Bangkok is in full campaign mode. As the capital gears up for the upcoming Bangkok governor election on June 28, we are starting to hear more about how each candidate will whip up the city to their design, turning Bangkok into a thriving capital that can match the structure and energy of first-world capitals worldwide.
Every four years, Bangkokians remember to take their ID cards and go out to vote for their governor. This year, we may all be suffering from slight election fatigue following the national election in February, and whilst politicking in Thailand remains unchanged, the Bangkok governor race is one of the few tangible processes where real change can be reviewed, tracked, and enjoyed by the people who actually vote at the polls.
The billboards go up, and in this year's case, digital billboards across highly congested areas. There are a handful of things a governor has full jurisdiction over, including flooding, air quality management, public spaces and people-friendly initiatives. What makes a Bangkok governor election more accessible is that, for the most part, changes can be felt and experienced instantly.
