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Published on December 12, 2007

The report says candidates of 19 north-eastern provinces will have fierce competition as more than 1,500 contenders will vie for 135 seats. About Bt8 billion will be spent in the region, it adds.

The centre considers the cash flow from several factors. They include the spending of Bt1.5 million for each constituent and party-list candidate allowed by the Election Commission (EC), "personal expenditure" related to election campaigns, and the EC's budgets for managing the elections nationwide.

The Bangkok metropolitan in which 387 candidates are competing for 36 seats, is expected to see about Bt3.3 billion spent.

More than Bt2 billion will be spent in the southern provinces, while in the North where 659 candidates are running for 75 seats, the centre expects a cash flow of Bt3.9 billion. About Bt3.6 billion will be spent in the Central region where 798 candidates are competing for 95 seats, the report says.

The Kasikorn centre reported that about Bt25 billion was spent in the 2005 poll.

The Nation