BANGKOK, Aug 29 (AFP) - A candidate from Thailand's main opposition party was heading for a convincing victory in the race to become the new Bangkok governor in a blow to the ruling party ahead of national elections next year.
Democrat Apirak Kosayodhin, a photogenic 43-year-old and former telecommunictions executive, was well ahead of the field with more then 50 percent of votes counted, according to unofficial tallies by television stations.
He had collected 484,000 votes compared with 311,000 for his closest rival, Pavena Hongsakul, a former MP and champion of women's rights who was standing as an independent, according to the itv television network.
The most colourful candidate of a bizarre campaign, Chuwit Kamolvisit -- who made his fortune running a string of upmarket massage parlours before turning into an anti-corruption champion -- was lying third of the 21 candidates with 175,000 votes.
Nearly four million people were eligible to vote and election authorities said the turn-out was more than 60 percent.
The ruling party of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra did not have a candidate at the elections but was believed to be backing Pavena to increase pressure on a divided opposition ahead of national elections slated for early 2005.
However, Thaksin remains a rock-solid favourite to retain power next year.
He swept to power in 2001 and his coalition holds 365 of the 500 lower house seats. However analysts have cast doubt on his chances of securing his goal of winning 400 seats on election day.