Bangkok: The Secretary-General of the Election Commission inspected the readiness of equipment delivery for advance voting stations. Bang Kapi district has the highest number of registered voters. The Election Commission is closely monitoring 42 provinces where campaigning is intensifying, with administrative and police officers conducting strict inspections to prevent vote buying. The Commission also revealed that it has received information from the Bank of Thailand and is urgently investigating whether those withdrawing money are linked to politicians or election candidates.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Saeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, visited Bang Kapi District Office, Bangkok, to observe the delivery of ballot papers and election materials at central polling stations both within and outside the electoral district. Mr. Saengdarn wore a shirt depicting how to mark a valid or invalid ballot, emphasizing the importance of public awareness. He stated that today they were distributing election materials for tomorrow's advance voting on February 1st. He also mentioned that Bang Kapi district, with over 58,000 registered voters, has the highest number, and the district is well-prepared to facilitate the voting process, including checkpoints leading to the polling stations, traffic management, parking, and procedures upon arrival at the polling stations, all of which have been thoroughly rehearsed.
The Election Commission is confident in its readiness across all provinces, although they acknowledge that Bangkok will experience differences due to the large number of people. Most staff are civil servants familiar with the regulations, supported by a manual to ensure proper duty performance. Tomorrow's advance voting will differ slightly as officials provide envelopes with spaces for district codes, which will be filled in by the officials. Voters will receive two ballots, enter the polling booth, mark their ballots, and hand them to the official, who will sign and write the district code on the envelope before the voter deposits it into the ballot box.
When asked about vote buying reports, Mr. Saeng stated that the country is divided into 77 provinces, with 35 showing normal election results and 42 experiencing intense competition. The Election Commission has implemented measures to prevent vote buying and selling, including deploying police officers and inspectors. Although these are just reports, the Commission remains committed to prevention, increasing deployments in provinces with heightened competition. Mr. Saeng anticipates that any vote buying would occur after February 1st as the election approaches, and they aim to prevent it.
Regarding information from the Bank of Thailand, it was received by the Election Commission and pertains to clients of commercial banks. This information is being forwarded to the investigation team to examine relationships to candidates and the purpose of withdrawals. The Anti-Money Laundering Office will assist in verifying the legality of the funds, though it remains uncertain whether they are linked to vote buying.
Poll results are banned from disclosure starting February 1st, with the prohibition lasting seven days before the election. The Election Commission will review policy oversight committee opinions on Monday, which Mr. Saeng believes is not too delayed as policy observations can be summarized afterward.
The Secretary-General observed the setup of central polling stations at the Tawanna Bangkapi project, a major location with multiple polling stations. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported data on advance voting registration, highlighting areas with the highest numbers of registered voters, including Bang Kapi District in the Tawanna Bangkapi project area, Chatuchak District at Chandrakasem Rajabhat University, and others.
In addition, eight central polling stations for advance voting outside electoral districts have more than 20,000 registered voters, while Samphanthawong district has the fewest with 2,305 voters. For advance voting within constituencies, Don Mueang and Prawet districts have the highest number of registered voters at 154 each, followed by Suan Luang and Bang Khun Thian districts.