Pattaya City Mayor election to be re-held in some districts after ballot papers go missing

Chon Buri Provincial Election Commission has announced the cancellation of the Pattaya City mayor’s election result on May 22 because ballot papers had gone missing from polling stations in 2 sub-districts. The new election in those sub-districts will be held on June 12.

After 10 years of suspension of mayoral elections, the Pattaya City Mayor election was held on May 22, the same day as the Bangkok Governor election. 4 candidates for the city mayor were presented from Love Pattaya Group, Move Forward Party, Pattaya Ruam Jai Group and one candidate who was independent. The unofficial result was announced on the same day at 5 pm that all candidates, both councillors and the Mayor, of the Love Pattaya Group won the election this year.

Porramate Ngampichate was the unofficial winner for the Pattaya City Mayor job receiving 14,633 votes from the residents. The other 24 council candidates also won their seats in the Pattaya City Council in all 4 sub-districts of Pattaya city.

However, the Director of Mueng Pattaya Election Commission, Pramote Tabtim, reported that the election committee detected problems in two sub-districts. Ballot papers disappeared in 4 polling stations, and the number of ballot papers was exceeded in some polling stations.

The election committee couldn’t identify the cause of the disappearance and problems, so the Pattaya City mayor election will be held again on June 12 in the 2 sub-districts where the issues at the polling stations were reported.

Even with a new election in the 2 sub-districts, it is unlikely to change the final result for the position of Mayor.

The Pattaya City Mayor-elect, Porramate Ngampichate, promised the residents that he would work to improve Pattaya’s economy. He added that he would also improve the tourism industry after it was quiet for nearly 2 years during the pandemic. He said he would seriously improve the urgent issues like floods and long-lasting road construction in Pattaya too.

SOURCE: MGR Online | Dailynews