The elected members of all Provincial Administration Organisations (PAOs) across the country ended on Thursday (Dec 19), with the election of new members, and presidents, set for Saturday, Feb 1.
The Election Commission of Thailand, and all provincial branches of the commission, including in Phuket, are to officially announce the election today (Dec 21).
Candidates can register to contest the election from Monday (Dec 23) through to next Friday (Dec 27). The final list of eligible candidates is to be announced on Jan 3, confirmed notices posted by the PPAO yesterday.
To be eligible to contest the election for PPAO seats or as President, candidates must be Thai nationals by birth. For PPAO councils seats they must be at least 25 years old as of election day, and candidates for PPAO President must be at least 35 years of age as of election day.
Candidates must also be registered as continually resident in Phuket for at least a year before the application date.
There is no educational requirement for PPAO Council seats, but PPAO President candidates must have at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Also, according to the PPAO notices issued yesterday, candidates with the following characteristics are prohibited to to run for any seat as a PPAO member, including president:
- Be addicted to drugs
- Be bankrupt or previously entered bankruptcy
- Own or hold shares in any newspaper or media business
- Be a monk, novice, ascetic or religious person
- Be a person who has had their voting rights previously, or currently, revoked, regardless of whether the case has reached a final decision or not.
- Be “insane” [sic] or suffer any mental disorder
- Be temporarily suspended from the right to run for election
- Be sentenced to imprisonment and detained by court order
- Has been imprisoned for less than 5 years and has not been released yet.
The fee for registering a candidate is B2,000 to contest a seat as a PPAO Councilor, and B30,000 to contest the seat as PPAO President.
PEC Director Oraphin Achivasuk has previously confirmed that there will be 24 PPAO electoral districts across Phuket. The breakdown includes 14 voting districts in Mueang Phuket District, seven in Thalang District and three in Kathu District.
Rewat Areerob, representing the ‘Phuket Yatdai Party’, was elected PPAO President in the PPAO election held on Dec 20, 2020.
In total, the Phuket Yatdai Party secured 20 of the 24 seats available on the PPAO Council, while the Khon Baan Rao Party secured three seats, and the Gao Na Party secured just one seat.
Mr Rewat has confirmed that he is running for re-election, and joined a merit-making event yesterday (Dec 20) to confirm his fellow Phuket Yatdai candidates.
In concluding his first term as PPAO President, Mr Rewat said, “Today is the end of my term as the President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation. I would like to thank the people who have trusted me and come to work to solve various problems during both crises and normal times, as I have followed up on my work all along.
“I hope that I will be given the opportunity to continue working on traffic problems, economic problems, and promoting education, solving garbage problems, droughts and floods, and other disasters that may occur. There are also many other policies that will make Phuket a livable city with a heart for working.”
In accordance with election law in Thailand, there will be a 24-ban on the sale of alcohol throughout the country for the election. The ban will be in effect from 6pm the day before the election (Friday, Jan 31) through to 6pm the day of the election (Saturday, Feb 1).
The ban applies to all people in the country. Those caught violating the ban can face a fine of up to B10,000 or even up to six months in jail, or both.