The eighth gubernatorial

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 election

Election

An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...

 for the city of Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, was held on 5 October 2008. The election was won by the incumbent Governor Apirak Kosayothin

Apirak Kosayothin

Apirak Kosayodhin is a former Thai business executive and former governor of Bangkok. In the gubernatorial elections on August 29, 2004 he won 40% of the votes...

, placing him in his second consecutive four-year term in office, winning 45.93 percent of the vote. Of a total of 4,087,329 eligible voters, 2,214,320 voted, giving a turnout rate of 54.18 percent, lower than the 70 percent target expected by the Election Committee.

Sixteen candidates contested the election. Mr Apirak, candidate for the opposition Democrat Party

Democrat Party (Thailand)

The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...

, was seen as the favourite. Other candidates included Chuwit Kamolvisit

Chuwit Kamolvisit

Chuwit Kamolvisit is a controversial Thai politician who was once the country's biggest massage parlor owner. After an arrest in 2003, he went public with his claims of having paid large bribes to hundreds of police officers. He then sold some of his massage parlors, formed his own political...

, a former massage parlour businessman who also ran in the 2004 election, Prapas Chongsa-nguan, former governor of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand and candidate for the People's Power Party

People's Power Party (Thailand)

The People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...

, Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

Kriengsak Chareonwongsak is a Thai scholar, visionary, and politician. He is noted for promoting development that is sustainable, democratic, and ennobling for every person within Thai society. Dr...

, an academic and professor in business administration, and Leena Jangjanja, a businesswoman and lawyer who ran in the previous election and the 2006 senate election.

The sixth elected governor of Bangkok, Mr Apirak is the second to be elected to a second term, after Chamlong Srimuang

Chamlong Srimuang

Major General Chamlong Srimuang is a controversial Thai activist and former politician. A former general, he was a leader of the "Young Turks" military clique, founded and led the Phalang Dharma party, served for six years as governor of Bangkok, led the anti-military uprising of May 1992, and...

, governor from 1985–1992, who was incidentally arrested at a polling station early on the election day, on charges of insurrection due to his role as leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy

People's Alliance for Democracy

The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...

, a group which has staged protests and occupied Government House

2008 Thai political crisis

Since 2008, there has been an ongoing political crisis in Thailand in form of a conflict between the People's Alliance for Democracy and the People's Power Party governments of Prime Ministers Somchai Wongsawat and Samak Sundaravej, respectively, and later between the Democrat Party government of...

 since August.

Campaign

Mr Apirak's four-year term as governor ended on 28 August 2008. Applications for the post were accepted from 1 to 5 September, and the official list of candidates was announced on 11 September. Campaigning included public speeches by candidates, television interviews, campaign trucks announcing messages through loudspeakers, and most noticeably, a multitude of campaign posters erected on the pavements, some of which fell over and injured pedestrians and motorcyclists.

The more unusual campaigning stunts included Mrs Leena's bathing in a canal to reflect the local population's experiences, which ended tragically when her campaign manager drowned. Nearer to the election day, Mr Chuwit caused headline news by punching and kicking a television journalist after an interview.

Mr Chuwit also filed complaints against Mr Apirak, claiming that the appearance of Mr Apirak's name on the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's election publicity posters violated electoral law. The case was accepted by the Bangkok Election Committee, but a final ruling by the Election Commission would not be heard until after the election.

Polling and results

Polling was organised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration under the supervision of the Bangkok Election Commission, with a total budget of over 154 million baht. Voting took place from 08:00 to 15:00 on 5 October at 6,337 polling stations across the fifty districts of the city.

Exit polls by Assumption

Assumption University (Thailand)

Assumption University is a private Catholic university with three campuses in the Hua Mak, Central World Plaza and Suvarnabhumi areas of Bangkok, Thailand. The university is led by the Brothers of St. Gabriel, who have been active in education in Thailand since 1901...

 and Suan Dusit Rajabhat Universities indicated that Mr Apirak had won 44 to 52 percent of the vote by the time the polling stations closed. The unofficial results, to be submitted to the Election Commission for approval, were announced by the Bangkok City Clerk on midnight.
Summary of Bangkok gubernatorial election results, 2008
|-style="background:#E9E9E9;"
! №
! align="left"|Candidate
! align="left"|Affiliation
! Votes
! %
! Rank
|-
| 1
| align="left"|Kittisak Thirawisit
| align="left"|Independent
| 2,102
| 0.10
| 9
|-
| 2
| align="left"|Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

Kriengsak Chareonwongsak is a Thai scholar, visionary, and politician. He is noted for promoting development that is sustainable, democratic, and ennobling for every person within Thai society. Dr...

| align="left"|Independent
| 260,051
| 12.05
| 4
|-
| 3
| align="left"|Metta Temchamnarn
| align="left"|Metta Tham Group
| 2,105
| 0.10
| 8
|-
| 4
| align="left"|Warawut Thanangkorn
| align="left"|Independent
| 2,771
| 0.13
| 7
|-
| 5
| align="left"|Apirak Kosayodhin
| align="left"|Democrat Party

Democrat Party (Thailand)

The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...

| 991,018
| 45.93
| 1
|-
| 6
| align="left"|Sumet Tanthanasirikul
| align="left"|Krung Thep Phatthana Team
| 1,078
| 0.05
| 11
|-
| 7
| align="left"|Leena Jungjanja
| align="left"|Independent
| 6,267
| 0.29
| 5
|-
| 8
| align="left"|Chuwit Kamolvisit

Chuwit Kamolvisit

Chuwit Kamolvisit is a controversial Thai politician who was once the country's biggest massage parlor owner. After an arrest in 2003, he went public with his claims of having paid large bribes to hundreds of police officers. He then sold some of his massage parlors, formed his own political...

| align="left"|Independent
| 340,616
| 15.79
| 3
|-
| 9
| align="left"|Wittaya Jangkobpattana
| align="left"|Independent
| 3,759
| 0.17
| 6
|-
| 10
| align="left"|Prapas Chongsa-nguan
| align="left"|People's Power Party

People's Power Party (Thailand)

The People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...

| 543,488
| 25.19
| 2
|-
| 11
| align="left"|Popsak Panseethong
| align="left"|Independent
| 811
| 0.04
| 13
|-
| 12
| align="left"|Toranee Rithee-thamdamrong
| align="left"|Independent
| 852
| 0.04
| 12
|-
| 13
| align="left"|Udom Viboonteppachat
| align="left"|Independent
| 617
| 0.03
| 14
|-
| 14
| align="left"|Vachiraporn Aayooyuen
| align="left"|Public Party (Satharanachon)
| 1,140
| 0.05
| 10
|-
| 15
| align="left"|Somchai Paiboon
| align="left"|Independent
| 503
| 0.02
| 15
|-
| 16
| align="left"|Nipon Simprayoon
| align="left"|Independent
| 421
| 0.02
| 16
|-style="background:#E9E9E9;"
! align="left" colspan="3"|Total
! 2,157,599
! 100
!
|-
| align="left" colspan="3"|"No vote" ballots
| 37,345
| colspan="2"|
|-
| align="left" colspan="3"|Voided ballots
| 19,376
| colspan="2"|
|-style="background:#E9E9E9;"
! align="left" colspan="3"|Total turnout
! 2,214,320
! colspan="2"|
|}