“Bang Hem’ wins Pa Khlok OrBorTor presidency

PA KHLOK: In unofficial results of balloting held yesterday, Athipong Khongnam defeated incumbent Panya Samphaorat by 261 votes to win the presidency of the Pa Khlok Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor).

Turnout saw 6,307 of the sub-district’s 8,131 eligible voters (77.6 %) making it to the six polling stations, which were open from 8 am to 3 pm.

Voters also cast ballots for representatives in nine individual constituency seats.

Some 1,000 people turned up at the counting station at the Phuket Panyanukul School. At about 10:30 pm it was announced that Athiphong “Bang Hem” Khongnam had garnered 3,024 votes to win by a narrow margin over Panya Samphaorat, who scored 2,763 votes.

There were 348 spoiled ballots and 172 voters ticked the “no vote” option on their ballots.

The results have yet to be confirmed by the Election Commission in Bangkok in order for them to become official.

Although small in terms of registered population, Pa Khlok is one of the island’s fastest-growing tambons, with many new residential housing projects mushrooming throughout the area.