Palang Chon wins 6 of 8 seats; Kunplome clan tightens grasp on region
Palang Chon party members raise their hands
in victory
after winning 6 of 8 seats in Chonburi province.
Phasakorn Channgam
The Pattaya area again secured a seat at the national
political table when Thailand’s incoming prime minister added the
Chonburi Power Party to her ruling coalition.
Yingluck Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party
and the presumed choice to lead the next government, invited Palang Chon
and three other small parties to join a coalition that will control 299
of parliament’s 500 seats. The outgoing Democratic ruling party won 159
seats, including just one in Chonburi. The Democrats took all eight of
the province’s constituencies in the December 2007 election.
By winning all but two Chonburi constituencies,
Palang Chon gave Pheu Thai little choice but to offer it a role in the
new government. By controlling six of eight MPs, the Chonburi
Administrative Organization, the Pattaya mayor’s office and a number of
district, sub-district and village chief positions, the Kunplome family
has become the gatekeeper for the entire Eastern Seaboard.
Miss Thailand Universe
Chanyasorn Sakonchan poses for the paparazzi whilst voting in
Plutaluang.
So, despite the fact that Palang Chon’s members
aligned themselves with rival Democrats for the past three years, Pheu
Thai rolled out the red carpet for the Kunplomes, along with the Pheu
Panadin, Chart Thai Pattaya and Mahachon parties. In return, Palang Chon
is certain to go after the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
Sukumon Kunplome, who won Chonburi constituency 6 and
will represent Pattaya in parliament, is the wife of Sonthaya Kunplome,
a former Tourism and Sports Minister under Yingluck’s brother, former
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Getting Tourism and Sports is also important for
Chonburi Power’s political goals. The party focused much of its campaign
on boosting tourism to the Eastern Seaboard, promising such things as
establishment of a tourism university and tax breaks for tourism-related
businesses.
A ministry award isn’t certain, however. A day after
polls closed, Pheu Thai officials were quoted as saying parties would
need to contribute eight MPs to the coalition in exchange for each
Cabinet post. Palang Chon has only seven.
The bars are closed and
the streets are dark, but a few people wander out to see a closed down
Walking Street during the elections.
Among them, are Suchart Chomklin in Chonburi’s 1st
constituency, Ukrit Tansawat, in zone 2, Ronathep Anuwat in zone 3,
Phansak Ketwatha in constituency 5 and Poramet Ngamphichet in zone 7,
which also includes parts of Banglamung and Pattaya.
The Democrats’ only win in Chonburi came in zone 4
were Sarawut Nuangjamnong prevailed.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in local results came in
Sattahip, home to tens of thousands of Royal Thai Navy personnel.
Despite the military’s strong backing of the Democratic Party, Pheu
Thai’s Surapol Chandaeng - a former Navy admiral - beat out both the
Democrats and Palang Chon.
The other pleasant surprise was that the election
went off in Chonburi smoothly and peacefully, with no reports of the
violence many feared. More than 706,600 of Chonburi’s 958,793 eligible
voters turned out, giving the province nearly 74 percent turnout.
Among the voters were Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit, who
cast his vote at 8 a.m. at Samed Temple before visiting polling stations
in Banglamung, Sattahip and Ban Beung. The polls were busy everywhere
early, as many feared rain in the afternoon.
In Pattaya, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome put his votes in
for family and friends at Pattaya School No. 5 before setting out on his
own tour of polling locations. In Sattahip, District Chief Chaichan
Iamcharoen cast his votes at Sattahip Temple.
Some polling locations worked overtime to make sure
everyone could vote. At St. Nikolas Church in central Pattaya, officials
attended to disabled voters who said they wanted to cast votes for a
government that would improve social services and transport. Others with
physical challenges showed up in Samae San, where poll workers also
helped blind voters mark their ballots.
The election also saw a little bit of star gazing, as
people reached for cameras after spotting Miss Thailand Universe
Chanyasorn Sakonchan coming to make her ballot choices at Ratsamakhee in
Plutaluang.
