Bangkok: Election security is paramount as the Royal Thai Police deploys over 126,000 officers to ensure tight security nationwide. The Royal Thai Police has opened the Election Security and Order Command Center (ESAC), deploying officers to oversee the entire country, including border areas. They have emphasized the importance of strict adherence to duties and maintaining political neutrality.
According to Thai News Agency, Police General Kittirat Phanphet, Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, assigned Police General Samran Nuanma, Deputy Commissioner General (Security Affairs) and Director of the Election Security and Order Management Center, to preside over the opening of the center. The center will oversee security and order during the general election for members of parliament and the referendum on Sunday, February 8, 2026, as well as the advance voting on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Pol. Gen. Samran revealed that the Royal Thai Police has prepared over 126,000 police officers to oversee nearly 100,000 polling stations nationwide. The Election Security and Order Management Center of the Royal Thai Police (ESOC) will operate from January 13 to February 12, 2026, ensuring security throughout the election and referendum process, maintaining peace and order in all areas.
Pol. Gen. Samran instructed all units to strictly adhere to the Royal Thai Police's Election Security and Order Management Plan (Election Protection/66) and to prepare contingency plans to prevent any unrest during election campaign rallies or political activities by any political group or party in their respective areas of responsibility.
The order also instructs all units to emphasize to police officers the importance of maintaining political neutrality and refraining from using their official powers to support or assist any candidate or political party, directly or indirectly. This includes not using any state resources to support election candidates, and to prepare investigation teams to handle complaints against police officers for bias, as well as to prosecute those who violate election laws.
Furthermore, all units are instructed to coordinate with the Provincial Election Commission to organize training for police officers in performing duties for the mission of supporting the election of members of the House of Representatives, in accordance with regulations and laws, and to prepare for the operation.
This includes developing operational plans and contingency plans, and requiring all units to coordinate closely with the Election Commission in the Thai-Cambodian border areas and the southern border provinces. This is to identify polling stations that pose a security risk to election officials and voters, and to consider deploying sufficient police officers or military personnel to support security at each station as needed. Furthermore, rapid response teams and emergency response units should be deployed to patrol the areas jointly.