The Director-General of the Consular Department confirmed there are no problems with early voting in Cambodia due to a small number of voters. He affirmed that the border situation is stable since ballots are not sent across the border. He acknowledged concerns about possible delays in transporting ballots to distant countries.
On 9 January 2026, Mr. Mangkon Prathumkaew, Director-General of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that ballots for Thai voters in Cambodia will be flown to Phnom Penh where they will be received. He confirmed no issues are expected because the Thai population in Cambodia is small, estimated in the hundreds, and coordination has been made with the Thai embassy in Cambodia. He also confirmed that the Thailand-Cambodia border situation is stable since ballots are not transported through the border.
Today (9 January 2026), ballots for the election and referendum will be sent abroad to over 60 countries and 95 embassies. It is estimated that the U.S. and Australia have tens of thousands of registered voters, presenting a challenge due to the large number of registrants.
Ballots that have been voted on will be returned to Thailand for counting according to voters' home provinces. Referendum ballots will be counted at the main consular office of each respective country. Meanwhile, no Thai voters have registered for election or referendum in Ukraine or Venezuela.
He noted concerns about distant countries that rely on airlines to transport ballots, as delays may occur. However, a carry-on measure is in place where officials pick up ballots directly from the plane and deliver them to each polling station. He assured that vote counting will be completed by 8 February 2026.
Regarding ballots arriving after the deadline, they will be managed as best as possible. A tracking system has been established to monitor every step from origin to destination, allowing verification of the ballot's status at all times.