A special look by ST on Thailand - Bangkok by-election results a stumble for Thailand's ruling party but not quite for PM Prayut

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BANGKOK, Jan 31 (The Straits Times/ANN): Thailand's biggest opposition party won control of a Bangkok constituency in a by-election on Sunday (Jan 30), in the latest blow for the beleaguered ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP).

Unofficial results of Bangkok's Constituency 9 poll, which covers Laksi and Chatuchak districts, show Pheu Thai's Surachat Thienthong winning 29,416 votes, some 9,000 votes more than the second-best performing candidate, Karoonpon Tieansuwan, from the opposition Move Forward Party.

Coming in fourth out of eight candidates was businesswoman Saralrasmi Jenjaka from PPRP, the biggest party in Thailand's ruling coalition. She managed to secure only 7,906 votes.

PPRP fielded Jenjaka to defend the Constituency 9, a seat vacated by her husband Sira Jenjaka, who was stripped of his position as a legislator in December after the Constitutional Court ruled that a 1995 fraud conviction had made him unqualified to run in the 2019 election.

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew declared on Sunday that the results were indicative of the people's desire for real democracy and to get rid of the government led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha.

As army chief in 2014, Prayut staged a military coup that ousted the then Pheu Thai-led government. He headed a junta for five years before returning as prime minister after the 2019 election.

Cholnan pointed out that the majority of those who voted on Sunday chose the Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties.

"This is the first step that people are taking to get rid of dictatorship and demand democracy," he said. "People want to express how disappointed they are by the failures of this government."

Analysts, however, were more circumspect, given that turnout for Sunday's by-election was just about 53 per cent, compared with 75 per cent in the 2019 poll.

Dr Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist from King Prajadhipok's Institute suggested erstwhile government supporters were probably not too enamoured with Mrs Jenjaka, who was seen as a proxy for her husband. This is despite the fact that party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan personally helped her to campaign.

"I think the voters who disappeared used to support the government, but felt that they didn't have a good choice in this election, and so decided not to vote," said Dr Stithorn.

Thammasat University political scientist Attasit Pankaew said: "It's not a big blow (to PPRP) but it shows that people are responding badly to the infighting within the party."

PPRP expelled its secretary-general Mr Thammanat Prompao and 20 other members of parliament (MP) last week, months after Mr Thammanat allegedly plotted to unseat Mr Prayut during a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

On Sunday, the controversial MP wrote on Facebook: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Analysts say PPRP would need to shore up its ranks in order to maintain the confidence of its supporters, with the term of the government expiring next year and the Bangkok governor elections expected to be called in a few months' time.

But Mr Prayut can still remain as prime minister even if PPRP's star dims, noted Dr Stithorn.

Under Thailand's Constitution, the prime minister need not be an elected MP. He or she needs only to be nominated by a political party, and then chosen by the majority of legislators in Parliament. - The Straits Times/ANN