Is Bangkok about to elect its 18th governor, or will the 17th chief secure a second term? The answer to this – and many other questions – will emerge on June 28, when the Thai capital’s 4.5 million voters head to the polls.
This will be their 12th visit to choose a chief executive of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), since the capital was elevated to a special administrative area in 1972.
Eight governors were elected across the previous 11 elections, with three securing second terms: Chamlong Srimuang, Apirak Kosayothin, and Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
The city’s first four governors were appointed by the Cabinet before Bangkok elected Thammanoon Thien-ngern in the inaugural gubernatorial election in August 1975. The vote was held under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act, which took effect earlier that year to mandate an elected governor.
The second-termers
Among the eight elected governors, the three who won re-election were Chamlong (in 1985 and 1990), the Democrat Party’s Apirak Kosayodhin (2004 and 2008) and Sukhumbhand Paribatra (2009 and 2013).
The million-vote club
Of the more than 200 candidates to contend for Bangkok’s top seat, only four managed to earn over 1 million votes. Three of them became governors, but the last one suffered a painful defeat.
Veteran politician Samak Sundaravej, who went on to become prime minister, was the first candidate to reach the million-vote milestone. In the July 2000 election, he garnered 1,016,096 votes to defeat Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Rak Thai Party.
At the 2013 election, Sukhumbhand set a record with 1,256,349 votes – beating the 1,077,899 won by runner-up Pongsapat Pongcharoen of the Pheu Thai Party. The two top candidates shared almost 90% of all votes between them.
Chadchart Sittipunt, who is now seeking a second term as Bangkok governor, smashed that record at the 2022 election, securing 1,386,215 votes – 51.8% of all ballots cast and exceeding the combined votes of his 30 competitors.
The record holders
• Age records: Samak became the oldest Bangkok governor when he was elected in July 2000 at age 65. Apirak was the youngest when he won the seat at 43.
• Term lengths: Sukhumbhand served the longest time in office – seven years and seven months – while Thammanoon served the shortest term at just one year and eight months.
• Vote share: Chamlong won the largest share of votes in 1990, securing 63.5% of all ballots cast, while Apirak won with the smallest margin of 38.2% in 2004.
• Voter turnout: The 2013 election saw the highest voter turnout of 63.9%, compared to the lowest turnout of only 13.8% during Bangkok’s inaugural election in 1975.
Democrat dominance
Historically, the most successful party in the Bangkok governor race is the Democrats. Thailand’s oldest political outfit has won five of the 11 elections, with its three candidates guiding the city for a combined period of more than 13 years – over a third of the total 35 years under all eight elected governors.
The first Democrat governor was Thammanoon, who won the maiden gubernatorial election over five decades ago. The Democrats made a triumphant return with Apirak in August 2004. He was re-elected in October 2008 but resigned a month later to fight a malfeasance case. Sukhumbhand won the 2009 gubernatorial election held to fill the seat left vacant after Apirak’s resignation. The third Democrat governor was re-elected in 2013 and served until October 2016.
Popular parties’ failures
Notably, major parties that have dominated Bangkok in national parliamentary elections have historically failed to win the governor’s seat.
Parties linked to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – Thai Rak Thai, People Power Party, and Pheu Thai – have all fielded candidates but never conquered City Hall, even when Thaksin was at the height of his power and popularity.
The Move Forward Party, predecessor of the current opposition leader, the People’s Party, fielded Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn in the 2022 gubernatorial election. He came third, gaining 9.5% of all votes. However, one year later, the national election saw Move Forward win all but one of the 33 Bangkok seats.
The People’s Party, which completed a clean sweep of Bangkok in last February’s general election, is relying on its candidate Chaiwat Sathawornwichit in the upcoming battle for Bangkok governor.
Elections put on hold
Bangkok’s gubernatorial elections were suspended twice, both times by post-coup juntas.
The first break lasted from April 1977, when Thammanoon was removed from office by post-coup prime minister Thanin Kraivichien, until the second election was held in November 1985.
The second break took place after the May 2014 military coup, as the junta suspended elections across the country. The May 2022 gubernatorial election was held more than nine years after the previous one in March 2013.
