The Prachachon Party held a major rally titled “Fill Bangkok to 10,” endorsing “Dr. Joe” as Bangkok governor. The Lamphun Provincial Governor joined the event, appealing for a chance from Bangkok residents and expressing a wish to have a friend as the largest provincial governor in Thailand. Wiroj urged Bangkok voters to choose two orange party candidates to work as a team, mocking that there has never been a truly independent Bangkok councilor before.
At 18:00 on 26 June 2026 at Benjakitti Park’s fountain plaza, the Prachachon Party held a major rally named “Fill Bangkok to 10” to campaign for Chaiwat Staworawijit, candidate number 10 for Bangkok governor, and all 50 Bangkok councilor candidates ahead of the election on Sunday, 28 June. The rally start was delayed by one hour from 17:00 to 18:00 due to heavy rain, but once the rain stopped, the event proceeded. Early in the event, the public was invited to share their views on the Bangkok governor election. Key leaders present included Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, party leader; Wiroj Lakkhanadisorn, management team; Piangphanoo Boonklam, advisory team; Weeradej Pupisit, Lamphun Provincial Governor; along with Suphanat Meenachainan, Bangkok MP for Prachachon Party, and councilor candidates such as Ari Thatch Yodchaikiaet for Bangkok Noi district and Pataraporn Kengrungreungchai for Bang Sue district, a former nurse and councilor.
Weeradej Pupisit, Lamphun Provincial Governor, who attended the rally early on, said that while some say to look at Lamphun’s administration as an example, actually Bangkok is the largest provincial administration in Thailand. If Chaiwat wins the Bangkok governor election this Sunday, the whole country will look to Bangkok to see if it can effectively manage the nation. He said he wants another big provincial governor and asked Bangkok residents for a chance, despite some saying it’s pointless because "that person" will win anyway. He wants Bangkok residents to give them an opportunity to show the entire country what direction Thailand will go if they truly manage.
“I don’t want to refer to the former Bangkok governor, but he previously accused us of buying some items at high prices, which is partly true because just now I visited a store looking for treadmills and couldn’t find one priced at 700,000 baht. He used to be my idol, but I don’t know if he still is. Four years ago there were 200 policies; four years later there are 250, which suggests the old policies were unfinished and new dream-selling policies were added. Therefore, I ask every Bangkok voter to lend their voice. Even if we don’t reach the moon, we want to be among the stars,” the Lamphun Provincial Governor said.
At 18:50, Wiroj Lakkhanadisorn, Prachachon Party’s Bangkok management team, spoke during the major rally, saying that in past Bangkok governor elections, people focus on who the governor is but never really pay attention to the councilors. Focusing on the governor is understandable since the governor proposes policies and budgets from taxpayers’ money to implement projects such as drainage tunnels, water pipes, roads, street lighting, or hospitals.
Wiroj said, plainly, councilors are extremely important because even if the governor wants to do something, they cannot just take money out of the drawer. The governor must request budget approval from the Bangkok council of 50 members. Some groups collude to cut budgets without cause or reason, aiming to secure 5 billion baht to negotiate with their own contractors, manipulate TORs, win projects from Bangkok, and then receive kickbacks. Corrupt officials assist those councilors. The current governor does not want this situation but is powerless. If the governor refuses to negotiate, budgets get cut as retaliation, such as 9 million baht cut for earthquake sensor projects, which is a hostage situation against the governor. Ultimately, the money is split half and half: 2.5 billion baht to councilors and 2.5 billion to the governor for projects. The victims are the signatories—small officials who may go to jail—while the councilors remain untouched and have won elections multiple times by vote-buying. This does not include all councilors but targets this corrupt group.
“When I see signs claiming these people are independent, I never see independence from contractors but rather from the public. They never propose projects that citizens want to the governor, so they are independent from the governor, reason, citizens’ needs, problems, and suffering. Instead, they are closely allied with contractors like siblings. Many wouldn’t want me to say this, but contractors even sit in councilor rooms and eat meals with them. Is this independence? Well, they are independent—from the public’s suffering,” Wiroj said.
Wiroj continued, saying how can we know which councilors are corrupt in each district? We must understand these people’s behavior as project manipulators and kickback takers. So all 50 districts should be examined. If many Bangkok construction projects are abandoned, not just one, or if contractors suddenly fail to show up during the week, it’s a sign that these councilors are profiting from kickbacks. Whether voters continue to elect them depends on the judgment of Bangkok residents in each district. The damage from these practices can last years and may even occur in front of voters’ homes, which they can witness themselves.
Wiroj also said councilors are like accountants who open the drawer, talk with the governor about project budgets, assess whether budgets are appropriate, and allocate money properly. They monitor whether projects are fully completed. He believes all governors want to work with councilors who understand policies, who read each other's minds, know their duties, and act reasonably. To develop Bangkok fully and implement well-calculated, suitable policies with detailed budget review, necessary projects should receive full funding, while projects that can be reduced or replaced with better proposals should be cut reasonably.
“This is why on 28 June, choose the orange governor candidate Chaiwat Staworawijit and all 50 of our councilor candidates. Enough of councilors independent from the people; we want councilors close to the people, sharing joys and sorrows, and who manage our tax money with reason,” Wiroj said.