"Ice Cream" remains silent on the People's Party's Bangkok governor candidate, waiting to announce on 5 May. The party confirms stringent qualification checks and is not worried about past history being exposed. It also reveals that the party has posted the names of 50 Bangkok council candidates for the public to help verify.
On 28 Apr 2026 GMT+7 at the Parliament, Parit Watcharasindhu, a party-list MP of the People's Party, commented on rumors that the party would nominate Chaiwat Sathavarawijit, or Dr. Joe, a party-list MP, for Bangkok governor. He said the People's Party has already announced that on 5 May at 17:00, they will officially unveil their Bangkok governor candidate and 50 council candidates for Bangkok's 50 districts. When asked about the names, he said he could not confirm who they were and that the media would need to wait for the official announcement on that day.
Asked whether two months would be enough for campaigning and policy rollout, Parit said the party has been continuously preparing for the Bangkok election, not just starting on the announcement day. Preliminary names of council candidates have been disclosed, and the party is inviting public feedback on their website about the suitability of candidates. Policy development has been ongoing. He emphasized the bigger picture that solving Bangkok's problems requires multiple parallel mechanisms. Thus, the policies and candidates for governor and council are already prepared and will be detailed on the announcement day.
The party's MPs from Bangkok focus heavily on pushing the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act. The 1985 Act limits the powers of the elected Bangkok governor to address issues affecting residents, such as traffic and flooding. The current parliament's People's Party MPs have drafted amendments to modernize the city's administrative structure for more effective problem-solving. The draft is currently open for public comment and involves financial matters; it awaits the Prime Minister's approval. Parit affirmed the party's ongoing efforts to address Bangkok's issues through various approaches beyond just announcing candidates.
When asked about the party's confidence given that some major parties might not field candidates, Parit said the focus is not on which parties participate or which candidates run. He believes the party's duty is to present comprehensive and complete proposals to assure Bangkok residents that if given a chance in the Bangkok election, as in the general election, the People's Party can improve their quality of life.
Regarding reasons for selecting the candidate and whether thorough background checks have been done to avoid retrospective scandals, Parit spoke generally without naming anyone. He confirmed that candidate selection across elections considers many factors, including vision, policy ideas, and the ability to improve problems if elected. The party also values alignment and smooth cooperation within all party sectors and council candidates. Any concerns about qualifications are addressed with strict vetting. The public disclosure of council candidate names and inviting public feedback is a final step after prior screening to ensure confidence in candidate selection. He encouraged the public to provide feedback through the party's website.