Bangkok: A shocking revelation has emerged as Associate Professor Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former Election Commission (EC) member and academic, pointed out a sudden disappearance of 5,000 overseas advance voter registrations in just a single day.
According to Thai News Agency, Somchai shared his concerns during an interview on the "Share the News" program on MCOT NEWS FM 100.5. He discussed the upcoming February 8, 2026 referendum, criticizing the 37-day preparation period post the Prime Minister's announcement in the Royal Gazette on January 2. Somchai emphasized that this timeframe is inadequate, falling short of the legal requirement of at least 60 days, thus affecting preparation and public awareness efforts.
Discrepancies in overseas voter registrations have also raised alarms. On January 3, the number stood at 111,120 registered voters, yet mysteriously dropped to 105,816 the following day, with no clear explanation for the missing individuals.
Somchai further addressed budgetary concerns, noting the Cabinet's rationale to save 3-4 billion baht by holding the referendum concurrently with the election. However, the Election Commission had requested a budget of 8.9 billion baht, and when considering the need for at least two more referendums, the total could reach 11 billion baht, surpassing the cost of holding them separately.
The complexity of voting processes also reflects in the lower number of eligible voters registered for the referendum compared to the parliamentary elections, with 660,000 fewer registrations. Somchai attributes this to burdensome voting rules, causing some citizens to forgo their right to vote in the referendum.
He highlighted the cumbersome voting process as another major obstacle. Current EC regulations require voters to receive two ballots for the parliamentary election, vote, and then queue again for a third referendum ballot. This redundancy could lead to significant delays and "bottlenecks" at polling stations. Somchai suggests that the EC could streamline the process by distributing all ballots simultaneously.
The referendum's result is pivotal, as a majority approval would lead to drafting a new constitution and subsequent referendums. Conversely, disapproval would halt the process and potentially shelve discussions for a decade. Somchai urges the Election Commission to facilitate debates and provide comprehensive information, ensuring that public decisions are informed by facts.