Poll expected to be very tight
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Democrat candidate's dedication to locals may earn him more votes
The Don Muang by-election is expected to be a neck-and-neck race between the Pheu Thai and Democrat Party candidates.
In fact, it is expected to be so tight that observers have not been able to predict the outcome, with many even saying that the opinion polls are incorrect.
On Sunday, however, we will learn whether it is the government or the opposition that will get another seat in Parliament.
The ruling-Pheu Thai Party is fielding former teen heartthrob Yuranunt Pamornmontri, while the Democrats have nominated actor Tankhun Jitt-itsara.
Tankhun previously lost to the now red-carded Pheu Thai MP Karun Hosakul by 8,000 votes in 2011. During the Bangkok gubernatorial election this year, Pheu Thai candidate Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen won 40,073 votes in the Don Muang constituency compared to Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra’s 28,092 votes.
Over the past few years, the ruling party has repeatedly won in this obviously pro-red district. So it is obvious that most observers would place their bets on Yuranunt.
But then again, Don Muang district today is different and Yuranunt has certain weakness that cannot be overlooked.
First of all, he has no political base in the district even though his house registration papers now say he hails from the area. In comparison, Tankhun has worked diligently on garnering local support, especially during the 2011 flood crisis.
Also, the fact that municipal councillors are under the Democrat banner makes one doubt the prediction of a Pheu Thai victory.
Many pollsters are also shifting their focus on Tankhun emerging as a winner, prompting Pheu Thai to boost the number of its door-to-door campaign teams from nine to 27.
Clearly, Pheu Thai has reason to be afraid, especially since its opinion polls, which have come out with accurate predictions time after time, seem to have lost their magic.
Another indicator might be the candidates’ presence in cyberspace. Tankhun regularly tweets messages and photographs and has 40,000 followers.
Plus, his Facebook page is regularly updated to woo young voters who are addicted to social media.
Yuranunt, on the other hand, has not sent out a single tweet, which means he is at least one step behind the competition.
Hence, it is perhaps safe to believe that the Don Muang by-election might end up being a repeat of the Bangkok governor’s election.
