The prize for the best election promise undoubtedly goes to Samit Samithinand, who has proposed turning all traffic lights green to solve the traffic jam in Bangkok.
The most beautiful stunt was by Sopon Pornchokchai, who – 72 years old – swam across the Chao Praya River to raise awareness for river conservation, and he also did his own version of the Harlem Shake – on dry land, of course.
But these independent candidates for governor have no chance. The battle will be between Sukhumbhand Paribatra (Democrats) and Pongsapat Pongcharoen (Pheu Thai) on Sunday. Both did not go unpunished either, as Pongsapat shows his vocal qualities in a music video and Sukhumbhand gave a rousing speech supported by the theme of the film Gladiator.
Pongsapat PongcharoenIt's going to be tight tomorrow. Will opposition party Democrats retain its main power base or will ruling party Pheu Thai take over, giving this party a near-monopoly position in Thailand? If the Democrats lose again after their ignominious defeat in the national elections, its political role will be over for the time being. The Democrats have therefore pulled out all the stops in the campaign: the party's 160 MPs, 46 municipal councilors and 296 district councilors have been sent to the streets in the past forty days to work on the Bangkokians.
A vote for the Democrats is a vote against Thaksin
What the voters are going to do is watch coffee grounds. The polls give Pongsapat a head start, but past polls have often been wrong. Do voters support Sukhumbhand? It is true that he has achieved little in the past four years as governor, but the hated pro-Thaksin party will at least stay out. One factor at play here is that pro-Democrat votes often trickle down to independent candidates. That is why analysts predict that it will be a neck-and-neck race or, as the newspaper headlines, a 'photo finish'.
But in the end, for the ordinary Bangkokian, that's not what it's about. So what is it about? These are sober issues such as traffic flow, better air quality, combating petty crime, alleviating poverty in deprived areas, food hygiene in street food stalls, successful measures against flooding, more city parks, improving the educational quality of municipal schools and health centers , waste disposal, sidewalk restoration and all those myriad problems that a governor has little to say about. And about what he does have something to say, he doesn't, as I wrote (ironically) in my column on Facebook this week.
This article uses the editorial in Bangkok Post dated March 2, 2012.
I predict that Pongsapat will win Pongcharoen and not Mr Sukhumbhand Paribatra, possibly even with a decent lead. Their programs don't differ that much, you know: solving traffic chaos, more bike lanes and trees and stuff.
But leaders are usually chosen for their charisma and not their programs. MR Sukhumbhand has the appearance of a sack of potatoes and Pongsapat is more like a jovial uncle who gets along with everyone. Bet?
@ Tino Kuis I'll take that bet, because a vote for Sukhumbhand is not a vote for Sukhumbhand but a vote against Thaksin. So I'm going for a Democrat win. Who's joining me? You can bet until 8 a.m. tomorrow, because then the polling stations will open and exit polls will be held.
I also bet on Sukhumbhand. Bangkok is not Chiang Mai, where everyone is for Taksin. I think I voted before closing time. 8 o'clock in the morning right?
Dick: Voted at 7:16, within the deadline.
No exit polls today during the gubernatorial election. Dusit Poll withdraws due to criticism of the polls. There are serious doubts about its reliability. Dusit Poll started it in 2000 when Samak Sundaravej won the elections and came out with a prediction at 15 pm when the polls closed. So now we don't know until 19 pm (unofficial) and 22 pm (official) who will be the new governor of Bangkok. (Source: Bangkok Post, March 3, 2013)
There was an exit poll, not heard of who, at exactly 15.00 pm when the polling stations closed, shown on all Thai channels.
Pongsapat has 40.02 percent and Sukumbhand 38 percent. It was striking that the difference was very large among the 'self-employed' group: Pongsapat 45 percent and Sukhumbhand 44 percent. It has poured here and there in Bangkok. It will be very tight, we'll see.
Counted 97%, Sukhumbhand 1.2 million and Pongsapat 1,0 million.
Dick, where are we going to celebrate, at your pub or at my place? Tony pays.
So Sukhumbhand has won as Dick and Jacques thought. Congratulations. It was because of all those rain showers…………
@ Tino Kuis The Democrats can squeeze their hands that they have kept their power base in Bangkok. Another ignominious loss and they were even more politically played out than they already are. By the way, the grapes must be sour that the current government has managed to conclude an agreement in principle with BRN (according to the Bangkok Post, the political branch of Runda Kumpulan Kecil) – for what it is worth, of course; that remains to be seen.
I'm actually glad the Democrats won. A little humility won't hurt the Pheua Thai, and any party, lest they lose their shoes.
Thank you, Tino. I doubt if Bangkok will gain anything from it. It is striking that the first exit polls gave a different picture.
Moderator: It's unclear who you're responding to. In addition, it is the intention that you respond to the article and not to each other