The Election Commission (EC) has partnered with TikTok Thailand to advance publicity for the 2026 election and referendum. Meanwhile, the EC Secretary-General pointed out that referendum campaign groups may inquire about candidates' stances for parliamentary seats but should not post content that pressures or amounts to harassment.
At 10:00 a.m. on 14 January 2026, Mr. Sa-wang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission (EC), held a press conference on the collaboration for publicizing the election of members of the House of Representatives and the 2026 referendum between the EC and TikTok Thailand at the multipurpose area, 2nd floor of the Election Commission office.
The initiative aims to expand communication channels for election and referendum information to reach all groups, especially youth and social media users, to promote accurate knowledge, understanding, and constructive political participation.
Mr. Sa-wang expressed great pleasure representing the EC at this press event, emphasizing that the EC’s key mission is to manage elections with honesty, fairness, and legality, including both the parliamentary election and the simultaneous referendum.
He stated that the EC prioritizes using technology to enhance accuracy, transparency, and public confidence. He noted TikTok’s role as a major digital platform reaching many people and its potential as a key channel to quickly disseminate accurate election information. He expressed confidence that this partnership will modernize election communications and ensure the public receives accurate, comprehensive, and verifiable information.
Ms. Chanida Klaiphan, Director of Public Policy for Southeast Asia at TikTok, described the cooperation approach, announcing TikTok will launch an “Election Center,” a centralized source of official and accurate election information. This will allow users immediate access to details such as voting procedures, polling locations, and other relevant election information.
Ms. Chanida added that TikTok will strictly enforce data safety policies in cooperation with the EC and fact-checking partner Thai PBS Verify to promote digital media literacy and political awareness. Users will also be able to report content suspected of misinformation or falsehoods.
Furthermore, in 2026, TikTok will significantly implement synthetic media and AI-generated content detection systems to enhance accuracy and coverage in fact-checking and reduce the spread of misinformation on the platform.
TikTok’s operational approach during the election will focus on three main areas:
1. Protect: Safeguarding election integrity through proactive misinformation prevention and collaboration with experts.
2. Empower: Enabling citizens to access accurate information via the Election Center.
3. Partner: Joining forces with experts and fact-checking organizations domestically and internationally to block false information dissemination.
Ms. Chanida thanked the EC for this partnership and affirmed TikTok’s commitment to supporting transparent and credible elections for the benefit of the public and the democratic process.
Mr. Sa-wang also addressed the issue of referendum campaign groups questioning parliamentary candidates about their constitutional amendment stances and posting the content online in ways that could harm candidates. He explained that asking about candidates’ positions is permissible, though he has not seen specific cases yet. Some candidates may be willing to respond, while others might feel threatened or uncomfortable. If campaigners persistently press candidates and post content, it must be evaluated whether this constitutes a legal offense, especially regarding personal rights violations. Each case needs individual consideration.
Regarding the extent to which referendum campaigners can question the public without causing intimidation or harassment, the EC Secretary-General said that referendum law guarantees broad freedom, but exercising that freedom must not infringe on others’ freedoms. Such infringements might not violate referendum law but could breach criminal law. The law prohibits spreading false or defamatory information.
“Referendum law states not to use false information. If it becomes a criminal case, it must be noted not to infringe on others’ rights. People have privacy rights, and forcing them to respond may be an offense.”
On the matter of referendum campaign groups checking candidates’ positions during political debates, the EC Secretary-General said he has no personal opinion but urges all campaigns to comply with the law. The EC supports campaigns that provide abundant information to the public. Whether one agrees with a particular process or not is up to each group. The EC’s role is to maintain a fair field for elections and referenda in accordance with the constitution. He reiterated that asking candidates’ positions is allowed but must not break the law. Also, printing messages of agreement or disagreement on product packaging is permitted as a form of campaigning.