Chiang mai: The Supreme Court has dismissed the case against the Election Commission regarding the "orange ballot" issue from the 2019 election, absolving it from paying 70 million baht in compensation to Mr. Surapol Kiattichaiyakorn. The verdict was announced at the Hod District Court in Chiang Mai Province, where Mr. Surapol had pursued damages following the issuance of a "yellow card" that disqualified him after the election.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Surapol had initially received favorable rulings from both the lower court and the appellate court in his lawsuit against the Election Commission. However, the Supreme Court's recent decision overturned these rulings, thereby dismissing the case and relieving the Election Commission of the obligation to pay the significant compensation requested by Mr. Surapol.

In the 2019 election, Mr. Surapol emerged victorious with 52,165 votes, leading the runner-up by over 25,000 votes. Despite this clear win, the Election Commission's issuance of a "yellow card" shortly afterward necessitated a new election, prompting Mr. Surapol to seek legal recourse for damages.