Incumbent Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwanna-suppana was re-elected by a comfortable margin this week, garnering 10,657 votes (57 per cent) to just 7,910 (42 per cent) votes for her rival Ayuth Tansiriroj, leader of the Chao Baan Sarng San (Creative Village People) party.

In a remarkable outcome in voting for regular council seats, it was a clean sweep for members of Somjai's Khon Noom (Young Turks) party, who won all 24 seats - six in each of the four voting precincts.

When the voting was completed and the results began to emerge, some female candidates of the Creative Village People party were in tears and had to be consoled by their party leader.

Campaigning was fierce in the final days leading up to the polls, with both mayoral candidates distributing thousands of multi-page newsletters attacking the other and defending themselves.

A source at the Phuket City Administration Office said overall turnout was lower than expected, with just 20,262 of 44,637 eligible voters (45 per cent) casting ballots. Of these, there were 833 "no" votes and 862 were spoiled ballots.

Wet monsoon conditions are thought to have kept turnout low at the 69 polling units, most located in schools Talad Yai and Talad Neua.

The winners were: In Precinct 1: Wutthichai Saekam, Songwut Hongyok, Likit Thaneerat, Prathana Tahn-thiwit, Kanoksiri Prachumpan and Worapop Rattachothipong. In Precinct 2: Visuth Promthong, Phisut Suthichinda-wongse, Virunporn Saetan, Sommai Nathip, Prasit Jongjeamjai, and Wilai Sanguan-ngam.

In Precinct 3: Nivat Arunrat, Ananthep Navee, Narongrit Thavornpaiboonbutr, Thiensak Santhikayawakul, Pongsingh Na Nakhrn, and Yuthachai Limchai-sawadi. In Precinct 4: Niwat Aengchuan, Amnuay Kumban, Nithakarn Keratichariyasopon, Thanin Charoenlap, Chalerm Chankol and Niran Kongtan-thikul.