Si Sa Ket by-election goes to Thaksin supporter

The Puea Thai party easily won Sunday's by-election in Si Sa Ket province by a 3-to-2 margin, unofficial results showed.

With most of the vote counted on Sunday evening, the Election Commission announced that Surachart Charnpradit had defeated Chart Thai Pattana candidate Sakulthip Angkasakulkiat by more than 48,000 votes.

With counting almost complete at 9pm Sunday, the EC said Mr Surachart had 123,557 votes, to 75,420 for Mrs Sakulthip. Mrs Sakulthip immediately announced she was resigning from politics.

It was the second by-election win in the Northeast for Puea Thai in a week. The party won last Sunday's vote in Sakon Nakhon province by better than a 2-to-1 margin.

Fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra was credited by local observers with both victories. He remains popular in the region, and reportedly has personally made telephone calls from abroad to encourage local politicians to get out the Puea Thai vote.

Thaksin's sister Yingluck helped to run the Puea Thai campaign in Constituency 3 of the lower Northeast province of Si Sa Ket.

The by-elections were a key test of political strength in the Isan (Northeast) region. Local political powerhouse Newin Chidchob, from nearby Buri Ram province, had put his prestige on the line in the two by-elections in a bid to boost the Bhumjaithai Party, which he took into the Democrat-led coaliation government early this year.

Long considered a protege of Thaksin in national elections, Mr Newin apparently felt he could match and best his old mentor. Instead, Thaksin has crushed him in consecutive votes.