The election campaign for Sunday's by-election in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Constituency 3 has entered its homestretch with key party figures joining their candidates in jousting for votes.
The contest is a three-horse race between two coalition partners -- the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), the Democrat Party, and the newcomer Kla Party which makes its debut in the by-election.
The vacancy has been left by Thepthai Senpong, a Democrat stripped by the Constitutional Court of his status as an MP following his conviction last year for fraud in elections for the Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial administration organisation chief in 2014.
PPRP leader and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Friday led a delegation of party figures to Nakhon Si Thammarat to help PPRP candidate Ayasit Srisuwan at a rally at Cha-uat Witthayakan school in Cha-uat district.
Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit delivered a campaign speech for party candidate Pongsin Senpong, a younger brother of Mr Thepthai, at Cha-uat railway station.
Kla Party leader Korn Chatikavanij and key party figures were spotted escorting candidate Sarawut Suwannarat to seek support.
Constituency 3 covers four districts -- Cha-uat, Chalerm Prakiat, Chulabhorn and Phra Phom -- and has long been a Democrat Party stronghold.
Meanwhile, Pakorn Mahannop, a member of the Election Commission, said the election campaign in Nakhon Si Thammarat was free of complaints. He said he was unaware of reports that the military was involved in a campaign rally, but insisted the poll agency will look into alleged irregularities if there was evidence.