Chiang rai: A campaign manager in Chiang Rai's District 4 was apprehended by police for allegedly concealing lists of voter names and banknotes in a suspected vote-buying scheme.

According to Thai News Agency, authorities from the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) for Constituency 4 in Chiang Rai Province and the Phan Police Station had received prior information regarding the collection of individual names and the transportation of cash intended for vote-buying. The operation was part of the final stages of the parliamentary election scheduled for tomorrow. Surveillance efforts led to the interception of a white sedan with Bangkok license plates in Mae Tak Village, Moo 5, San Klang Subdistrict, Phan District. The driver, Mr. Charoen, 65, a former local council member, was apprehended after attempting to flee. Police discovered 128 500-baht banknotes and 4 100-baht banknotes, totaling 64,400 baht, along with seven sheets of paper listing 124 names, surnames, and addresses of villagers. The documents were marked as a survey of supporters for a particular candidate.

Mr. Charoen confessed to being instructed by Mr. T., known as "S.J.O.", to distribute 500 baht to individuals on the list to encourage them to vote for a specific candidate from a well-known political party who had not previously been elected as an MP in Constituency 4.

The Bank of Thailand has reported irregularities in withdrawals from 11 more accounts. It has provided this information to the Election Commission of Thailand, indicating suspicious cash withdrawals potentially linked to election-related activities. This follows reports of six accounts with similar issues. The ECT has alerted provincial election directors to monitor and track these transactions to prevent vote-buying activities.

The ECT has also received reports of vote-buying preparations in the South and Northeast regions, prompting provincial ECT offices to enhance monitoring and preventative measures against such activities.