Chadchart ‘too old’ for PM

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday hinted that he harbours no prime ministerial ambitions, saying he was too old for the job.

The 56-year-old governor was reacting to a question raised at the “Thai Startup x Chadchart” forum organised by the Thai Startup Association and City Hall on Monday.

During his lecture, one participant suggested that he quit the governorship and vie to become prime minister when the next election comes.

In response, Mr Chadchart said he wants to focus on the task at hand while stressing that a prime minister should be someone from a younger generation. He insisted he was too old to aspire for the post.

The governor also said despite having won the election, now is not the time to celebrate. He asked his supporters to wait until he completes his term and accomplishes his goals as chief of City Hall.

When asked about his son, Sanpiti, who discussed during a media interview his idea of helping Mr Chadchart with his work, the governor said he would never involve family members in his duties.

Mr Sanpiti, who has just completed his studies in the US, said during an interview on the Suthichai Live programme that he was thinking about helping his father while he was preparing to pursue a master’s degree. However, Mr Sanpiti said he did not plan to be part of the governor’s team, but could be an observer who monitors the governor’s work and provides feedback or input.

Mr Chadchart’s landslide win has seen his supporters wondering out loud whether he might also be a good fit for prime minister.

A former transport minister under the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, Mr Chadchart was one of the Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidates in the 2019 general election. In November 2019, he declared he was ready to run as an independent candidate in the Bangkok gubernatorial election and said that as an independent, he could win wider support and be able to work with greater flexibility.