Phayao governor Narongsak Osottanakorn, who gained worldwide recognition for his handling of the operation to rescue 12 members of the Wild Boars football team and their coach trapped in the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district in July last year, has denied a media report that he has been tipped by the main party in the coalition government to run for Bangkok governor.
The report said Mr Narongsak had been touted by the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), leader of the 19-party coalition under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, to run in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, expected to be held late this year.
He was expected to compete with the Pheu Thai Party's Chadchat Sittipunt.
Mr Narongsak, who is to retire from government service at the end of September this year, said he knew nothing about it, adding that his candidacy had been made up by the media.
He declined to comment further on the matter.
Chumpol Leelanond, a coordinator of the Phayao People's Council, said that if the report was true he and the people of Phayao would give Mr Narongsak their full support.
It would be good if a man of high calibre like Mr Narongsak was the governor of Bangkok, Thailand's fast-growing capital city with a dense population and high potential for development, he said.
Phayao is a small province where Mr Narongsak may not be able to fully demonstrate his potential, he added.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a PPRP deputy spokesman, said he had not yet heard about the matter. The party had not discussed it since it was still busy preparing the government's policy statement, he said.
However, he personally views Mr Narongsak as a capable person, whose ability in commanding the rescue of the 12 Wild Boars and their coach trapped in the Tham Luang cave while he was Chiang Rai governor was obvious.
In his personal opinion, Mr Narongsak is a suitable person to run in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, said Mr Thanakorn.