14 November 1985

Chamlong elected governor

The independent candidate Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang won a landslide victory in the election for Bangkok governor, winning with wide margins in all of Bangkok’s 24 districts.

Without a political base and with only meagre financial backing, Chamlong took to the streets and won the hearts of voters with his modest campaigning style. Clad in a peasant mohom shirt, he urged recipients of his campaign leaflets to pass them on to others.

‘I don’t have much money to print many,’ he said. More than a million baht in donations poured in to fund his campaign but he told people the only donation he wanted was their vote. The Democrats won 35 seats on the 54-seat city council, but Chamlong said he did not expect any difficulties as Democrat leader Bhichai Rattakul was a good man. ‘There should be no problem for one good man to work with another good man,’ he said.

14 November 1985

Chamlong elected governor

The independent candidate Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang won a landslide victory in the election for Bangkok governor, winning with wide margins in all of Bangkok’s 24 districts.

Without a political base and with only meagre financial backing, Chamlong took to the streets and won the hearts of voters with his modest campaigning style. Clad in a peasant mohom shirt, he urged recipients of his campaign leaflets to pass them on to others.

‘I don’t have much money to print many,’ he said. More than a million baht in donations poured in to fund his campaign but he told people the only donation he wanted was their vote. The Democrats won 35 seats on the 54-seat city council, but Chamlong said he did not expect any difficulties as Democrat leader Bhichai Rattakul was a good man. ‘There should be no problem for one good man to work with another good man,’ he said.