On the first day of constituency-based MP election registration, the Election Commission Chairman reported this morning that the overall process was orderly. He urged the public to exercise their voting rights extensively to elect representatives who will serve as administrators and legislators. He emphasized that vote-buying should not take place.
At 09:10 on 27 December 2025 GMT+7, Mr. Narong Kanwarin, Chairman of the Election Commission, gave an interview at Sports Hall 2, Bangkok Youth Center (Thai-Japanese). He stated that the nationwide first day of constituency-based MP election registration was orderly, with no reported problems or obstacles. There were no reports of vote-buying. When asked about concerns regarding the Thai-Cambodian border situation, the EC Chairman confirmed that preparations and contingency plans have been in place, and that the election scheduled for 8 February 2026 will proceed as planned.
Regarding the referendum, he requested public cooperation in promoting registration for out-of-district voting from 3-5 January 2026. Voters must cast their referendum ballots on 8 February, the same day as the nationwide election. He acknowledged the limited time but assured efforts to manage this as well as possible.
The EC Chairman also urged more people to exercise their voting rights than in the previous election, which had a 75% turnout. Higher turnout will indicate greater political interest and result in quality MPs who can serve as administrators and legislators, enabling the country to progress. He reiterated that vote-buying should not occur and that candidates should compete based on their policies.
Reporters added that 446 candidates registered before 08:30. The registration atmosphere showed that in several Bangkok constituencies, especially Constituencies 1 and 4, the number of candidates exceeded the 15 seats prepared by the EC.
At 10:00, outside Sports Hall 2 at the Bangkok Youth Center Thai-Japanese, candidates from various political parties began displaying their assigned numbers drawn by lottery for the election registration. The atmosphere was lively with supporters from different parties.
