Photo finish looms as governor hopefuls make final vote push

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BATTLE FOR BANGKOK

Photo finish looms as governor hopefuls make final vote push

Published: 2 Mar 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

With voters heading to the polls tomorrow to elect a new city governor, a close race is all but guaranteed with the Pheu Thai Party and its arch-rival the Democrats both confident of victory.

Pheu Thai candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen is flanked by market vendors while campaigning for votes at Ban Mo community and areas around Wat Rajabopit before paying respect to the Chao Phor Sua Shrine Friday morning. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

Despite opinion polls putting Pheu Thai candidate Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen ahead, there is still no clear favourite to secure the city's top job.

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spiceman
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Discussion 10 : 03 Mar 2013 at 09.5110
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Khun Nns #9, I suspect PAD's are trying to destroy Prachatipad Party, then pick up its pieces to strengthen up their own movement. And once PTP is in control of BKK, the humiliated Dems will have no choice but to join PADs, which will emerge as a stronger force to be reckoned with. Let face it, the Dems are philosophically bankrupted, at least, PADs have a few good ideas, and they might be willing to be reconciled with the Red Shirts, and bypassing both Prachatipad and PTP altogether.
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nns
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Discussion 9 : 03 Mar 2013 at 04.179
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@spiceman #7, I agree with you that PAD can play a spoiler role and sink the Dems. My guess though is although outwardly they're against the Dems, when push comes to shove they'll vote for them against the PTP. Blood is thicker than water. If I'm correct we'll find out in the next 24 hours that #16 wins in an upset.
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Renaissance
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Discussion 8 : 02 Mar 2013 at 17.208
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To me it is surprising that things are turning out this way, and a PT victory is likely. Bangkokians seem to want the country controlled by Thaksin in spite of everything that happened in 2010, the PT corruption, and the failing populist policies, which may bankrupt the country, and which have increased the BKK gridlock, and the goals, desires, nature, and tendencies of their leader. A PT victory will sink the Democrat party completely, I think. If that's what Thais want, so be it, bu they should think hard about the consequences of a country controlled completely by the Boss.
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spiceman
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Discussion 7 : 02 Mar 2013 at 12.437
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Khun Worzel #1, PADs are between a rock (Prachatipad) and a hard place (PTP), with nowhere else to go. They are way too small to fight the current PTP juggernaut but big enough to force Prachatipad to suffer humiliating defeat on its own turf. It's kind of teaching Prachatipad a lesson that it can't possibly win without their support. They are anarchists as far as this BKK Governor's election is concerned. To them, it is payback time!
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blobber
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Discussion 6 : 02 Mar 2013 at 12.316
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With the policies they have in place PTP are going to Bankrupt the country. I think the Bangkok voters just want their small piece of the pie before the crash happens.
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subcoman
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Discussion 5 : 02 Mar 2013 at 11.215
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Dao, this time I agree with you : whoever wins Sunday, The Dems (and a few of usual commentators here) are already the losers. According with all those fine political analysts who comment all day long here at the BKKpost forum, in BKK "nobody" is supposed to support the PT party and if the only thing they can do is a close victory in their (so-called) stronghold of BKK, it is just an another step back for them next to the last catastrophic general elections for them in Central, Northern and North-Easter provinces.
Like it or not, the sunk of the Dems who started 20 years is obviously continuing...
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nui
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Discussion 4 : 02 Mar 2013 at 10.404
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The PAD is not a political ally of the Democrat Party. Sonthi and the PAD hates the democrats and they blame the Democrats every single day in ASTV television. Their NO VOTE campaign in the last election brought the PT Party into power. Instead of joining the enemy of my enemy, they fight the Democrats. Sonthi sits every day on the sofa of his home and talks and talks and talks on TV. That is all what they do. No strategy and no action at all.
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upena
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Discussion 3 : 02 Mar 2013 at 09.233
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Good role model Mr. Governor. Where is your helmet?
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dao
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Discussion 2 : 02 Mar 2013 at 09.012
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The fact that it is even a close race after all the hardship Thaksins UDD has put the city through so he could get his money back is truly disappointing .I guess I over estimated the Bangkok vote .
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Worzel
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Discussion 1 : 02 Mar 2013 at 08.211
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PAD don't seem to understand that by taking that vote away from the Dems they are spiting themselves!
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Photo finish looms as governor hopefuls make final vote push | Bangkok Post: news