The Pheu Thai party clinched victory when its candidate, Karn Kalptinan, won the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) mayoral election yesterday.
Karn and his brother, Pheu Thai party-list MP Kriang, declared victory at about 9.40pm last night, after more than 60% of the votes had been counted, showing Karn leading by a large margin over Chittrawan Wangsuphakijkosol.
The unofficial vote count at 10.48pm was:
1. Karn - 284,422
2. Chittrawan - 238,407
3. Sitthiphol Laohavanich - 92,638
4. Athippatai Srimongkol - 2,415
Karn told the media that his election win was, in part, thanks to the support of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his campaign.
Meanwhile, Chittrawan conceded and thanked people for voting for her. Despite this local election loss, she said she is not discouraged and vowed to fight on in the national election under the banner of another party, Thai Ruam Palang.
Sitthiphol, of the People’s party, and Phicharn Chaowapatanawong, an executive committee member of the party, conceded defeat at a press conference held at 7.45pm.
Nonetheless, Phicharn said that the party will field candidates in the PAO elections early next year in 47 provinces, adding that elections do not decide which parties have “control over the people.”
“We compete through the presentation of our party’s policies and performance,” said Phicharn.
