Chadchart Sittipunt will officially begin his second term as Bangkok governor on Thursday, following certification of the capital’s election results by the Election Commission.
Mr Chadchart, the 17th governor of Bangkok, will attend an official handover ceremony at City Hall in Phra Nakhon district on Thursday morning, according to media reports.
The programme will begin at 10.09am with a ceremony to pay respects to the sacred shrines at City Hall. Mr Chadchart will then formally assume office by presenting his election certificate to city clerk Narong Ruangsri, who will sign the document transferring gubernatorial responsibilities.
Following the ceremony, Mr Chadchart and his team will hold a meeting with the city clerk and senior officials of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to discuss administrative matters before addressing the media.
The governor is also expected to introduce his new executive team, including deputy governors, advisers, the governor’s secretary, assistant secretaries and the BMA spokesperson.
In addition, Mr Chadchart will outline a series of urgent policy priorities during a media briefing on the lawn in front of the Phra Phuttha Navarat Bophit Pavilion Sao Chingcha, or the Giant Swing.
In the afternoon, Mr Chadchart and his team will travel to the Din Daeng City Hall complex to pay respects to sacred shrines before concluding with a tree-planting ceremony at the Phra In Song Chang Plaza.
On Wednesday, the EC officially endorsed Mr Chadchart’s victory in the June 28 election after he secured 1,537,784 votes, eclipsing the record of 1.3 million that he set in 2022. The commission also certified the elected Bangkok councillors in all 50 districts.
The commission also certified Pattaya mayor-elect Poramet Ngampichet, who won a second term with 20,184 votes, and all six elected members of the Pattaya City Council.
Mr Poramet is a member of the Rao Rak Pattaya group that is aligned with the Khunpleum family, which has dominated Pattaya politics for decades.
The EC said it approved the election results after finding no complaints or evidence suggesting the June 28 polls had been conducted dishonestly or lacked transparency.
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