Kao Mai wins OrBorJor by-election

PHUKET: Chockchai Itsarolan won Saturday’s by-election for a vacant seat representing Muang District on the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor). The by-election was held to replace Yada Palimapan, who resigned her seat recently in order to run as a Thai Rak Thai Party candidate in parliamentary elections to be held before the end of this year. K. Chockchai, a member of the OrBorJor Kao Mai Party, which currently holds a majority in the council, claimed victory by beating five other candidates, all independents. Voter turnout was low. Of the district’s 102,715 registered voters, only 16,269, or 15.84%, voted. K. Chockchai won by a handsome margin, garnering 7,580 votes, compared with the 3,359 votes cast for his nearest rival, Samran Jindapon. Chonramat Thanundornwat came in third with 2,356. Teerasak Wichutanont was fourth, Wittaya Kaewliporn was fifth, and Wisut Tangwittayaporn came last. Meanwhile, in Patong yesterday, Weerasak Kaminthong of the Rak Patong Party won a by-election for the municipal council by a margin of just 47 votes. The by-election was held to replace Chalermlak Kebsub, who also resigned from her seat recently to run as a parliamentary candidate for the Democrat Party in District Two. Turnout was much higher, with more than 56% of the municipality’s 8,444 registered voters casting ballots. K. Weerasak polled 2,241 votes, just ahead of independent candidate Jamrak Eamsaad, who received 2,194 votes. Peerapan Suwannachart, also an independent, trailed in third with 125.