The Bangkok governor election is a test for city residents: will they choose the person or the policies? A political analyst views two major challenges with a less intense competition, pointing out that Bangkok voters favor pragmatic candidates.
The 2026 Bangkok governor election features several leading candidates from political parties and independent runs. Thairath's special news team discussed the situation with Associate Professor Dr. Yutthaporn Isarachai, a political science lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. He observed that this election's momentum is much quieter than previous ones, raising concerns that voter turnout might be lower than before, mainly due to two key reasons.
First is the influence of Professor Chadchart. Currently, all candidates, whether for the Bangkok Council or other positions, want to ally themselves with Professor Chadchart. This has led to a lack of strong, evenly matched competitors and diminished intensity in the race, resulting in reduced public interest.
Looking back at fiercely contested Bangkok governor elections, such as the battle between Mom Rajawongse Sukhumphand Boriphat and Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen, both candidates received over one million votes. Mom Sukhumphand narrowly won by linking the campaign to national political discourse. However, only 63.98% of eligible voters participated then. In contrast, with the current less intense competition, turnout may drop to around 50-55%.
Second, many people feel that despite Bangkok’s huge budget and a governor winning by a landslide, city problems remain unresolved due to incomplete decentralization. This leads to public discouragement and disinterest, making this election feel subdued.
Associate Professor Dr. Yutthaporn noted that recently, Bangkok residents have been more receptive to independent candidates than party-affiliated ones. Recent governors, such as Professor Chadchart, were mostly independents, as was Dr. Pichit Rattakul in earlier times.
In the past, Dr. Pichit Rattakul ran as a Democrat Party candidate but was unsuccessful. Later, running as an independent with the 'Worker Ants' group, he was elected governor. This reflects Bangkok voters’ preference for independent candidates for both governor and council positions.
When asked whether Bangkok residents prefer platform parties or pragmatic parties, platform parties like the People’s Party, which won 33 parliamentary seats, focus on issues such as the constitution, decentralization, and amnesty, promoted via social media.
However, at the local political level, Bangkok residents tend to favor pragmatic parties that address daily and local problems. They want candidates familiar with local issues who can deliver practical solutions, without necessarily linking to national politics. This explains why independents receive more support.
Associate Professor Dr. Yutthaporn suggested that Dr. Jo Chaiwat from the People’s Party might be the main rival, possibly drawing support from voters who previously backed Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn and the party’s parliamentary base. However, this does not guarantee Dr. Jo can defeat Chadchart.
“Today, I believe Professor Chadchart has the highest chance among all candidates. He is likely to win again, but the key question is whether he can reach one million votes. This is something to watch, and I fear he might fall short. This is the challenge Chadchart must face.”
Some recent polls have asked parliamentary voters who they intend to support in this election, with results indicating the following.
“Those who voted for the Pheu Thai Party will choose Professor Chadchart; those for Bhumjaithai will also choose Professor Chadchart; Democrat Party voters will back Professor Chadchart; part of the People’s Party supporters will vote for Professor Chadchart, while another segment will support Dr. Jo Chaiwat.”
“Thus, at this moment, all roads lead to Professor Chadchart. In the 2022 governor election, those who previously voted for him will do so again. Supporters of Sakoltee and Dr. Aue Suchatvee will also back Chadchart. Only those who backed Wiroj will support Dr. Jo. Ultimately, after the 2023 parliamentary and 2022 governor elections, all paths converge on Professor Chadchart, making it a tough fight for others.”