The Bangkok Election Commission considers it impossible to buy votes at 7,500 baht each and has received no complaints of fraud or vote-buying. Most complaints concern campaign signs blocking or obstructing views. It explains that campaign documents can be sent by mail but must be reported as expenses.
At 13:30 on 20 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Lieutenant Samphan Saengkamloet, Director of the Bangkok Election Commission (BEC), said at the Election Commission office regarding the case in which the leader of the Rakchat Party stated that vote-buying in Bangkok costs 7,500 baht per person. He said that so far no reports have been received, but the chance of it happening is slim. With 4.5 million eligible voters in Bangkok, distributing 7,500 baht each is impossible because even just 1 million voters would cost 7.5 billion baht. Therefore, he believes no parliamentary candidate or political party would invest that much.
“Regarding complaints of fraud or vote-buying in Bangkok, none have been reported so far. Most complaints relate to campaign signs blocking traffic and obstructing views, reported via hotline 1444. When we receive complaints, we notify the relevant candidates or parties to correct the issues. The Bangkok Election Commission also regularly inspects to ensure campaign activities do not block traffic.”
When asked if the postal service sending letters to households along with campaign materials from political parties is allowed, the BEC director said no reports have been made. The Commission has instructed the postal service to send letters to households together with candidate introduction documents printed by the BEC. Parties can send candidate introduction materials but must count this as an expense borne by the candidate or party and cannot do so as a goodwill gesture. Political parties may send candidate introduction materials, but it must be recorded as a cost for the candidate or party; it cannot be done as a cooperative favor.
Regarding whether the Bangkok Election Commission is closely monitoring any particular areas amid fierce competition, Lieutenant Samphan said this election is intense in every district, with the smallest number of candidates at 12 and the highest at 19. The Commission has election observers, election inspectors, and rapid response teams actively overseeing all candidate activities.