Thailand: Thailand's Election Commission (EC) has resolved to press criminal charges against 1,767 Senate candidates for registering despite lacking the required qualifications or facing legal prohibitions, officials said. The decision comes after two EC meetings, where an initial resolution was made to prosecute 1,605 individuals, followed by an additional 162 cases.

According to Thai News Agency, under Section 74 of the 2018 Organic Act on the Acquisition of Senators, individuals who register knowing they are ineligible face serious consequences, including 1 to 10 years in prison, fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 baht, and a 20-year ban from voting rights. Any selected senator must also return all received remuneration and benefits. The commission's legal affairs office has been directed to coordinate with provincial EC branches to proceed with legal action.

Parit Wacharasindhu, a People's Party list MP, raised concerns over the timeframe of the investigation. While acknowledging the necessity of legal enforcement, he pointed out that the verification process took over two years despite involving basic eligibility checks. Parit urged the EC to expedite its investigation into a separate case involving 229 individuals accused of Senate election fraud before an early September 90-day deadline.