Ampa Santimatanedol

Mana Mahasuveerachai, right, who will run in the Bangkok governor election, is garlanded by supporter Yenjit Sermpramok, while campaigning with his mentor Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, centre, at Bang Rak market on Charoenkrung road. - APICHART JINAKUL

Former Si Sa Ket MP Mana Mahasuveerachai, who will stand for the Aug 29 Bangkok governor election, appeared to win a sizeable recognition from voters, including the gay community, during campaigning yesterday.

The positive response could be partially attributed to the help of former Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang, who said Mr Mana could be ''the right governor'' and declared his full support for him.

Maj-Gen Chamlong campaigned alongside Mr Mana and his wife and three sons for the first time yesterday.

They were welcomed in Bang Rak and Yan Nawa, proof that ''Chamlong fever'' has not yet receded.

Surrounded by people who asked to take his picture and shake his hand, Maj-Gen Chamlong said he would do as much as he could to support Mr Mana.

For his part, Mr Mana said he would use ''an army of motorcycles'' to get into communities and meet voters.

He would ride a motorcycle, and take 30 members of his team to city hall tomorrow to register his candidacy.

He would not use big billboards because he wanted to prove that money was not as important as good policy in politics. Even though opinion polls found he was not among the favourites, he believed that was because he had declared his candidacy only two weeks ago.

His popularity would improve once he met more voters and told them how he could solve their problems, he said.

At a talk with a group of gays arranged by Traffic Corner Co and Bangkok Today newspaper, Mr Mana received heavy applause when he said he had never considered homosexual people a problem or held any prejudice against them.

If his son was a gay, he would not force him to change, he said.

''I will give my son independence. I will let him live any kind of life that makes him happy,'' he said.

Mr Mana urged the group to use ''gay power'' to make the government listen and respond to their calls for equality.

He pledged to build a public library where people could get access to any book via information technology.