Anucha concedes Bangkok governor race as Chadchart leads early count

Anucha Burapachaisri, the Democrat Party’s candidate for Bangkok governor, conceded defeat less than an hour after vote counting began on Sunday (June 28), accepting the election result.

Anucha congratulated independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt, who was heading towards a second term as Bangkok governor after winning voters’ trust. He acknowledged that the trend in the vote count showed the winner would continue to lead the capital’s administration.

Throughout the campaign, Anucha noted, all candidates had worked hard by meeting residents on the ground and taking part in debates, while focusing on accurate information and facts.

He stressed that the policies proposed by the Democrat Party should not end with the election result. Any policy that could be developed further or used to support Chadchart’s administration for the benefit of Bangkok residents would receive the party’s full backing.

The concession followed Chadchart’s strong lead from the start of the count. As of 8pm, Chadchart had 753,057 votes, followed by independent candidate Mallika Boonmeetrakool Mahasook with 153,401 votes and Chaiwat Sathawornwichit of the People’s Party with 91,823. Anucha was in fourth place with 53,576 votes.

Six weeks of listening to Bangkok residents

Anucha added that more than six weeks of campaigning had allowed him to meet residents across every district of Bangkok, listen to their proposals, hear their concerns and gather useful views. These, he noted, could support not only Bangkok’s development but also broader approaches to national administration in the future.

The campaign was not only about asking for votes, he explained, but also about listening closely to people’s needs and understanding the real problems facing each area.

Anucha thanked Democrat Party members, executives, the party leader, deputy leaders and Bangkok Metropolitan Council candidates in all 50 districts for working alongside residents throughout the campaign.

He also expressed gratitude to voters who placed their trust in the Democrat Party, including those who had never voted for the party before. If this election marked their first time supporting the Democrats, he hoped it would not be the last, as the party remained committed to offering ideas and policies that could benefit society at every level of elections.

Anucha thanked voters for every ballot cast in his favour, whether the final result reached tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of votes. Every vote, he emphasised, was valuable and would serve as important encouragement for the party’s future political work.

Democrats pledge to continue work and scrutiny

Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, congratulated Chadchart on receiving public trust for another term and confirmed that the party would continue working for Bangkok residents.

If any Democrat Party policy could help support the work of the returning Bangkok governor, the party was ready to provide information and full cooperation, Abhisit noted. At the same time, it would continue scrutinising the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to protect the public interest.

Although the election results for the party’s Bangkok Metropolitan Council candidates were not yet official, Abhisit believed the Democrats would win seats close to their target. Those elected would support useful policies while constructively monitoring the work of the city administration.

Party executives acknowledged that they had known from the outset that the race would not be easy. However, they insisted the party was not discouraged, as everyone had worked to the best of their ability and every vote of public trust remained meaningful.

The Democrat Party will continue working systematically, listening to people’s problems, developing policies and strengthening its personnel so it can fulfil its political role and contribute to Bangkok and the country.