Thai Cabinet Gives The Nod For Bangkok Governor Election

By Linda Khoo Hui Li BANGKOK, March 9 (Bernama) -- Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light for the long awaited Bangkok governor elections, after the last one held before the 2014 coup. Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the cabinet chaired by Prayuth Chan o-cha also approved the proposal by Interior Ministry to hold the polls for Pattaya mayor, with the last one also held before the coup. “Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) will set the dates for Bangkok governor and Pattaya mayor elections. “The elections are expected to be held in May this year,” he said at a press conference here, Tuesday. Local media reported that Bangkok residents would also elect 50 council members while Pattaya residents will elect 24 council members in the upcoming polls. In the last Bangkok governor election in 2013, Sukhumbhand Paribatra from the Democrat Party won his second term. However, he was removed from his position following the May 2014 coup, and was replaced by current Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang who was appointed in October 2016. A survey by National Institute of Development Administration found that Chadchart Sittipunt, former transport minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra administration is the favourite choice for Bangkok governor. He is expected to run as an independent in the upcoming Bangkok gubernatorial election. The survey polled 1,313 people from February 28 to March 2. It found that 38.01 per cent of the respondents preferred Chadchart as the next Bangkok governor. Incumbent Governor Aswin Kwanmuang was way behind in the race, getting support from only 11.73 per cent of respondents. -- BERNAMA