Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra shrugged off yesterday an opposition victory in an election for Bangkok city governor seen as a wakeup call for his ruling party months from a general election.

Apirak Kosayodhin, a young businessman carrying the banner of the main opposition Democrat Party, easily defeated Pavena Hongsakula, a child rights activist and independent candidate endorsed by Thaksin, according to unofficial final results. Of the 2.4 million votes cast in Sunday’s poll, Apirak won roughly 911 000 against 619 000 for Pavena and 334 000 for third-place finisher, massage parlour king Chuwit Kamolvisit.

“For one thing, the victory indicates rising discontent with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose dictatorial tendencies have forced Bangkokians to back the Democrat Party,” wrote Kavi Chongkittavorn, a political columnist for the Nation newspaper. Thai Rak Thai did not field a candidate for governor, but analysts say the party machinery threw its weight behind Pavena.

Thaksin, who must hold an election by March after his four-year mandate expires in January, was unfazed by the results. “There is no link to the general election. It is a different question for me,” Thaksin told reporters. “Let’s see what the Thai people say in January. If they don’t like the government, we can play the opposition’s role.”

Thaksin has strong support in rural Thailand and is widely expected to win re-election despite problems ranging from bird flu to violence in the mainly Muslim south and allegations of cronyism and human rights abuses. The former telecoms tycoon still enjoys high poll ratings thanks to a booming economy, forecast to grow 6-7 percent this year.

But Thaksin’s bid to win 400 out of 500 parliamentary seats, which would severely weaken the opposition’s ability to challenge his policies, could fall short if his party fails to hold its 29 of Bangkok’s 37 seats. “I think people have sent a signal that after four years of government under Thaksin, there is a political imbalance,” said Sompop Manarungsan, an economics lecturer at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. “If the government does not manage its time efficiently before the next election, they will lose Bangkok,” Sompop said. Democrats hope Apirak’s victory, who gained votes in many Thai Rak Thai strongholds, will give their embattled party some badly needed momentum heading into the general election.

But analysts say the opposition is hampered by unclear policies and lingering divisions over the party’s leadership. Political analyst Prayat Hongthongkum said the Bangkok poll reflected middle class, urban fears of too much power in the hands of one party, rather than an endorsement of the Democrats.

<B>Sasithorn Simaporn</B>