Pheu Thai-backed candidate wins Pathum Thani election

Pheu Thai-aligned candidate Charn Puangphet was elected president of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) on Sunday.

Charn defeated the incumbent Pol Lt Gen Khamronwit Thoopkrachang by 203,032 votes to 201,212, a narrow margin of 1,820 votes, Pathum Thani’s election commission announced.  

Khamronwit, whom some pollsters had predicted would win the election, led in the early count after polling stations closed on Sunday evening. But at 8.25pm, his main rival Charn had surged back to overtake the incumbent and led by around 2,600 votes.

The lead narrowed to around 1,000 at 8.50pm before Charn’s vote surged again.

Khamronwit, 72, had defeated beat Charn, 10 years his junior, by over 30,000 votes in the 2020 election. Charn had previously served three terms as Pathum Thani PAO chief.

Khamronwit, a former police commissioner, acknowledged the result and said he would not ask the Election Commission for a recount despite suspecting fraud at certain polling stations.

“I’m man enough so I won’t file any complaint,” Khamronwit said.

Asked whether support for Charn from former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had swung the vote, Khamronwit sidestepped the question, saying only: “I would like to congratulate Charn and Pheu Thai.”

Thaksin had asked his supporters to vote for Charn when the ex-PM attended a Buddhist ordainment gathering in Pathum Thani early last month.

Khamronwit complained to the EC that the gathering breached election law as it was held as part of campaigning.

The Pathum Thani PAO election was an important battleground for Pheu Thai after the ruling party was heavily defeated in the province by the Move Forward Party at last year’s national election.

Khamronwit said on Sunday night that he would not file a fresh complaint but would await the outcome of his initial complaint.

Khamronwit said he did not regret resigning nine months before completing his term after realising the incumbent would have no authority to solve local people’s issues during the last 180 days of his tenure.

“I’m pleased that I have done my best to help Pathum Thani people during the three years and three months of my tenure,” Khamronwit said.

Charn thanked Pathum Thani voters for entrusting him with the post. Asked if he had anything to say to his rival: Charn answered: “I would like to send a message to brother [Khamronwit] that It’s normal in politics to win some and lose some.”

He promised to introduce new policies at the Pathum Thani PAO.