Suwit quits politics

PHUKET CITY: Suwit Sa’ngaimkul today announced his decision to quit politics. K. Suwit served as the Phuket Democrat Member of Parliament for Phuket District 1 for five years, until the recent dissolution called by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

“I was intending to finish my political career at the end of my second term [in 2009], but Parliament was dissolved first, so I will no longer continue [in politics]. It’s for personal reasons,” he told the Gazette.

His decision to quit comes as a surprise. Just two days before PM Thaksin dissolved parliament to make way for the April 2 snap election, K. Suwit told the Gazette that he was happy with his political life.

“I am not bored with politics. I have never considered quitting politics. There are three main things in my life. First is politics; I have been going to Bangkok for Parliamentary sessions every Tuesday and returning on Fridays for the past five years.

“Second is my business, and third is my family. I am lucky that I have a good team at work and a family who understand my job, so that I can focus on politics,” he said.

He added that he enjoyed his political work in Phuket, visiting local people and hearing about their problems.

K. Suwit said that he was happy to represent Phuket, even as a member of the Opposition. “Phuket people know that if they vote for a Democrat member to be an MP, they may lose good opportunities from the government [because they are being represented by a member of the Opposition], but they still vote for a Democrat,” he said.

Yesterday, however, K. Suwit apologized if his decision to quit had upset anyone. “I am sorry that last month I told [the Gazette] that I was happy and that I had no plans of quitting,” he added.