institutions

After a landslide victory in Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, Chadchart Sittipunt should have felt at ease. He had secured a record 1.38 million votes on May 22, far outpacing the next runner-up who received just over 200,000 votes. Many called the former Transportation Minister’s victory a democratic ray of light in an otherwise gloomy authoritarian state. But of course, this is Thailand. Victories are not automatic, and resistance from anti-democratic forces and electoral challenges are to be expected. It wasn’t long before complaints were launched over Chadchart’s recyclable campaign banners, most notably from political activist Srisuwan Janya, who noted that the campaign banners, which could be turned into shopping bags or aprons, was tantamount to vote buying. Another complaint alleged that Chadchart had insulted the government by saying that its complicated steps would affect his operations as the governor of Bangkok.

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