PREEYANAT PHANAYANGGOOR

The Thai Rak Thai party successfully achieved its goal of being the ``party of the North'' yesterday after winning 70 of the 76 seats being contested, according to the Suan Dusit exit poll.

The poll predicted that Thai Rak Thai would win 70 seats, the Democrat party five seats, while a single seat would be won by the Mahachon party.

The poll sees Thai Rak Thai winning all 37 seats in the upper northern region, including the party's toughest fight in Phrae province's constituency 2 where three-time Democrat MP Siriwan Prassachaksattru was up against Anuwat Wongwon, the son of veteran MP Narong Wongwan, from Thai Rak Thai.

The poll gave Mr Anuwat a lead of 43% to take the seat from Mrs Siriwan.

Thai Rak Thai is also expected to sweep all ten seats in Chiang Mai, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's hometown, despite strong competition from the Democrat party in constituency 4, where Kingkarn na Chiang Mai, a former Chiang Mai MP for Thai Rak Thai, was running, and in constituency 1, in the form of Duantenduang na Chiang Mai, Mrs Kingkarn's daughter.

The Democrat party was also expected to lose its only seat in Chiang Mai in constituency 9. Jurapan Amornwiwat, the son of former Chiang Mai MP Sompong Amornwiwat, was seen leading the Democrat party's Yongyuth Suwaparb.

Thai Rak Thai is set to win all eight seats in Chiang Rai and three seats in Phayao, where Yongyuth Tiyapairat, the prime minister's secretary-general, was responsible for supervising the Thai Rak Thai campaign. Formerly a Thai Rak Thai constituency MP, Mr Yongyuth moved to the party list, which will improve his chances of becoming a member of the cabinet.

In the lower northern region, Thai Rak Thai improved its performance by gaining 33 of the 39 seats being contested. This left only six seats for rival parties compared with 17 in the previous general election.

The Democrat party is expected to retain its seats in Phichit's constituency 1 and 2 where Prasit Pataraprasit, secretary-general of the party, and MP Naraphat Kaewthong, respectively, were contesting seats. The Mahachon party won its only seat in this election in constituency 3, where Siriwan Krachornprasart, son of party founder Maj-Gen Sanan Krachornprasart, stood.

Democrat domination of Tak province is also expected to have come to an end.

Having taken all three seats in the previous general election, the Democrats lost two seats to Thai Rak Thai. Democrat MP Chaiwut Bannawat retained his seat in constituency 2.

In Phitsanulok, Democrat MP Juti Krairiksh was expected to be defeated by Thai Rak Thai newcomer Hatsanai Sornsit. However, the Democrats would likely gain two of six seats in constituencies 1 and 5.

Varong Detchvikrom, a new Democrat party candidate will enter parliament for the first time, having beaten Thai Rak Thai's Pitak Santiwondecha. Mr Pitak defected to Thai Rak Thai from the Democrats in August 2004. Sitting Democrat MP Nakorn Machim was expected to retain his seat in constituency 5, despite strong competition from a Thai Rak Thai rival.