Incumbent Phitsanulok CEO retains seat in Sunday election
Monchai Wiwatthanat receives more than twice as many votes in PAO election as People’s Party unofficial candidate
The incumbent CEO of Phitsanulok Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) won the election on Sunday to retain his seat, according to the unofficial ballot tally.
By 10pm on Sunday, with 99% of the ballots counted, Monchai Wiwatthanat appeared to be well ahead of his closest opponent, Siripan Khunprachaknukul, with an overwhelming 213,962 votes.
Siripan, who is backed by the People’s Party, received 103,769 votes.
The Phitsanulok PAO’s CEO election was held earlier than other PAOs nationwide because Monchai resigned before completing his term.
A total of three candidates contested in the election. The third candidate, Srettha Kittijarurat, received only 13,521 votes.
Monchai contested the election under the Phitsanulok Power group.
Although the People’s Party, which is the reincarnation of the dissolved Move Forward Party, has not formally endorsed Siripan as its candidate, it is known that the PP supported her.
Siripan contested the election in the name of New Step Team and she used the orange as her team symbol. The dissolved MFP also used orange as its color symbol. Moreover, former MFP MP for Phitsanulok, Padipat Suntiphada, also helped campaign for her during the election campaign.
Siripan’s defeat was seen as a bad sign for the PP which planned to field a candidate to retain Padipat Santipada’s House seat in a by-election expected to be held late September.
