Chaiwat Sathawornwichit has emerged as the strongest challenger to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt in next month’s gubernatorial election, bolstered by the People’s Party (PP) and its massive popularity among the capital’s voters.
At his May 5 campaign launch, the opposition party’s deputy leader promised to ease the burdens of urban life under the election slogan “Bangkok Made Easy”.
'An uphill battle'
Despite the party's momentum, analysts say the 44-year-old faces an uphill battle to unseat Chadchart, who is expected to kick off his re-election bid after his first four-year term concludes on May 21.
On May 7, Chadchart confirmed a “high likelihood” of seeking a second term, though he said he would wait until his current term officially ends before making a formal announcement.
Recent opinion polls place Chadchart as the heavy favourite to win the June 28 election, despite lingering criticism over his handling of deep-seated issues like flooding, traffic congestion, and pollution.
Observers expect Chadchart, who turns 60 on May 24, to retain the governorship unless a rival can deliver a vision compelling enough to capture the imagination of the electorate.
Chadchart himself has admitted the contest will be intense, noting that a repeat of his 2022 landslide is doubtful given the shifting political landscape.
“The latest national election results showed that the People’s Party has very strong support in Bangkok,” he said, referring to the party’s clean sweep of all 33 House seats in the capital in the February 8 general election.
In May 2022, Chadchart scored a historic victory with 1.38 million votes – over half (51.8%) of the total ballots cast. His nearest rivals, Suchatvee Suwansawat (Democrat Party) and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn (of PP’s predecessor Move Forward), trailed far behind with under 10% each.
Not the first choice
Wiroj was initially expected to challenge Chadchart again but was sidelined by legal action against him. In late April, the Supreme Court accepted a case filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) accusing Wiroj and 43 other former Move Forward MPs of breaching constitutional ethics by sponsoring a 2021 motion to amend the lese majeste law.
Chaiwat — a fellow PP deputy leader and former central bank executive — stepped in to fill the vacancy. While acknowledging Chadchart’s popularity among Bangkok voters, Chaiwat remains optimistic.
“We expect to win. We aim to make Bangkok better by offering an alternative that promises tangible change and improved opportunities,” he said.
From the central bank to politics
Chaiwat holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Chulalongkorn University, alongside master’s and doctoral degrees in information science from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST).
He began his career in 2002 as an engineer at Schlumberger Overseas. Following his doctoral research, he joined NEC Corporation as a senior researcher before returning to Thailand to join the Bank of Thailand (BOT) as an IT expert. He eventually rose to deputy director of the BOT’s Corporate Strategy Group before entering politics in 2023.
He also served as an adviser to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 2020 to 2021.
Chaiwat joined Move Forward shortly after leaving the central bank and won a party-list seat in Parliament in the 2023 general election. Following the Constitutional Court’s dissolution of Move Forward, he helped form the People’s Party and was elected deputy leader for foreign affairs in September 2024.
Though re-elected as a list MP on February 8, Chaiwat gave up his seat on May 6 – just one day after being named the PP candidate for Bangkok governor. His parliamentary seat has been filled by Karoonpon Tieansuwan, the next candidate on the party list.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
