2023 Rayong 3rd district by-election

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2023 by-election in Rayong's 3rd constituency
← 2023 10 September 2023 (2023-09-10) Next →
Rayong's 3rd constituency
Registered122,582
Turnout56.52% Decrease 21.35 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
MFP
DEM
NBLP
Candidate Phongsathorn Sornphetnarin Banyat Chetanachan Ruangchai Sombatphoothon
Party Move Forward Democrat Nation Building Labour Party
Popular vote 39,296 26,376 881
Percentage 59.04% 39.63% 1.32%
Swing Increase 26.59 pp Increase 23.24 pp New
Map of districts for the 2023 general election in Rayong province, showing the 3rd District in the province's east
MP before election

Nakhonchai Khunnarong
Move Forward

Elected MP

Phongsathorn Sornpetchnarin
Move Forward

The 2023 Rayong 3rd district by-election was a by-election held on 10 September to elect the next member of the Thai House of Representatives in Rayong's 3rd district. The by-election was held as a result of the resignation of Move Forward MP, Nakornchai Khunnarong, on 3 August after it was discovered Nakornchai had a criminal record.[1]

On 20 August 2023, the Thai Electoral Commission (EC) announced the date of the by-election to be 10 September. The EC also announced that any candidates hoping to run in the election would have to register in August 15 to 19. By the end of the deadline, three candidates registerred, representing the Move Forward, Democrat and the Nation Building Labour.

Move Forward was expected to win in a landslide,[2] with party leader Pita Limjaroenrat calling on voters to deliver its candidate a landslide.[3] The election was the first election in Thailand since the general elections. Phongsathorn Sornpetchnarin, the candidate of the Move Forward Party, won the seat with a large margin, beating the Democrat candidate by just under 20 percent.

2023 general election results in Rayong province. The 3rd district is shown in the province's east.

Background[edit]

Prior to the 2023 Thai general election, the Rayong's 3rd district was represented by the Democrat MP Bunyat Chetanachan.[4] Following the 2023 election, Move Forward candidate Nakornchai Khunnarong won the seat from the Democrats, gaining 29,034 votes or 30.4% of the total vote.[5]

On 26 July 2023, Thai Liberal Party MP Sereepisuth Temeeyaves revealed that Nakhonchai had previously been imprisoned in for a year and six months in 1999 due to a theft case. As Article 98 of the 2017 constitution prohibits those who have previously been imprisoned from running to be an MP, Nakhonchai could face a jail term of one to ten years and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 baht.[6]

Nakornchai resigned on 3 August.[7]

As a by-election, there was no advance voting, or voting from outside the constituency, including overseas voting.[8] Rayong 3rd district has 207 polling stations,[9][10] with 178 of them in Klaeng district and 29 in Khao Chamao district. There is a total of 122,582 potential voters in both districts.[11]

2023 general election results[edit]

2023: Rayong's 3rd constituency
Party Candidate Votes %
Move Forward Nakhonchai Khunnarong 29,034 32.45
Palang Pracharat Party Payap Phongsai 21,726 24.28
Democrat Banyat Chetanachan 14,668 16.39
Pheu Thai Chainarong Santasanachok 11,647 13.01
Chart Pattana Kla Paloch Krisanaracha 3,772 4.21
United Thai Nation Boonsanong Hiranrak 3,608 4.03
Thai Liberal Mokhuat Lekpet 2,755 3.07
Bhumjaithai Yossapon Onta 1,004 1.12
Thai Pakdee Party Thruesadi Thanaboribun 606 0.67
Thai Sang Thai Wutthi Prasingchob 492 0.54
Klong Thai Party Mochot Ubonprasert 158 0.17
Total votes 89,470 100.00%
Turnout 95,520 77.87
Move Forward win (new boundaries)

Candidates[edit]

Ballot Number Party Candidate
1 Move Forward Phongsathorn Sornpetchnarin
2 Democrat Banyat Chetanachan
3 Nation Building Labour Party Ruangchai Sombatphoothon

On August 11, the EC announced that the by-election would be held on 10 September 2023, and that candidate applications would be open from 15–19 August.[12] Registrations opened on 15 August at Klaeng district's community hall.[8] Three candidates successfully registered for the by-election.[13]

Phongsathorn Sornphetnarin, who had previously been a party-list candidate for the Move Forward Party during the general election, registered on 15 August for the Move Forward party.[14] At 41 years-old, Pongsathorn has been an advocate against factory construction in the district which damages the environment, and previously served as the secretary of the Student Federation of Thailand.[3]

Banyat Chetanachan, who had been the Democrat Party's candidate for the constituency in the general election, announced his intention to contest the by-election on 3 August.[15] He registered on 16 August. He had previously served as an MP from Rayong for 16 years from 2007 to 2023, winning re-election in 2011 and 2019.[2][16] The Democrat party leader, Jurin Laksanawisit, would later say that Banyat is a candidate to become the deputy spokesman of the Democrat party.[17] It was also speculated that Satit Pitutecha, the deputy leader of the Democrat Party, would have been the party's candidate.[14] The parties of the previous government agreed to consolidate behind the Democrat candidate to avoid vote splitting.[18]

Ruangchai Sombatphoothon registered for the by-election on August 19 as the Nation Building Labour Party's candidate (also called Rang-ngan Sang Chart party).[19] Ruangchai is a retired police officer who previously ran during the general election in Rayong 2nd district and came in eighth place out of the nine candidates who ran, winning 457 votes.[citation needed]

Election[edit]

Campaign[edit]

