Bangkok governor election a test of political winds
ABC News
Residents of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, are voting Sunday to elect a new governor in a contest whose results will be seen as a barometer of the public mood ahead of an approaching general election
BANGKOK -- Voters in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, headed to the polls Sunday to elect a new governor, in a contest whose results are likely to be seen as a barometer of the public mood ahead of an approaching general election.
A record-high 31 candidates entered the race, but the battle being watched most closely is between two who registered as independents: former Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt, whom opinion polls have marked as the strong front-runner, and Asawin Kwanmuang, who served as the appointed governor since 2016 until stepping down in March this year to contest the race.
The candidates campaigned on local issues, including congestion, pollution and persistent flooding. There are 4.4 million registered voters in the city, the country's biggest. Its last gubernatorial election was in 2013.
Neither the main opposition party in Parliament, Pheu Thai, nor the ruling Palang Pracharath party have candidates on the ballot.
