During his campaign in Chiang Mai, Ta Narakorn was shouted at by an elderly man who said, “I think you will definitely lose this time. You can’t just campaign like this. You will fail if you don’t buy votes like the others.” Ta Narakorn declared he is not discouraged and called on the Election Commission to enforce stricter measures.
On 6 Feb 2026 GMT+7, the election campaign atmosphere in Chiang Mai province grew intense, with widespread vote-buying reported everywhere. Even candidates walking the streets experienced it firsthand, reflecting the Election Commission of Chiang Mai’s challenges and the entrenched culture of vote-buying in Thai politics.
Two days ago, Ta Narakorn Tiyan, a former well-known news anchor now running as a Democrat Party candidate for Chiang Mai’s 1st constituency, posted a video from his campaign walk in Chiang Mai municipality. While introducing himself and handing out flyers, an elderly man shouted from a second-floor window, “I guarantee you’ll lose this time. Do you know how much money they’re giving out?” When Ta Narakorn asked how much, the man hinted at 1,000 baht. Ta Narakorn replied that he doesn’t have that kind of money to give away. The man then said, “Believe me, you will fail because if you want to run again next time, buy votes first. Those who pay 500 or 300 baht get all the votes. Don’t bother walking around because I’ve asked many people—no one votes without buying.”
This audio clip was posted anonymously to highlight how severe vote-buying remains in Chiang Mai during the campaign.
Ta Narakorn Tiyan, who has been campaigning on foot daily for nearly 30 days, was in Sri Phum subdistrict this morning at Wat Lam Chang community. He shared that the incident with the man shouting about losing without buying votes happened two days ago during a routine door-to-door campaign. The man’s words, which Ta Narakorn believes came from goodwill, served as encouragement. The man apparently thought Ta’s walking campaign would be futile against vote-buying and suggested that next time he should buy votes instead of walking around. Hearing this did not discourage Ta but motivated him to continue walking the community from morning until evening. Ta believes that whether in Chiang Mai or elsewhere, people understand that candidates who buy votes with small sums will later seek much greater personal gain and corruption. He is confident that voters recognize this, as reflected in the man’s warning. Ta said that if elected, it will demonstrate the pure power of the voters’ choice.
Ta also sees this as clear evidence that vote-buying remains rampant in Chiang Mai. Being on the ground, he personally hears residents say they have received money from various sources. Vote-buying intensifies closer to election day, with some places even requiring deposits or confiscating ID cards until election day. He urged the Election Commission to work harder and more rigorously. Despite this, Ta continues his campaign style without attacking others, focusing on meeting people and introducing himself as a local, aiming to use his experience from Bangkok to develop his hometown. Asked if he felt discouraged, he quickly replied no; instead, it motivates him to work even harder.