Bangkok will remain Thailand’s capital, promises governor candidate Suchatvee
Gubernatorial candidate Suchatvee Suwansawas said in a Facebook post on Thursday that he has no plans to shift the country’s capital to avoid floods that have been plaguing Bangkok for decades.
Suchatvee, former president of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, is running for the Bangkok governor’s position under the Democrat Party’s banner.
“I have learned that Indonesia is planning to move the capital from Jakarta to an East Kalimantan province to avoid the yearly flooding problem. The new capital will be called ‘Nusantara’,” he said. “I will not criticise Indonesia’s move because I believe their government has studied this issue thoroughly.
“However, this news made me think of Bangkok, which suffers similar problems,” he said. “If we don’t do anything now, it may be too late for our capital.
“Bangkok is my home and I have no plans to move the capital elsewhere,” he pointed out. “The flooding problem is on top of my agenda, and that’s why I have decided to run as a governor. I believe we can fix Bangkok’s flooding problem without having to move away.”
The Bangkok gubernatorial elections are expected to be held this year, though the exact date is yet to be announced by the Election Commission.
Though a Bangkok governor’s term lasts no more than four years, the incumbent – Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang – has been in office since October 18, 2016. Gubernatorial elections have been pushed back indefinitely due to the Covid-19 outbreak and political rallies.