Fury and fatigue: Bangkok counts down to Sunday's election

As Bangkok prepares to elect its governor and city councillors this Sunday (June 28), controversies and corruption allegations are overshadowing crucial policy discussions that normally help voters make their decision.

“It’s worrying that in the run-up to the election, many voters aren’t making their choice based on policies or their loyalty to a political party,” said Assoc Prof Dr Yuttaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

Sharing that view is Assoc Prof Dr Olarn Thinbangtieo, a political science lecturer at Burapha University, who says that campaigns have focused on attacking opponents rather than presenting concrete policies.

For example, former Pheu Thai MP Jirayu Huangsub and Economic Party MP Chris Potranandana have targeted Chadchart Sittipunt – who is campaigning for re-election as Bangkok governor – for allegedly failing to combat corruption within city officialdom during his first term. They claim that a key member of Chadchart’s campaign team was directly involved in the illicit selling of bureaucratic posts. Meanwhile, Suphanat Minchaiyanunt, an MP from the opposition People's Party, has also criticised Chadchart over a municipal gym equipment procurement project that was allegedly rife with price inflation and corruption.

Chadchart, who is contesting as an independent candidate, is the frontrunner in pre-election opinion polls. Despite its campaign attacks, Pheu Thai is not fielding a candidate of its own.

Other key figures in the race include Dr Chaiwat Sathawornwich from the opposition People’s Party and Anucha Burapachaisri of the Democrat Party.

Political war overshadowing battle of ideas

Olarn said that while scrutiny of Chadchart's anti-corruption efforts is positive, politicisation of this issue has undermined voters' trust in their representatives. Instead, campaigns focused on the city’s economy, flood defences, and pollution control would better elevate local politics by creating a clear “social contract” between candidates and voters.

“The city would benefit hugely if politics were driven by policy,” he said.

He emphasised that infrastructure improvement should be the priority for Bangkok. By boosting urban development through public-private sector collaboration, Bangkok could act as a role model for regional hubs like Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Phuket.

Yuttaporn stated that campaigning in Bangkok had fixated on political narratives rather than on competing visions for the capital.

“Election speeches normally showcase blueprints for solving urban problems. However, this election has been overshadowed by the ‘Ah Gong regime’ [old power structure] narrative, shifting the public focus to aggressive investigations, digging up past controversies and graft allegations,” he said. “We have barely seen a clear, definitive policy presentation from any candidate.”

He warned that this shift has resulted in voters paying little or no attention to ideas presented by the contenders.

What candidates are promising

The recent “Think Tank Bangkok” forum, held by Thai PBS and partner organisations, saw gubernatorial candidates share their long-term visions for transforming the capital into one of the world’s 50 most liveable cities.

Chadchart promised a “walkable city” with better pavements, more pocket parks, greater attention to residents’ mental health and a continuation of his urban forestry project to add 2 million trees. He said Bangkok’s development relies on four pillars: the people, the infrastructure, efficiency/transparency, and a robust economy. Addressing the anti-graft criticism, he admitted that minor bribery issues had occurred but insisted that his administration has taken swift, decisive action against the wrongdoers.

Anucha proposed expanding municipal childcare centres, boosting neighbourhood safety, and intervention by the private sector to boost childcare services. He also vowed better regulation of street stalls, which contribute to Bangkok’s charm, a more efficiently managed bus network, expanded green spaces, modernised waste management, and more transparency on budget and spending.

Chaiwat promised to reduce living costs with childcare subsidies, build hawker centres across Bangkok, improve feeder transit systems, upgrade walkways, and reinforce flood-prevention infrastructure. He also vowed to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) systems to monitor government spending and municipal procurement schemes to eliminate bribery.

However, Olarn pointed out that whoever wins the seat will face severe legal constraints from outdated legislation governing the capital. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act was initially drafted in 1985 and last revised in 2019.

“Even if Bangkok elects an exceptionally capable governor, systematic problems will persist until the laws are updated to fit the current context,” he said.

Yutthaporn echoed this concern, saying that the Bangkok governor functions as no more than a mayor because his executive powers are constrained under the Organisation of State Administration Act.

Voter turnout hit by political fatigue

As many as 60.73% of eligible Bangkokians cast their vote in the last gubernatorial election in 2022. This year, however, experts fear voter enthusiasm is waning due to widespread political fatigue.

“The campaign atmosphere is far quieter than in 2022,” Dr Pornphan Buathong, chair of Suan Dusit Poll, said. She estimates that voter turnout could drop to around 55%.

News headlines have been dominated by conflicts in national politics, negative campaigning and corruption allegations, with little room for policy debate to reshape the race. Also, a widespread belief that Chadchart will be re-elected has left many voters directing their attention to broader political issues instead of the race for the capital’s top seat.

“If the turnout drops below normal levels, it will be a worrying sign for democratic engagement,” Pornphan said.

She added that Bangkok voters appear to be basing their choices less on national party platforms or past legislative performance, and more on the independence and credibility of candidates.

“They clearly want a governor who is not connected to national politics,” she said.

Bangkok council race

Held on the same day as the gubernatorial election, the race for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council is proving to be more competitive and may offer a more accurate reflection of changing political preferences across the city.

Votes for the city council will signal whether locals favour party-based policies that focus on broader reform agendas or candidates focused on everyday municipal issues like water supply, damaged roads, street lighting and local public services.

“The city council election will show what kind of politics Bangkokians want right now,” Yuttaporn argued, noting that the council functions as the legislature or “city parliament”.

A total of 258 candidates are vying for the 50 council seats up for grabs. The opposition People’s Party and Democrats are each fielding 50 candidates, with another 50 running as independents.

The ruling coalition’s Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai are officially skipping the race, though Pheu Thai is backing candidates running under affiliated banners. Specifically, 16 contenders are campaigning under the “Pheu Thai Life Long Tua” (Pheu Thai: A Well-Balanced Life) group, alongside 46 from the Khon Tham Ngan group and 33 from a faction associated with Chadchart.

The other contenders are the Better Bangkok Group (seven candidates) and Thailand’s Future Party (five). The 258th candidate has yet to declare his affiliation.