rainy/overcast day?

.

it's related to a couple of song lyrics...

.

>Well I hope the guy enjoys his day of fame on Tvisa because doesn't look good for the future!!,,,,,,,

.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades,

I gotta wear shades

- Timbuk3

AND

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

so I can

so I can

Watch you weave then breath your story lines.

I said

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

I wear my sunglasses at night on a rainy/overcast day

- Corey Hart

,

Thank you for a good laugh.

[Locationthailand]

As long as it keeps another PTP tw"i"t out of the BKK running, and Abhisit is still in control of some areas, I can only say today's result has made me smile, with a wide grin.

Up yours, Yinglick, and your confidence in the Bangkokians coming your way - for once, the people voted in the right direction.

-mel.

My wife used to like the Thai Rak Thai party but lost confidence before it became PTP. In the last year she is soooo down on Yingluck and the way the cost of living in Bangkok has doubled, that since 6:00pm she has been grinning and laughing. Very unThai but at least now she knows she is on the right team. Yingluck has been given the first insight into her perceived popularity. The spin doctors can't cover this one up.

Actually what prices/costs has doubled up? i must have missed that.

Rice for a start...

[Skywalker69]

For some reason this shock result brings back memories of a certain Norwegiah football commentator some years ago after his country had surprisingly beaten England....

"Chalerm Yubamrung, Kittirat na Ranong, Jatuporn Prompan, Thida Thavornseth, Princess Yingluck, Surapong Towijakchaijkul, Pojaman na Pombera, Yaowapa Wongsawat, Thaksin Shinawatra.... can you hear me?........ Thaksin Shinawatra...... your boy took a hell of a beating!"

You suppose Thaksin is going to give electric poles a bit more respect from now on?

Yes more than election polls.

[Ian Curtis]

Nice to hear the reds accepted defeat so well. How long before the "it was stolen from us" myths start to circulate?

We were watching the losers conference. My wife said one of the blokes was saying a lot of dead people voted.

Was that the majority?

[Jawnie]

Not sure why an incumbent winning re-election is considered to be a "major upset." If anything, I'd say it's a major case of inaccurate polling and unreliable surveys.

[bigbamboo]

Not sure why an incumbent winning re-election is considered to be a "major upset." If anything, I'd say it's a major case of inaccurate polling and unreliable surveys.

I can think of someone who will be upset in a major way at this result and who no doubt has been sharpening his metaphorical axe ever since the result was apparent. I wonder whose head will end up on the end of a pole.

Actually he did say he could put a pole up for election and still win. He must have been thinking about the national election but in Bangkok they are too smart for that.

Edited March 3, 2013 by bigbamboo

[smedly]

Nice to hear the reds accepted defeat so well. How long before the "it was stolen from us" myths start to circulate?

it was raining - raining yellow

not that I support either but the corrupt machine called PT TS just got a serious spanner in the works

the most powerful man in thailand has just been reborn

[SiameseCurios]

i do not know why anyone is surprised,Bangkok has been staunchly Dem for over a decade, and will remain so i suspect.

blatantly populist policies dont work where you have an educated voter base.

Not exactly. The Democrats benefit from the fact that millions of Bangkok residents are not allowed to vote in the election.

If the voting rules followed the typical practices in other democracies where all that mattered was the need to have lived in the region for a year, then the voter pool would be very different with hundreds of thousands of PTP leaning people voting. This is just the way the voter requirements are structured. It is no different than the hundreds of thousands of Thais working in Phuket, not being allowed to vote in Phuket elections since they are not registered in Phuket and why the police allocation still depends upon the 300,000 registered population ves the almost 1million actual population. This is how it is in Thailand.

You really are a fool.

[Throatwobbler]

i do not know why anyone is surprised,Bangkok has been staunchly Dem for over a decade, and will remain so i suspect.

blatantly populist policies dont work where you have an educated voter base.

Not exactly. The Democrats benefit from the fact that millions of Bangkok residents are not allowed to vote in the election.

If the voting rules followed the typical practices in other democracies where all that mattered was the need to have lived in the region for a year, then the voter pool would be very different with hundreds of thousands of PTP leaning people voting. This is just the way the voter requirements are structured. It is no different than the hundreds of thousands of Thais working in Phuket, not being allowed to vote in Phuket elections since they are not registered in Phuket and why the police allocation still depends upon the 300,000 registered population ves the almost 1million actual population. This is how it is in Thailand.

You really are a fool.

Don't worry he still won't listen. Many people have pointed out how easy it is to change where you are registered to vote, but he still won't listen.

[ezzra]

Didn't Sukhumband want to retire from Bangkok Governorship? Or was it just a diversion????

- let the broken futsal tiles start over again....

.... or did the Pheu Thai pay under the table for Sukhumband, in order to save his face to create another diversion??? <- Right after the motto: "We can't let the public see us took perfectly dominating, or otherwise they see there's something wrong, so we let our rival win at least once and continue the rice scam, flood scam, power scam etc...

Diversion=Face

Indeed, it was intended as a face saving move..just in case, and very obvious...

[MAJIC]

Judging by the so called "Landslide" Result, of the last Election for PTP and Yingluck,this looks to me like another Landslide Victory for the Democrats. But i'm sure once the Red Shirt Supporters,shock (landslide) defeat has worn off,will be along later to argue the point

[MAJIC]

Bangkok Governor Elections

2009 4,150,103 voters, 2,120,721 votes cast
1. MR Sukhumbhant	Dems		934,602		45.47%
2. Yuranun P.		PT		611,669		29.72%
3. ML Nattakorn		Indep.		334,846		16.17%
4. Kaewsan A.		Team KTP	144,779		7.03%

2013 4,244,465 voters, 2,715,640 votes cast (63.98%)
1. MR Sukhumbhant	Dems		1,256,231	46.25
2. Pongsapat P.		PT		1,077,899	39.63
3. Seripisut T.		Indep.		166,582		6.13
4. Suharit S.		Indep.		78,825		2.90

All data on 2013 preliminary (of course)

So! Landslide confirmed for the Democrats then