Thirty House seats in Bangkok will be up for grabs only for Democrat and Pheu Thai heavyweights in this Sunday's election, with no "giant slayers" from new rival parties likely to taste their first victory.
Democrats are expected to win 20 seats mostly in the inner city and Thon Buri areas, leaving another 10 to the Pheu Thai Party.
The parties' long-established political strongholds in their main constituencies are key to their success, though some votes will go to the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and Future Forward Party (FFP), which are trying to steal the scene.
Democrats also benefit from a lack of strong competitors in eight constituencies with no election candidates from the Pheu Thai camp.
The party decided not to field candidates to make way for its ally, the Thai Raksa Chart Party (TRC) to take centre stage, but the move fell apart following the dissolution of the TRC due to its unlawful nomination of Princess Ubolratana as a prime ministerial candidate. As a result, its candidates are no longer in the race, and the votes they might have gained are up for grabs.
As a result, the election arena in Bangkok will be a battleground between Democrats and Pheu Thai.
The two are competing to secure constituency seats, though the votes they earn will also help determine how many party-list seats they get.
Statistically, Democrats and Pheu Thai will take 90% share of votes, leaving 10% to small parties.
The PPRP features Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as the party's brand and the FFP features a new generation of politicians.
The PPRP is expected to snatch votes from the Democrats while the FFP, which has the same anti-coup stance as Pheu Thai, is likely to draw some votes from the latter.
In this election, it is not too difficult for the Democrat Party to win all seats in Constituencies 1 to 8 because its candidates are the past "champions", or former members of the parliament in these areas and there are no TRC competitors in three constituencies.
Though the PPRP is fielding new, good-looking candidates like Phatcharin "Som" Samsiriphong in Constituency 2, they may need some time to get political experience behind them.
A Democrat candidate has to work harder in Constituency 7, but he is expected to be the winner in the end.
Though Bang Sue, which is part of Constituency 7, is known to be a stronghold of Thai Local Power Party leader Chatchawan Kongudom, or "Chat Taopoon", Democrat candidate Khanawat "Mo (Dr) Ek" Chantharalawan is still believed to have the odds of victory over Mr Chatchawan's candidate, who is his sister-in-law, and Pheu Thai competitor Pol Capt Watthanarak Suranatyut.
Pheu Thai candidate Sunisa "Muat (Lt) Chiap" Thiwakorndamrong, who once ran for a seat in Bang Kae district, might also struggle in her new Constituency 8 where she is up against former Democrat MP and economics expert Sansern Samalapa.
The Pheu Thai Party will have a higher chance of victory in Constituencies 9 to 12, which are its stronghold.
In Constituency 13, a House seat is likely to go to Democrat hopeful Parit "I Tim" Wacharasindhu, a nephew of Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
With help from local politicians and former prime minister and mentor Chuan Leekpai, he will beat Trirat Sirichantharo, a former composer who is backed by Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, head of the Pheu Thai Party's strategic committee.
Pheu Thai candidates will do better than their Democrat rivals in Constituencies 14 to 18. The latter will win the seats back in Constituencies 19 to 25 but face a fierce competition in Constituency 26.
In this election area, Democrat Pol Col Samat Muangsiri, who narrowly secured a seat in the past election, will again face his arch rival from the Pheu Thai Party, Wan Ubamrung, son of Chalerm Ubamrung. Mr Wan only lagged behind Pol Col Samat by over 1,000 votes in 2011.
It is expected that PPRP candidate Wachara Kannika, former Chart Thai Pattana Party spokesman, will snatch some votes from the Democrat Party, which may give Mr Wan an upper hand.
But in other districts in the Thon Buri area, the Pheu Thai Party may have to put up a fight.
Democrats will add more seats from Constituencies 27 to 30 to its list of MPs. Though the Pheu Thai pits Watana Muangsook, a former minister, against former Democrat MP Onanong Khlainok, victory is likely to be on the side of Democrats.
