Young Turks win Phuket City election

PHUKET CITY: Incumbent Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana was re-elected by a comfortable margin on Sunday, garnering 10,657 votes (57.4%) vs just 7,910 (42.6%) votes for her rival Ayuth Tansiriroj, leader of the Chao Baan Sarng San (Creative Village People) party.

In a remarkable outcome in voting for regular council seats, it was a clean sweep for members of Somjai’s Khon Noom (Young Turks) party, who won all 24 seats – six in each of the four voting precincts.

The winners in each precinct were:

Precinct 1: Wutthichai Saekam (2,179 votes); Songwut Hongyok (2,151); Likit Thaneerat (2,063); Prathana Tahnthiwit (2,032); Kanoksiri Prachumpan (2,007); and Worapop Rattachothipong (1,981).

The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Pornyamon Khanlkaikul, with 1,905 votes.

Precinct 2: Visuth Promthong (2,542 votes); Phisut Suthichindawongse (2,495); Virunporn Saetan (2,444); Sommai Nathip (2,366); Prasit Jongjeamjai (2,354); and Wilai Sanguan-ngam (2,146).

The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Thawatchai Boonwit, with 1,540 votes. Anand Saekaew, the only independent candidate in the election, received 515 votes.

Precinct 3: Nivat Arunrat (3,051 votes); Ananthep Navee (2,841); Narongrit Thavornpaiboonbutr (2,837); Thiensak Santhikayawakul (2,804); Pongsingh Na Nakhrn (2,760); and Yuthachai Limchaisawadi (2,547).

The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Lt Somkiat Jiromrarat, with 1,966 votes.

Precinct 4: Niwat Aengchuan (2,771 votes); Amnuay Kumban (2,669); Nithakarn Keratichariyasopon (2,600); Thanin Charoenlap (2,570); Chalerm Chankol (2,522); and Niran Kongtanthikul (2,496).

The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Wittaya Tantisuthiwej, with 1,808 votes.

When the voting was completed and the results began to emerge, some female candidates of the Creative Village People party were in tears and had to be consoled by their party leader.

Campaigning was fierce in the final days leading up to the polls, with both mayoral candidates distributing thousands of multi-page newsletters attacking the other and defending themselves.

A source at the Phuket City Administration Office said overall turnout was lower than expected, with just 20,262 of 44,637 eligible voters (45%) casting ballots. Of these, there were 833 “no” votes and 862 were spoiled ballots.

Wet monsoon conditions are thought to have kept turnout low at the 69 polling units, most located in schools in the city’s two tambons: Talad Yai and Talad Neua.