Chuwit promises to fight corruption

Rak Prathet Thai Party leader Chuwit Kamolvisit, a former massage-parlour tycoon who is known for his eccentric character, vowed to serve as an opposition member of Parliament to fight against corruption.

"The high prices of commodities, economic crisis, educational problems and abnormalities in the Airport Link construction will be the first issues I will investigate," he told the press at his party headquarters at Sukhumvit Soi 10 after the polls closed.

The 50-year-old politician said his political campaign had succeeded because most voters are bored with the two main parties and wanted him to investigate and monitor corruption.

"People have sent a big signal to the two main parties that they are bored with the failure of previous governments' policies and want me to scrutinise them," he said.

He warned the Pheu Thai Party and fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra that they must negotiate with the old powers including politicians, capitalists, and the military to bring the country forward.

"If you are doing good, I am ready to support you, but if you go ahead with the amnesty, I will totally oppose it," he said, referring to a possible amnesty for Thaksin.

He sent only 10 party-list candidates to contest the election.

Chuwit woke up early yesterday and left his mansion to cast his vote at Din Daeng polling station.

After casting his vote, he went to his Davis Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 24 to pray to the spirit house of his mother, who died 10 years ago. He also relaxed by swimming and did a workout. He spent a few minutes to have his hair cut at a salon near his hotel.

By noon, he was in rush to get to his party office at Sukhumvit Soi 10 and wait for the results of the election.

After the polling closed, Chuwit brought a cup of nut grass, which in Thai means "loser", and a bouquet of flowers to send his condolences to the parties that did not win election.

He also showed a dish of crab - pu in Thai, which is similar to the nickname of Pheu Thai Party leader Yingluck Shinawatra - and called her to follow the commitment she had given to the people.

During the past month, Chuwit's election campaign was extreme, colourful, straight and funny.

In the last Bangkok gubernatorial election in 2008, Chuwit received 340,616 votes.