Every Bangkok governor election tends to spotlight the winner who becomes the city’s chief executive. However, in the political history of the capital, the “second place” or “runner-up” position holds equal importance, as their vote counts reflect accumulated support bases, political power balances, and shifting popularity trends.
Examining the vote counts of the runner-up candidates in Bangkok governor elections reveals how closely contested and impactful each candidate’s performance was.
This election followed the resignation of Mr. Apirak Kosayothin, triggering a new contest mainly between the two major parties at the time.
Winner: Mom Rajawongse Sukhumbhand Paribatra (Democrat Party) with 934,602 votes.
Runner-up: Mr. Yuranan Phumrommontri (Pheu Thai Party) with 611,669 votes, accounting for 29.72%.
Although “Sam Yuranan” lost by over 300,000 votes to M.R. Sukhumbhand, securing more than 600,000 votes under the Pheu Thai banner established and reinforced the liberal support base in Bangkok as strong and competitive.
Just four years later, this election was one of the most intense and widely discussed, marked by clear strategic voting from both sides.
Winner: Mom Rajawongse Sukhumbhand Paribatra (Democrat Party) with 1,256,349 votes.
Runner-up: Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen (Pheu Thai Party) with 1,077,899 votes (40.96%).
Police General Pongsapat made history as the first and only runner-up in Bangkok’s history to surpass one million votes. This near 1.1 million vote count would have assured a win in other years, but the late-stage surge of “strategic anti-us” voting mobilized the opposition’s turnout, enabling them to overtake him.
After a nine-year hiatus from Bangkok governor elections, the 2022 race saw a landslide victory by Dr. Chadchart Sittipunt. Equally riveting was the close contest among second, third, and fourth places, with scores nearly neck and neck.
Winner: Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt (Independent) with 1,386,215 votes.
Runner-up: Mr. Suchatvee Suwannasawat (Democrat Party) with 254,647 votes (9.52%).
Although far behind the winner, Dr. "Ae" Suchatvee’s second-place finish was the narrowest, edging out third place Mr. Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn from the Move Forward Party (253,851 votes) by only 796 votes. This highlights intense vote splitting within conservative and new liberal factions.
Summary comparison table of runner-up vote counts in the last three elections
Election Year | Runner-up Candidate | Party Affiliation | Votes Received | Political Context |
2009 | Mr. Yuranan Phumrommontri | Pheu Thai Party | 611,669 | Pheu Thai tested its support base in the capital |
2013 | Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen | Pheu Thai Party | 1,077,899 | Lost due to strategic voting but set record for million-vote runner-up |
2022 | Mr. Suchatvee Suwannasawat | Democrat Party | 254,647 | Narrowly beat third place by just 796 votes |
Lessons from the runner-up vote counts in these three elections show that Bangkok’s electoral arena has no fixed formula. Some years, a million votes only secure second place, while other years, votes are so evenly split that victory margins are mere hundreds. These figures form crucial data that political parties must thoroughly analyze to prepare for future elections.