Bangkok residents cast votes for Bangkok governor election

BANKGKOK, March 3 (TNA) - Bangkok residents leave houses early Sunday to exercise election rights by casting votes electing the 16th Bangkok governor. By law, eligible voters are allowed to cast votes from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra went to cast her vote at a polling booth situated inside Khlong Lam Jiak School in Bueng Kum district. The prime minister is the only person at her house who is eligible to cast vote. A large crowd of journalists were already waiting for her at the polling booth. Many voters turned up soon after the booth opened on fears of heavy traffic. Accompanied by his wife, Pol. Gen. Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief who also serves as secretary-general of Office of Narcotics Control Board, and is contesting under the ruling Pheu Thai Party, arrived at the booth in Jatuchak district and cast votes. He urged people as many as possible to exercise rights because the post of Bangkok governor is significant in the sense that the city still has many problems to solve. Meanwhile, ex-governor Mom Rajawongse Sukhumbhand Paribatra who is again running under the major opposition the Democrat Party, wearing the same shirt like he did four years ago when he was elected Bangkok governor, paid respect to Buddha images at Wat Suthat in central Bangkok before casting his vote at a school in Rajthevi district. Former national police chief Pol. Gen. Seripisut Temiyavej, who is contesting the race independently, also paid respect to Buddha images at his house before riding a bicycle to cast ballot ticket at a temple in Bangkok Noi district which is in Thon Buri side. Another independent and is also considered a favourite among all the 25 candidates, Kosit Suvinitjit cast his ballot at a booth set up within a hotel compound in Huai Khwang district. He also urged Bangkok residents to exercise rights in full stream to show that “Bangkok should be independent from political party”, the slogan which he used while making campaigns. Suharit Siamwalla, another dark horse and contesting for the post independently, rode bicycles with members in his family to the booth and cast his vote. He said he expected that he would receive more than one million votes from Bangkok residents which would make him elected. However, Mr. Suharit said if he fails he would still try to implement his policy in further developing the ‘City of Angels’ which has been chosen as the best tourism destination in the world for three consecutive years for the happiness of Bangkokians. (TNA)