By Thai Newsroom Reporters
CHACHOENGSAO – A couple of “Big House” contestants, specifically of the Tancharoen and Sirilatthayakorn families, are unrelentingly contesting against each other for one of the four constituencies of the eastern province in the Feb.8 election.
In Constituency 2, Sukticha Tancharoen, son of former deputy commerce minister/ex-MP Pichet Tancharoen, has not surprised prospective voters by his decision to run for MP for the first time but by his choice of the party under whose tickets he is contesting – the reformist People’s whilst his archrival/Tourism & Sports Minister Attakorn Sirilatthayakorn is seeking re-election under the ultra-conservative Klatham banners.
The Tancharoen family’s sustained ties with the neo-conservative Pheu Thai highlighted by Sukticha’s uncle, namely former deputy House speaker Suchart Tancharoen who is seeking re-election in party-listed mode under the same camp’s banners notwithstanding, Sukticha invariably believes most constituents desperately look for change with himself being virtually viewed as a trailblazer whilst Attakorn is known to have a relatively large advantage in finding his way back to parliament.
Among those “Big House” contestants who skipped over from one party to another to seek re-election was Attakorn who departed from the divided Palang Pracharath to the Klatham headed by de facto party boss/Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompao.
The People’s surprise candidate is not only vigorously vying against the Klatham contestant/caretaker tourism & sports minister but the Pheu Thai contender, namely Panpong Asawachaisopon, son of ex-MP Somchai Asawachaisopon.
In Constituency 1, ex-MP Thitima Chaisaeng is seeking re-election under the Pheu Thai tickets against ex-MP Kittichai Ruengsawat who is vying under the Bhumjaithai banners, among others.
Kittichai who had defected from the court-dissolved Future Forward to the ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai in lieu of the reformist Move Forward, which had been practically resurrected from the Future Forward, and ran under the Bhumjaithai banners in the 2023 election was overwhelmingly outvoted.
In Constituency 3, a couple of “Big House” contestants are vying against each other. Suchart’s son, namely ex-MP Sakchai Tancharoen, is seeking re-election under the Pheu Thai tickets against ex-MP Chaiwat Paopiamsap who is vying under the Klatham banners.
In Constituency 4, ex-MP Pithak Charusombat is seeking re-election under the Pheu Thai banners against Deputy Industry Minister Yotsing Liamlert who is running under the Klatham tickets and Praewnapat Thongsuwan, spouse of ex-MP Jirat Thongsuwan, under the People’s banners. In the previous election, both Pithak and Yotsing who had run under the military-installed Palang Pracharath and Ruam Thai Sang Chart banners respectively were overwhelmingly defeated by Jirat of the court-dissolved, reformist Move Forward.
CAPTION:
Above left and first insert – People’s candidate Sukticha Tancharoen, sign in the background says “Vote Orange to Get Rid of Grey” .
Above right and second insert – Klatham candidate/Tourism & Sports Minister Attakorn Sirilatthayakorn. Both photos – Thai Newsroom Reporters
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