Bangkok’s ‘Hulk’ governor wants a second chance to smash it

You hear “The Hulk” before you see him: Chadchart Sittipunt’s voice carries as he canvasses for a second term as Bangkok governor in the tight, twisting alleys of a working-class canalside community.

The nickname, affectionately bestowed upon him by Thai internet users for his muscular frame and passion for running, suits the 60-year-old well. He has been out hustling for votes daily ahead of Sunday’s election, which he appears all but certain to win.

Meeting residents in poor communities, middle-class shopping centres, street markets and parks was crucial to the running of the Thai capital, Chadchart said in an exclusive interview with This Week in Asia. “They are our bosses, our masters. Everyone has their own problems. We need to listen to them to help us improve this place.”

Indeed, as the politician who has earned a reputation for being approachable, visible and energetic zigzags across the city, its residents greet him with a laundry list of gripes.

Life in the Southeast Asian megacity can feel precarious, Chadchart acknowledges. Bangkok’s traffic devours entire days, as its infrastructure lags behind a population boom that has filled the towers and gated communities sprawling across a greater urban area of 17 million.