Voters were interested in policies, dean says

Democrat MR Sukhubhand Paribatra has a clear lead thanks to the party's strong political base with both district and municipal councillors as supporters, said Yuthaporn Issarachai, dean of political science at Sukhothai Thammathirat University.

The fact that a party's candidate would win meant voters were more interested in policies and both parties had been vying for votes by competing over policies, he said.

If Sukhumbhand wins, it would not mean he would have more work conflicts with the government because his administration was linked with the Bangkok Metropolitan Council, he said.

Trakul Meechai, a political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, said independent candidates have not been able to beat party candidates for many years because to some extent a local election is overlaid by national politics.

The Democrat Party had also managed to penetrate the Pheu Thai Party's "strongholds" in the outer districts in this election, he said.