Early voting for Thailand’s parliamentary elections began on Sunday (1 February), with more than two million eligible voters casting ballots nationwide ahead of the 8 February general election, as authorities acknowledged errors and irregularities at some polling stations.
Polling opened at 8 AM local time (0100 GMT) across Bangkok and other provinces, with advance voting intended for citizens unable to vote on election day. The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) said all ballots would be counted together after 8 February.
Authorities set up more than 860 polling stations nationwide. Bangkok recorded the highest turnout, with 844,672 people registered for advance voting. Overall, Thailand has 52.92 million registered voters, while the ECT said 2.41 million people signed up to vote early.
“I hope that we can get a leader that can develop communities that would then lead to a better society, not just the policies that will get them victory,” said Archakrit Kaowong, 33, after casting his ballot.
Another voter, Thatsanan Khumbanluang, 28, said she hoped the next government would “lead the country to a better future”.
The vote follows months of political turbulence.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called a snap election in December after less than 100 days in office, amid parliamentary turmoil and a looming no-confidence vote following the failure of a constitutional amendment bill.
The contest has narrowed into a three-way race between Anutin’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party, the reformist People’s Party, successor to the Move Forward Party, and the populist Pheu Thai Party, backed by the family of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Opinion polls suggest no party is likely to secure an outright majority, raising the prospect of post-election coalition negotiations.
The early voting was overshadowed by public criticism of the ECT after reports of irregularities emerged from several provinces.
Voters and political candidates shared complaints on social media about incomplete or incorrect candidate lists, long delays, wrong electoral district codes and registration errors that prevented some people from voting.
In Phuket, voters reported that the name of a candidate who had already been revoked still appeared on information boards.
Other complaints included alleged violations of the ban on photography inside polling stations and reports of ballot papers being improperly handled.
The Office for Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee issued a public apology, pledging that all mistakes would be addressed and that similar problems would not recur on election day.
He also confirmed that the commission was investigating a suspected case of vote-buying in Surat Thani province, though no details were released.
More than 90 candidates from 57 political parties are contesting the election. Official results must be announced by 9 April, after which the new parliament will convene to elect a speaker before voting to select Thailand’s next prime minister.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, ...
Iran has rejected as “irrelevant” a UN nuclear watchdog resolution referring its nuclear file to the UN Security Council, arguing that ...
Georgia’s busiest sea gateway has reached its capacity limit, adding urgency to plans for a major expansion of Poti port as the country seeks...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Eight Muslim-majority countries have launched a joint push for wider international action against trade linked to Israeli settlements, seeking to build momentum from new measures announced by the UK and other Western governments.
Saudi Arabia is facing a problem that goes beyond the latest Houthi attacks on its southern oil facilities. The kingdom is now dealing with pressure on energy exports at the Strait of Hormuz to the east and the Red Sea route to the west.
Two Azerbaijani sailors were killed on Wednesday when a foreign cargo ship they were travelling on was attacked by drones in the Black Sea, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
Iceland’s government plans to introduce legislation in February to permanently ban commercial whaling, potentially leaving Norway and Japan as the world’s only countries still allowing the practice.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment