Bangkok: The Election Commission has expressed satisfaction with the overall smoothness of the municipal elections held nationwide, with hopes that the target of 70% voter turnout will be achieved. They have also instructed officials to clearly announce the votes and prepare contingency plans in case of rain or power outages.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Ittiporn Boonprakong, Chairman of the Election Commission, discussed his field visits to Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan to inspect the voting process for municipal council members and mayors. The overall situation was reported as smooth, although some provinces have raised concerns about potential vote-buying. However, investigations have not found substantial evidence, making it unlikely that a new election will be necessary.

The EC chairman shared that during the election, he instructed polling station committees on the importance of clear and audible vote counting to prevent complaints. Additionally, he emphasized the need for contingency plans in case of rain or power outages during the counting process.

The Election Commission noted an anticipated increase in voter participation, targeting a 70% turnout, as citizens actively exercised their voting rights throughout the day. It was observed that voter engagement varied by province.

In Hua Hin, the polling station committee at Hua Hin Wittayakhom School, which manages six polling stations, promptly began counting votes for both the mayoral and municipal council member positions after polls closed at 5:00 p.m., with candidate representatives present to observe.

The municipal elections featured 2,463 locations and 34,818 polling stations. There were six reported cases of ballot tearing across five provinces, including one incident in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.