The governor

Sukhumbhand won with 930,000 votes, far ahead of runner-up Yuranan Pamornmontri. Not bad for this long-time politician who was not considered as being able to excite the voters. Sukhumbhand said several times before the election that he was confident about his candidacy. He campaigned with the slogan "Bringing back smiles to Bangkokians", but the former political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University looked more exhausted than the other candidates. Yet, his smiled was the widest in the campaign billboards. There were jokes around Bangkok that, given the current economic doldrums and unstable political situation, he was perhaps the only Bangkokian who could smile.

Sukhumbhand admitted he was not a good public speaker. He said during a TV interview that he was rarely invited by the media to make political comments even though he is an expert on foreign affairs. But who could blame the press? Sukhumbhand's style is rather bland, especially when compared with Yuranan or the young and energetic M.L. Nattakorn Devakula. Even Kaewsan Atibhodi proved to be a more exciting public speaker.

Despite his style, Sukhumbhand usually gave straightforward comments instead of dodging questions like other politicians. For instance, when asked on Sunday night if he supported the idea to restore Don Mueang as an international airport, Sukhumbhand said that he preferred to see only one airport in Bangkok.

Bangkokians decided to give their support to Sukhumbhand, whose victory was interpreted by some political analysts as further support for the Democrat-led government. Some who voted for Sukhumbhand might not be die-hard Democrats but they felt exhausted by the political conflict and wanted to give the coalition government a conducive environment in which to work. The vote of approval for the Democrats will help, albeit in the short term. Now it's up to Sukhumbhand to give Bangkokians a reason to smile.

In spite of his relatively low profile compared to other Democrats, the 56-year-old politician nonetheless is remembered for one daring deed. In October 1999, Sukhumbhand, then deputy foreign minister, offered himself as a hostage to end a siege at the Burmese Embassy. Burmese dissident students agreed to end their occupation of the embassy and freed 38 hostages before they were flown to the Burmese border in Ratchaburi in the company of Sukhumbhand. The suspense turned into a happy ending with no casualties from the incident.

A descendent of Prachaofah Paritbatra Sukhumbhand Khromprasavan Nakornvoravinit, Sukhumbhand is recognised for his impressive academic background. But some political analysts say that an "elitist" image is a major challenge for Sukhumbhand to overcome. Bangkokians are looking to the governor to solve municipal problems such as flooding and waste treatment. This assignment will require more than just a heroic spirit.