Well-Known Names Nominated for Bangkok Governor Election

Two high-profile figures are expected to be nominated for Bangkok’s governor election, intensifying the race scheduled for April 2022.

According to a source from the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), Pathum Thani’s governor Narongsak Osottanakorn agreed to run for the post after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon earlier this week.

Mr. Narongsak would officially run as a candidate under the PPRP’s banner next week, the source added.

Pathum Thani’s governor has been praised for his efforts to rescue a football team trapped in a flooded cave system in Chiang Rai. The PPRP had reportedly asked him to run as its candidate, but he rejected the offer saying he had no political ambitions and wanted to remain in the civil service.

The PPRP previously eyed Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang to stand as its candidate after former national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda gave up his candidacy.

But the party’s MP for Bangkok and election supervisor in the capital, Jakkarapan Pornnimitr, clarified that the PPRP did not plan to include Pol Gen Aswin in the poll. Bangkok’s current governor has not indicated that he intends to run with the party.

The PPRP source told the media that the party had yet to decide whether to put Mr. Narongsak on the ticket or allow him to run as an independent candidate and back him, as they wanted to first gauge his popularity among Bangkok voters, who are often difficult to predict.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that Suchatchavee Suwansawas, who recently resigned as rector of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), could be the Democratic Party’s candidate.

Democratic Party deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon said he would nominate Mr. Suchatchavee for the governor election during the party’s executive committee meeting on Monday, hoping to officially present him as a candidate on the same day if the party approves the nomination.

Also, a Pheu Thai Party source said they might decide to support Chadchart Sittipunt, who served as transport minister during Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration and is now running as an independent.

Mr. Chadchart led opinion polls before the two potential high-profile candidates were announced. According to a Nida poll released on Sunday, most respondents (34.4%) supported him as Bangkok’s next governor.

The last poll for Bangkok’s governor election, which has been postponed since the 2014 coup, was conducted in March 2013.