Bangkok governor election countdown begins as date set today

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022
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The Interior Ministry and Election Commission (EC) will today decide the date of the long-anticipated elections for Bangkok’s governor and Pattaya’s mayor, plus their council members. The election days will fall on May 22 or May 29, depending on the results of today’s meeting.

The government has already given a rough date of May for both elections. It will be the first time a Bangkok governor has been elected since 2013, after which the 2014 coup put a freeze on all local and national elections.

The assigned dates for the Bangkok and Pattaya polls will be proposed to local authorities on Wednesday.

The Interior Ministry will then propose the dates to Cabinet on March 8, after which the elections must be held within 60 days.

With the Cabinet's approval, the EC will announce the dates of the Bangkok governor and Pattaya mayor elections between March 21 and 31 and open registration five days after the announcement.

 

Meanwhile, local election commissions in Bangkok and Pattaya’s Chonburi are finalising constituency arrangements for submission to the national Election Commission.

In Bangkok, the election of a governor and 50 council members will be held in 50 districts across the capital.

For Pattaya, the Chonburi election commission has proposed three ways to arrange constituencies to the Election Commission. Pattaya voters will elect a new mayor along with 24 council members.

The timeline is as follows:

February 21: The Interior Ministry and EC decide the date of elections for Bangkok’s governor and Pattaya’s mayor, plus their council members. The election days will fall on May 22 or May 29, depending on the results of meeting.

February 23: The issue is proposed to local election committees.

March 8: The Interior Ministry proposes the election dates to Cabinet.

March 9-11: The Cabinet resolution is sent to the EC.

March 21-31: The EC announces the dates of the Bangkok governor and Pattaya mayor elections and opens registration five days later.