Ubon Ratchathani hotel owner chosen for the Senate
Hotel owner and new senator Naphop Laiwisetkul talks about his strategy to land that precious senate seat
Naphop Laiwisetkul, who was elected as a senator representing the tourism sector, shared his thoughts with The Nation after learning the final round results.
The Ubon Ratchathani hotelier said his intention in entering the race was to be an independent voice within the Senate and contribute to the country, noting that as a businessman from a provincial area, he is well aware of the different issues affecting the people outside of major urban areas and wants to do something about the distortions within the industry.
“I entered this process without any backing and, admittedly, I almost gave up at one point. But now, I have managed to succeed,” he said.
Naphop also revealed his strategy for winning over fellow senatorial candidates, which involved leveraging his obesity to garner sympathy. He emphasised the importance of being a giver before a receiver, and appealing to others' compassion to secure their votes.
Asked how he wanted to contribute to the country as a senator, Naphop said that he aims to address issues related to illegal tour guides and rectify the various distortions within the industry.
He declined to comment on his stance regarding constitutional amendments, stating that he would need to study the details first.
When asked about the prevalence of collusion or lobbying in the senatorial election process, Naphop laughed and admitted that there was indeed collusion. He added that his own success in the morning round was due to a random draw.
