Abhisit campaigns for Democrat candidate to Chiang Mai

The June 2 election is required following the disqualification of Chinnicha, the daughter of former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions for false declaration of her assets. She was also banned from politics for five years. 

Somchai is the brother-in-law of fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Abhisit told reporters that the Democrats are considered underdogs in the province, which is the home of the Shinawatra family.

However, Kullayakorn is a Chiang Mai native and is familiar to locals and determined to work for Chiang Mai people.

“We have our members to talk to people, showing our determination to represent them. We hope that this will help our popularity among the people. However, everything depends on the voters,” Abhisit said.

Abhisit said Chiang Mai’s constituency 3 is different from Pathum Thani where a Democrat candidate won over Pheu Thai earlier this year. “In the general election last year, a Democrat lost out to his Pheu Thai rival by almost 20,000 votes in Pathum Thani and lost even more votes in the Chiang Mai areas. So, it is difficult to say whether we could win over Pheu Thai this time,” he said.

The Pheu Thai candidate is Kasem Nimmonrat, 48, a Chiang Mai local politician and a close aide to Somchai’s wife Yaowapa while Kullayakorn, 29, is working for community radio in the province.