Phuket alcohol ban ahead of local elections

PHUKET: A ban on the sale of alcohol goes into effect in Srisoonthorn Municipality at 6pm tonight ahead of local elections tomorrow.

Phuket Election Commission Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette, “The alcohol ban will be in effect from 6pm Friday night through to midnight Saturday night due to the Srisoonthorn municipal elections on Saturday, February 18.”

Mr Kittipong explained that Srisoonthorn has two voting districts – one with 6,193 eligible voters and the second with 6,179 voters.

A total of 32 candidates are contesting the 12 council seats up for grabs.

Running for mayor are Worawut Songyot and Songsiri Krailert, and running for re-election is Thamrong Tantiwiratkul, who served as president of the Srisoonthorn Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) before the subdistrict was upgraded to a municipality on October 8 last year.

Srisoonthorn acting Mayor Somjai Thongsombat told the Gazette, “The alcohol ban will affect eight villages within Srisoonthorn Municipality.

“They are Ban Khao Lan, Ban Lipon Bangkok, Ban Tha Rua, Ban Bang Jo, Ban Lipon Tai, Ban Ya, Manik and Moo 8, which comprises two villages: Ban Pon Bo Rae and Ban Hua harn,” he said.

“The sale and purchase of alcohol in these areas will be banned in accordance with election law,” he added.

Popular tourist areas from Kamala south are unaffected by the ban.

— Chutharat Plerin