Chaiwat Sathawornwijit has launched his candidacy for the Bangkok governor election, unveiling four visions under the 'Easy Bangkok' campaign aimed at upgrading childcare centers, caring for the elderly, simplifying trade without extortion, creating jobs for the unemployed, and developing a walkable city.
At 17:30 on 5 May 2026, on the 5th floor in the Mitr-ting room at Samyan Mitrtown, the People's Party (PChn.) launched its Bangkok election campaign. "Easy Bangkok by People's Governor" . Launch Mr. Chaiwat Sathawornwijit or Dr. Jo, a party-list member of parliament (MP) from the People's Party, announced his candidacy for Bangkok governor, alongside the unveiling of the party's candidates for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC).
Mr. Chaiwat said after his launch as a candidate, Bangkok governor candidate, that if you ask a curry vendor, a rider, or an office worker whether their life is easy, no one would say yes because life in Bangkok is difficult. Imagine your daily commute—how is it getting to work in the morning? Parents wake at 5 a.m. and leave by 6 a.m.; if they need to see a doctor, they might have to wake at 3 a.m. and leave at 4 a.m. Is it hard to raise children? As a father of one, he knows working parents must find someone to care for their child; without family support, they might have to quit work. Is it hard to care for elderly parents? Taking them to the hospital is tough, and some sacrifice their dreams to leave their jobs to care for aging parents.
Is it hard to find a job in an era of unemployment and AI replacing jobs? Life in Bangkok is tough. We have become numb to this struggle, chasing money to have an easier life, forgetting and no longer believing that money in Bangkok will make life better. This reflects the shrinking hopes of Bangkokians who believe they must struggle alone for a better life, forgetting that life in Bangkok should not be this hard.
Speaking as a native Bangkoker, born and raised in Talat Phlu, a historic Thonburi neighborhood, living in a single shophouse with a merchant father and housekeeper mother, he recalled helping an aunt sell school socks in primary school and finding odd jobs at street stalls in Bang Lamphu to earn money for desired items. In high school at Suankularb, he took the bus but got stuck in traffic and had to switch to a longtail boat to avoid delays. At Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering, he commuted by bus to campus. After graduation, working in Ladprao, he had to take four different rides daily.
He said he has experienced hardship all his life but wants everyone to dream of a better life in Bangkok. He questioned whether we can share a common dream for the upcoming Bangkok election. Previously, discussions mainly centered on who would run or be a good governor, but rarely on the city's agenda—what kind of city Bangkok should be or how residents can have a better quality of life. He invited everyone to ask if Bangkok is good enough now or if it can be better, and that Bangkokians deserve a higher quality of life.
He addressed Bangkok residents, saying those who have followed their work from the Future Forward Party to the Move Forward Party, and now the People's Party, have seen their dedication to addressing structural problems. They specialize in tackling difficult issues. For this election, the People's Party offers not only one candidate for governor but a city agenda outlining Bangkok's future as a capital and how residents’ quality of life can improve. He, Jo Chaiwat Sathawornwijit, as the People's candidate, presents this agenda aiming for Bangkok to be a world-class metropolis with a high quality of life.
Mr. Chaiwat continued, that Bangkok should be a city to lean on, a supportive wing as you move forward, a city that embraces you in hardship and offers opportunities when you want to leap ahead. For him, Bangkok is not just a place but its people. Having lived, studied, and worked in Japan for over 10 years, he noted a development philosophy there that centers on people, viewing them as the city’s greatest asset.
He acknowledged the many limitations in Bangkok's administration, including authority and budget, but stressed the city must develop beyond these constraints. To do this, Bangkok must become a city that develops its people, turning them into the power that advances the city. Developing people requires time, but currently, daily life in Bangkok wastes 3-4 hours. Thus, the first step to developing people is to give time back to Bangkok residents, which is why making Bangkok easy is essential.
He then outlined Bangkok through four key policy highlights of the People's Party's 'Easy Bangkok' for an easier life for all.
1. Easy family care Bangkok must help people raise children easily and be a city that encourages having children. As a father, he understands working parents must find relatives to help care for children. Bangkok must invest in developing childcare centers, raising their standards to earn parents’ trust and confidence.
Additionally, Thai society is aging, and Bangkok has 1.4 million elderly residents, including 20,000 homebound and 15,000 bedridden. When parents become immobile or forgetful, what do people do? They either work to hire help or quit their jobs to care for parents. Neither is fair to Bangkokians. Therefore, Bangkok must have elder care centers where working-age children can drop off and pick up their parents daily, providing social interaction and activities.
At the same time, many elderly are homebound or bedridden, requiring over 5,000 caregivers to look after them at home so working children can go to work. Bangkok must be a city that supports family care and serves as a pillar for an aging society. Regarding medical care, the need to wait for referrals can be addressed by enhancing the capacity of public health centers to support universal health coverage and fix referral issues.
2. Easy trade No extortion payments—Bangkok must offer trading opportunities using city and state spaces. Developing tourism areas led by local residents is key since Bangkok attracts over 30 million tourists annually. Successful tourist neighborhoods should be developed by their communities to create city stories and new attractions, enhancing those areas.
Regarding job creation, a Kasikorn Research Center report showed that 40,000 Thais lose jobs monthly this year. How can Bangkok help? The city has at least 10 vocational schools, which can be converted into Re-Skill centers, offering training and employment opportunities by matching employers needing workers with trainees. This makes Bangkok a supportive city with easy trade, easy job hunting, and accessible opportunities—things Bangkok can deliver to everyone.
3. Easy travel Non-car owners want a city walkable enough to encourage public transport use. Bangkok needs covered walkways connecting transport hubs like train stations, bus stops, and piers. Making these connections pedestrian-friendly will increase public transit use. After leaving home, people shouldn’t have to guess bus arrival times. Bangkok will consolidate real-time GPS data from boats, trains, and buses to help plan trips. The city can also add more bus routes.
Though Bangkok’s authority is limited, many bus routes are licensed by the Land Transport Department but lack private operators. Bangkok can improve efficiency here and also develop three canal boat routes immediately. Making Bangkok a city easy to travel without cars will return time to residents on the roads.
4. Easy living Residents shouldn’t endure garbage odors or non-transparent government services. Residents’ time is more valuable than dealing with such issues. Waste management must meet standards; any city waste facility causing odors must cease operations immediately and be upgraded to a closed system meeting public health standards. Government services and licensing should not force people to choose between waiting or paying bribes. Such systems must end. Residents deserve transparent, straightforward service from Bangkok. Bangkok must be a city where honesty and straightforwardness are easy and do not burden those who strive.
"I love Bangkok and am proud to be a Bangkoker. In the upcoming Bangkok election, we all have a choice. With an annual budget of 120 billion baht and more than 100,000 staff, we are not just choosing a governor but deciding if we can have a better Bangkok. Choose a city agenda that does not force us to struggle alone, that supports us when we fall, and lifts us when we are ready to move forward. This is the agenda I, Chaiwat Sathawornwijit, the People's candidate for Bangkok governor, present to the people of Bangkok to choose."
