Dr. Joe Chaiwat teamed up with Thanathorn to campaign in the Asoke area, promoting a policy to increase affordable food center spaces in all 50 districts across the city to reduce the cost of living for Bangkok residents.
On 19 June 2026, Mr. Chaiwat Sathawarawijit, candidate for Bangkok Governor number 10 from the People’s Party, campaigned at the Asoke intersection in Watthana district alongside Ms. Phaknyada Amnuaydechkon, candidate for Watthana District Council number 1, and Mr. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Progressive Movement.
Mr. Chaiwat said today’s event was an opportunity to meet the public in the city center, a busy area with constant foot traffic. He used the occasion to introduce his election policies and to present the People’s Party’s district council candidates, hoping the public would give the party a chance in the final stretch of the Bangkok gubernatorial campaign.
Mr. Chaiwat noted that he visited Terminal 21 Asoke shopping mall to meet with its visitors. The mall is renowned for its affordable food center, accessible to the general public, which attracts a large number of customers.
According to the latest data from the Thai Real Estate Information and Valuation Center and Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA), the "cost of living crisis" in Bangkok is worrying. The average price of a plate of rice and curry rose from 31 baht in 2012 to 68 baht in 2026, while wages increased only from 300 baht to 400 baht. Consequently, Bangkok residents must work longer—from 38 minutes to 78 minutes—to afford one plate of rice and curry.
Today’s visit to the affordable food center at Terminal 21 Asoke highlighted that if vendors have access to trading spaces with reasonable costs and moderate rent, the public can enjoy food at affordable prices.
The People’s Party proposes expanding affordable food center spaces to cover all 50 districts of Bangkok. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration would support these low-cost food vendors through existing tools and authority, including regulating sidewalks and increasing permitted trading spots without requiring bribes, surveying commercially viable areas and negotiating use of public and private spaces, and applying incentives such as land and building tax reductions or exemptions, leasing vacant commercial buildings to revitalize economic zones, and granting Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonuses for new development projects to increase trading space and improve public access to affordable food.
Mr. Chaiwat concluded that Bangkok must urgently address the daily rising cost of living. Neglecting this issue and considering it solely the central government’s responsibility will not improve residents’ quality of life. The People’s Party volunteers to take on this challenge, seeking the public’s trust to implement change with a visionary leadership team and district council members who understand local problems and are ready to push policies prioritizing Bangkok residents’ interests. He pledged to serve as a governor truly dedicated to making Bangkok a city that genuinely cares for its people.