BANGKOK, Jan 15 – The Election Commission (EC) officially announced March 3 for Bangkok’s next election and Jan 21-25 as the timeframe for candidates to submit their applications.
EC Bangkok zone chairman Taweesak Tuchinda said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been instructed to announce application and election dates.
Former Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra kicked off his election campaign for the gubernatorial election on Yaowarat Road – Bangkok’s Chinatown – Monday afternoon. He vowed to promote Yaowarat Road as the “ASEAN Chinatown” with better transport service and more use of English language in restaurants and shops.
He was accompanied by Democrat campaign manager Ong-art Klampaiboon, ex-Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin and city and district councillors.
For the safety of Bangkok residents and visitors, he said all taxis plying the capital will be equipped with global position system (GPS) equipment, adding that many improvements are aimed at upgrading Bangkok as the “ASEAN Mega-city.”
He said electrical and telephone wires which are a sight pollution for Bangkok will be moved underground on major roads, but not all due to budget constraints as shifting the hanging wires under the ground costs Bt50-100 million per kilometre.
Mr Sukhumbhand congratulated his rival, Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen for getting the Pheu Thai party’s blessing to run in the Bangkok election.
