Students from Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus and the Yala Rajabhat Institute campaign to encourage people to vote.

The race for the Senate has reached the home stretch, with advance voting today and tomorrow before the nationwide election next Wednesday.

Bangkok's electorate of 4.1 million has a choice of more than 250 candidates to fill the 18 seats in the capital's quota. In all, there are about 45 million eligible voters nationwide who will choose the 200 members of Upper House for a six-year term.

The Bangkok constituency is always a fierce battleground for political parties and particular interest groups. The middle- and upper-class voters - the most influential voices in Thai politics who can decide the direction of the country - express their opinions through both local and national elections, from the race for Bangkok governor to the battle of heavyweights between Thai Rak Thai and the Democrats.

The capital appears to stay free of the practices of "patronage" or "nomination" seen in the provinces.

The country's biggest Senate constituency, Bangkok sees many "familiar public faces" from various interest groups attempting to get into the powerful Upper House, which examines all draft laws and selects the members of the independent agencies that scrutinise government.

Rosana Tositrakul and Klanarong Chantik, leaders of anti-Thai Rak Thai movements that have succeeded in undermining the premiership of party leader Thaksin Shinawatra, have decided to run at a time when public sentiment towards Thaksin remains divided.

Apart from joining the People's Alliance for Democracy as one of Thaksin's "enemies", Rosana has received praise for filing the appeal that led to the Supreme Administrative Court's nullification of the privatisation of Egat last month.

The appeal filed by Rosana's consumer protection group claimed the privatisation would hurt the state's coffers and only a small group of people with ties to the government would benefit.

Klanarong - dubbed "national graft-buster" after the asset-concealment case against Thaksin in 2001 that nearly cost the premier his office - has been active in revealing corruption among government agencies since he left the post of secretary-general of the National Counter Corruption Commission in 2003.

His reputation of having no tolerance for graft has wide appeal among voters sceptical of Thaksin's promises about tackling corruption.

Former Bangkok governors Bhichit Rattakul and Samak Sundaravej have also jumped into the race, believing that many voters along with their former local canvassers are still loyal to them. They appear confident that people will recall how they "improved" the quality of life in the capital during their tenures some years ago.

Columnist Nitiphoom Naowarat has shown that he is still interested in politics even though his first electoral campaign in 2004 ended unsuccessfully. He failed to win the race for Bangkok governor, but the more than 78,000 votes cast in his favour then were enough to convince him that his next campaign could be successful.

Familiar faces like former Parliament president Uthai Pimchaichon, actor Sombat Maethanee, Constitution architect Kanin Boonsuwan, news anchor Boonyod Sukthinthai and Dr Thaejing Siripanit are also in the race.

There are candidates with close ties to political parties as well. They include former Thai Rak Thai members such as Thawee Kraikhub, Thana Benjathikul, Sombat Uthaisang, Suthat Muangsiri, Apichart Halamchiek. Candidates Preecha Suwannatat and Samai Changroen used to serve the Democrat Party camp.

Voters can choose only one of the candidates, and the winners are the 18 with the highest number of votes. As such it is expected that there will be wide gaps between the vote tallies of the winning candidates, as happened in the first-ever Senate election six years ago. HM the King's close aide Pramote Maiklad placed first in Bangkok with more than 420,000 votes while Jon Ungphakorn was also elected with just 23,000 votes.

Representatives of Bangkok made up most of the small group of senators that were highly critical of the government throughout their terms. They include Jon, Chirmsak Pinthong, Sophon Supapong, Pol Gen Prathin Santiprapob, Wallop Tangkhananurak, Kaewsan Atibhoti, Sak Korsaengruang and Seri Suwanpanont.

"Bangkok senators played the most active role in checking the government," Wallop said.

He believes Bangkok voters elect their senators on the basis of their record in public service, while provincial voters pick representatives who are backed by local or national politicians.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan,

Weerayut Chokchaimadon

The Nation