On 25 August 2023, the three candidates agreed to not engage in corrupt practices during the campaign.[20] Party leader and Move Forward candidate for the 2023 election, Pita Limjaroenrat, began campaigning for the first time since the May election.[2][21] On 15 August, with Pongsathorn, they paraded from Kaeng district's community hall to the local market, rallying supporters along the way.[8] Pita and Pongsathorn began campaigning together in Klaeng and Khao Chamao districts the same day.[22]

On 26 August, Watanya Bunnag arrived in Klaeng district to promote the Democrat candidate Banyat Jettanachan. Watanya led a convoy of supporters from Klaeng Hospital to Sam Yan market. In Klaeng, Watanya also said that voters should consider the candidate over the party.[2]

Phongsathorn Sornpetchnarin would come under criticism for his lack of personal income tax payments, although the EC said on September 4 that not paying income tax was not a disqualifying factor. In response, Phongsathorn submitted related documents to the EC.[23] On 7 September, the EC confirmed Phongsathorn's qualifications.[19]

On 8 September, Jurin Laksanawisit and Watanya Bunnag campaigned in Muang district along with Democrat MPs from other provinces. At the same time, Pita and the secretary-general of the Move Forward party, Chaitawat Tulathon, were campaigning in Klaeng district.[24]

Aftermath[edit]

In the morning of 10 September, before voting started, the Governor of Rayong province, Triphop Wongtrairat, visited Polling Unit 9 in Klaeng district, which was later visited by Sermsak Karun, former Deputy Minister of Finance, who voted at the station.[25][26] Voting was open from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.[11]

At 7:00 p.m local time, unofficial results of the election were released with Move Forward as the victor.[27] In response to his party's victory in the election, Pita said in Klaeng district that he would use the momentum gained by the victory to launch future campaigns.[28]

Results[edit]

2023: Rayong's 3rd constituency
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Move Forward Phongsathorn Sornpetchnarin 39,296 59.04% +26.59%
Democrat Banyat Chetanachan 26,376 39.63% +23.24%
Nation Building Labour Party Ruangchai Sombatphoothon 881 1.32% New
Total votes 66,553
Turnout 69,284 56.52%
Move Forward hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Three parties to contest Rayong by-election". Bangkok Post.
  2. ^ a b c d "Democrat Party hopes Madam Dear's sparkle will help win Rayong by-election". nationthailand. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Pita calls for Move Forward landslide in Rayong by-election". nationthailand. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Rocket Media Lab: Demo Thailand". demothailand.rocketmedialab.co (in Thai). Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  5. ^ tangmo (15 May 2023). "ผลเลือกตั้ง 66 : ระยอง ส.ส. ผู้ชนะ อย่างไม่เป็นทางการ 5 เขต". Thaiger ข่าวไทย (in Thai). Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Rayong MP Resigns Amidst Controversy Over Past Criminal Case". thainews.prd.go.th.
  7. ^ "Rayong by-election gets go-ahead as MP seat vacated by disqualified Move Forward member". nationthailand. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Pita campaigns for voters in Rayong's by-election". Pattaya Mail. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Move Forward candidate starts campaigning for votes for Rayong's by-election". nationthailand. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  10. ^ Amatmontree, Tummanoon (10 September 2023). "คนแห่ใช้สิทธิ์ลต.ซ่อมระยอง-กกต.ตั้งเป้าร้อยละ 65". INN News (in Thai). Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  11. ^ a b "รู้ผลไม่เกิน 4 ทุ่มวันนี้ ศึกเลือกตั้งซ่อม ส.ส.ระยองเขต 3". www.msn.com. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  12. ^ ประกาศคณะกรรมการการเลือกตั้ง เรื่อง การสมัครรับเลือกตั้งสมาชิกสภาผู้แทนราษฎรจังหวัดระยอง เขตเลือกตั้งที่ ๓ แทนตำแหน่งที่ว่าง
  13. ^ "Three parties to contest Rayong by-election". www.msn.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Move Forward candidate starts campaigning for votes for Rayong's by-election". nationthailand. 15 August 2023.
  15. ^ "หมอบัญญัติ"ประกาศเจตจำนงขอลงแก้มือเลือกตั้งใหม่ระยองอีกครั้ง
  16. ^ "ประชาธิปัตย์ ส่ง "หมอบัญญัติ" เลือกตั้งซ่อมระยองเขต 3 เชื่อประชาชนจะให้โอกาส". www.thairath.co.th. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  17. ^ Naik, Priti (9 September 2023). "Democrat and Move Forward Leaders Rally Support in Rayong Ahead of Sunday's By-Election". BNN Breaking. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  18. ^ Post Reporters. "Govt parties 'to make way' for Democrats in Rayong poll". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  19. ^ a b "EC endorses Move Forward candidate's qualifications ahead of Rayong by-election". www.thaipbsworld.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Rayong candidates sign pact". Bangkok Post.
  21. ^ "'Not a game of cards': Thailand's Pita on how Lee Kuan Yew's words keep his focus on political goal, not PM job". CNA. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Move Forward candidate starts campaigning for votes for Rayong's by-election". nationthailand. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Rayong EC issues clarification concerning candidate eligibility". Pattaya Mail. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Democrats, Move Forward compete for Rayong constituency". nationthailand. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  25. ^ Amatmontree, Tummanoon (10 September 2023). "คนแห่ใช้สิทธิ์ลต.ซ่อมระยอง-กกต.ตั้งเป้าร้อยละ 65". INN News (in Thai). Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  26. ^ "เลือกตั้งซ่อม ส.ส.ระยอง คึกคัก ยังไม่พบทุจริต". เนชั่นทีวี (in Thai). 10 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  27. ^ Staff, T. N. R. (10 September 2023). "Pita declares victory in Rayong by-election". Thai Newsroom. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  28. ^ "Move Forward candidate wins Rayong Constituency 3 by-election". 11 September 2023.
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