Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday made a surprise appearance at a department store to campaign for Democrat Party candidate Panich Vikitsreth, who is contesting the parliamentary by-election for Bangkok's Constitution 6.
Without much advance notice to local police, the PM's team, including PM's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaiboon and Democrat Party MPs arrived at Fashion Island on Ram-Indra Road in the afternoon.
Deputy Bangkok Police chief Pol Maj-General Uapong Komarakul mobilised both plainclothes and uniformed police to throw a blanket of security around and inside the mall.
Abhisit walked through the mall to the cheering crowds who clapped their hands in support of the PM. Many asked the PM to have photos taken with them and some followed him and took pictures of him throughout the rally.
The PM almost bumped into a Pheu Thai Party team for MP candidate Kokaew Pikultong, which also came to the same mall. The PM's security team had to change his route to avoid confrontation.
Abhisit said he was preparing an inspection tour of the provinces and was ready to go to Chiang Mai to visit people there. In November last year, the PM had to cancel his plan to join a meeting in Chiang Mai, a stronghold of Thaksin Shinawatra, after the red shirts rallied threatening to oust him.
"I have no problem going there but I do not want to see any unfortunate incident because that would create bad sentiment,'' he said.
Meanwhile Pheu Thai Party Bangkok chairman Wicharn Meenchaianant admitted that the Democrat Party candidate was leading in a survey but he expressed confidence that Kokaew, the party candidate, would be able to beat his rival in a neck-to-neck race.