Former Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thepthai Senpong, conceded the defeat of his younger brother, Pongsin, today (Monday), to Palang Pracharat candidate, Aryasith Srisuwan, in Sunday’s by-election in Constituency 3 of the southern province.

Unofficial vote counts late Sunday night showed Pongsin with 44,620 votes against Aryasith’s 48,720.

Thepthai was stripped of his parliamentary status after he was handed a prison sentence by the court, on a charge of local election fraud. The by-election was a see-saw battle between the Democrat and Palang Pracharat parties, both of which are in the coalition government.

The former Democrat MP said that he and his election team had done their best and offered thanks to his supporters.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, leader of the Pracharat party, thanked the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat for supporting Aryasith and vowed to take care of the people in the province to the best of his ability.

The official poll result is yet to be announced by the Election Commission.