Ratchaburi’s by-election campaign refreshed by Democrat leader’s visit

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

A BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR AN MP of Ratchaburi was today (May 14) temporarily refreshed by a visit of Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanavisit to the western constituency.

Jurin who concurrently performs as deputy prime minister-cum-commerce minister was helping the Democrat candidate, Chaitip Kamonpantip, contest the by-election for MP in Constituency 3 covering Bhotharam and Jom Bueng districts of Ratchaburi.

The by-election scheduled for May 21 is to find replacement for ex-Palang Pracharath lawmaker Pareena Kraikupt who has been deprived by court of the MP status due to her convicted encroachment of a forest reserve in part of her own constituency.

Chaitip who has earlier performed as a provincial councillor representing Bhotharam district has so far appeared as the most favourite to win in the by-election where a voter turnout is expected to come out considerably less than that in a previous general election which accounted for 83%.

In the 2019 election for MP in Ratchaburi’s Constituency 3, the Democrat candidate came second with some 29,000 votes, defeated by the winning Pareena who secured some 46,000 votes.

Two other contenders currently vying for one of the five MP seats of Ratchaburi include Natthanan Nithiponyangsanga of Thai Liberal Party and Pinyosilp Sangwanwong of Equality Party.

Thai Liberal Party leader Seripisut Temiyavej and Equality Party leader Radawan Wongsriwong have earlier visited the constituency to help with their respective electoral campaigns which have so far looked humdrum and lacklustre.

Seripisut earlier recommended constituents that they pick the Thai Liberal candidate so he could almost immediately join ranks with opposition MPs in keeping the Prayut regime in check. Natthanan is a woman lawyer who was largely defeated, given some 2,500 votes vying in the same constituency in the previous general election.

Radawan earlier called on Bhotharam and Jom Bueng constituents to vote for the candidate of her brand-new party who has been closely associated with Pareena’s brother Sihadej Kraikupt, head of Bang Tanod subdistrict administrative organisation. Pinyosilp has earlier performed as deputy head of the same subdistrict body.

Ratchaburi’s Constituency 3 currently has an estimated 138,000 constituents who may go to the polls on May 21, including some 87,000 eligible voters throughout 16 sub-districts of Bhotharam and some 51,000 others throughout six sub-districts of Jom Bueng.

CAPTION:

Democrat leader Jurin Laksanavisit and his party’s candidate Chaitip Kamonpantip canvassing in Ratchaburi. Top photo: INN News, Home Page photo: Matichon

Also read: Pareena deprived of MP status, banned for life from politics

Palang Pracharath’s decision to skip by-election shows House dissolution likely looming