Several surprises amid Thai Rak Thai landslide

Published on February 8, 2005

From a bird’s eye view, it was a sweep. But on the ground, many dark horses and first-time runners made their day while strong incumbents lost out.

Winners

Jermmard Junglerdsiri (Democrat, Bangkok 1)

Jermmard, a former two-time Democrat city councillor of the Pom Prab (Sattru Phai) district, won her first race in national politics by toppling the incumbent, first-time Thai Rak Thai MP Siri Wangbunkerd.

Her experience in local politics and her connections in this commercial area obviously empowered her to launch an effective door-to-door campaign over the past few years while Siri was busy with national politics.

ML Aphimongkol Sonakul (Democrat, Bangkok 6)

The 26-year-old, blue-blooded, Oxford-educated Aphimongkol put an unfortunate end to Thai Rak Thai candidate Orathai Thanajaro’s second re-election bid.

Just one year above than the minimum age for MP candidates, the son of former Bank of Thailand governor MR Chatumongkol enjoyed a double benefit. He had the support of Democrat incumbent MR Sukhumbhand Paribhatra, who has been immensely popular in the area, and the party’s strategy placed him at the centre of its Bangkok campaign.

Korn Chatikavanij (Democrat, Bangkok 7)

Korn’s win in the Yannawa and Sathorn districts gave the Democrats their only contiguous area of control in Bangkok, across the Chao Phya River from Ong-art Klampaiboon’s Bangkok Noi district. The financial-wizard-turned-politician made his first run for political office at the urging of his fellow Oxford alumnus and the Democrat deputy leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva.

With a strong political base inherited from his Democrat predecessor Charoen Kantawong, Korn, 40, dashed the Punnakan family’s hopes by beating Thai Rak Thai candidate and former television star Danuporn Punnakan after hours of vote-counting deadlock.

Yuranan Pamornmontree (Thai Rak Thai, Bangkok 11)

The deputy government spokesman, widely known as “Sam”, wielded his popularity as a former television and movie star to win the Din Daeng district that had been dominated by the Democrats, whose incumbent MP, Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, competed on the party-list this time.

Using gimmicks such as hosting a national government-lottery draw in the district last year, he managed a victory margin of 9,000 votes over the Democrats’ Colonel Fuengwit Anirutthewa.

Ekkapoj Wongaraya (Thai Rak Thai, Bangkok 21)

Ekkapoj, 38, made his political debut in a suburban area held by well-known Thai Rak Thai MP Thawatchai Sajjakul but, with extensive field work and campaigning, he garnered 10,000 votes more than his predecessor.

A son of Deputy Education Minister Aree, who is in charge of sorting out the troubles of Muslim education in the South, Ekkapoj managed a win over Democrat candidate and former Muslim actress Nattaya Benjasiriwan.

Anuwath Wongwan (Thai Rak Thai, Phrae 2)

It was sweet revenge for one of Phrae’s most controversial political dynasties. Anuwath, the 52-year-old political heir to his father Narong – considered a PM candidate in the early 1990s – beat Siriwan Prassajaksattru, a Democrat MP who had earlier dethroned his father.

Anuwath worked as an adviser to the minister of agriculture and to the deputy minister of interior in the previous Thaksin government. He said the victory over Siriwan was the reward of his life.

Krit Srifah (Thai Rak Thai, Phang Nga 2)

If the killer tsunami brought life to anything at all, it would be Krit’s long-time struggle for an MP seat in the worst-hit, predominantly Democrat Phang Nga constituency. Against all odds, it made him Thai Rak Thai’s only MP in the entire South.

Riding the crest of the government’s tsunami-relief aid, Krit, 43, toppled the Democrat’s incumbent MP Jurin Laksanavisit by a margin of about 2,000 votes. He has been a well-known face in the province’s tourism industry.

Julaphan Amornwiwat (Thai Rak Thai, Chiang Mai 9)

Julaphan, 30, delivered the final piece in Thai Rak Thai’s plan to win all the Chiang Mai constituencies. He achieved this by dethroning the Democrats’ only Chiang Mai MP, Yongyutt Suvapap.

He inherited political assets from his father Somphong, a veteran politician in the city, and earned support from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in appealing to undecided voters to choose Thai Rak Thai.

Nawin Boonsert (Thai Rak Thai, Phichit 3)

His victory is symbolic as the loss of Mahachon Party’s stronghold in Phichit that belonged to the son of the party’s key man.

With support from his father Adul, 37-year-old Nawin relied on his party’s popularity and extensive and persistent campaigning to take the MP seat away from Siriwat Kachornprasart.

Klanarong Pongjaroen (Thai Rak Thai, Chanthaburi 1)

Klanarong, 47, is Thai Rak Thai’s latest advance in its race with Chat Thai for Chanthaburi, taking a seat from Chat Thai incumbent Thawatchai Anampong.

After spending more than a decade in public service in Chanthaburi, he resigned last year as chief of Muang district.

Losers

Phuthiphong Punnakan (Democrat, Bangkok 4)

Phuthiphong was the Democrats’ rising star in Parliament shortly after he won a run-off election in the Ratchathewi-Phya Thai constituency, replacing the Thai Rak Thai initial winner Kannikar Thammakesorn.

However, despite his frequent campaigns in the area over the years, Phuthipong lost by a small margin to the Thai Rak Thai’s first-time candidate Rachata Phisitwannakorn.

Issara Sunthornwat (Democrat, Bangkok 10)

The son of the late popular columnist and administrator Saengchai, Issara was one of nine Democrat MPs to withstand the first wave of Thai Rak Thai popularity in Bangkok four years ago.

But this time Issara, 34, who continued to host his English-lesson programme on Channel 9 over the past four years, lost the battle in the Huay Kwang-Wattana constituency to Thai Rak Thai’s Nahathai Thiewpaingarm, whom he had defeated by just 102 votes four years ago.

Siriwan Prassajaksattru (Democrat, Phrae 2)

After three successive victories, Siriwan, 48, emerged the loser this time in a political battle between the two major rival parties that was underlined by the rivalry between Phrae’s two most influential families. She entered the province’s political arena in 1995 with a victory over its political fixture, Narong Wongwan.

After a series of scandals weeks before the election, the three-time MP was totally defeated by Narong’s son from Thai Rak Thai.

Yuttapong Charas-sathien (Democrat, Maha Sarakham 3)

Yuttapong, 33, was said to have been approached by Thai Rak Thai last year. Yet he stood by the party that gave him his political career four years ago, although the decision seems to have cost him his MP seat.

He was unable to withstand Thai Rak Thai’s popularity in the Northeast and was finally defeated by its candidate Suchat Chokechaiwattanakorn, who lost four years ago.

Police Lt-General Wiroj Paoin (Chat Thai, Angthong 1)

His massive web of family connections throughout the province failed to shore up the support for Wiroj in his fourth time running for an MP seat in his hometown.

Wiroj, 71, a former deputy prime minister and Metropolitan Police commissioner, lost his home constituency to Thai Rak Thai’s Penchisa Honguppathamchai, 36, who comes from a well-known family in local politics and had strong support from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s mother-in-law.

Khomkhai Polabut (Chat Thai, Chanthaburi 2)

A veteran MP of Chanthaburi’s often bloody politics, Khomkhai, 37, failed to make a political future with her new party after crossing over from the Democrat Party.

She lost to an all-out campaign by Thai Thai Rak, whose candidate Police Maj-General Payung Trongsawat emerged the winner.

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