Diwali in Bangkok a draw for politicians

Deepavali was a mega-event in Bangkok this year, with three days of high celebrations on the streets of Pahurat, the Indian quarter of the city. The celebrations were attended by no other than the dynamic new Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt. An engineering academic who studied at the prestigious MIT in the US, Sittipunt had won by a landslide victory as an Independent candidate, defeating his seasoned rivals. Ever since his win, he has taken the city by storm with his many dynamic plans to improve its image. Colourful Bangkok aims to fill all public spaces with cultural activities, of which Pahurat is a part. 

“Everyone knows of Yaowarat, the Chinese quarter of Bangkok. Let’s now promote the Indian quarter,” Sittipunt told this writer, when we met at an art event in the…