The Election Commission (EC) visited early voting stations in Bang Kapi district, noting overall smooth operations and no legal violations detected nationwide. They roughly estimate that more than 50% of registered voters will participate.
At 10:00 a.m. on 1 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Sitthichot Intharawiset, an Election Commissioner, visited early and out-of-district voting stations at Tawan Na 2 project, Khlong Chan subdistrict, Bang Kapi district, which has the highest number of registered early and out-of-district voters in Bangkok.
Mr. Sitthichot said that early voting in Bang Kapi district proceeded smoothly and better than expected, despite having 58,683 registered voters out of over 800,000 in Bangkok. Previously, the EC had concerns about crowding and management issues, but Bang Kapi district and the Bangkok EC jointly implemented an efficient system, especially zoning by region and allocating booths according to voter numbers in each area, minimizing confusion. Overall, over 50% of registered voters had already cast ballots by morning, with no reported problems or complaints.
Those who do not vote today cannot vote on 8 Feb.
Meanwhile, early and out-of-district voting nationwide this morning proceeded normally, with many voters participating. No election law violations or ballot destructions have been reported. Voters are expected to continue casting ballots into the afternoon. The EC urges registered early and out-of-district voters to vote by 5:00 p.m. If they fail to vote as registered, they cannot vote in the official election on 8 Feb 2026.
Emphasizing there will be no duplicate ballots printed.
Mr. Sitthichot also addressed ballot security, stating that after polls close this evening, ballots will be collected, sorted, and sent to provinces and constituencies. EC staff and Thailand Post officials will handle this, with security personnel guarding ballot boxes 24/7 and CCTV installed to ensure safety and transparency.
Each ballot is printed with a code from the printing stage to ensure authenticity. The EC assures the public that operations are honest, transparent, and lawful, with no lost or duplicate ballots.
Regarding elections and referenda held abroad, following the close of voting on 30 Jan, about 50% of ballots have been returned to Thailand and will be sorted and forwarded to constituencies by post similarly.
The EC confirms that conducting early referenda would violate the law and risk complaints that could invalidate the referendum, causing damage and wasting budget. Therefore, procedures must follow current legal frameworks.
The atmosphere has been lively since early morning.
Reporters note that Bang Kapi district has the highest number of early and out-of-district registered voters, totaling 58,683. This morning, the team visited Tawan Na 2 project, Khlong Chan subdistrict, Bang Kapi district, the site for early and out-of-district voting for Bang Kapi registrants. Before polls opened at 8:00 a.m., officials prepared equipment and arranged booths systematically, rehearsing service procedures to handle the large voter turnout and prevent errors.
Meanwhile, voters who registered began arriving early to check their voting kits and assigned numbers before polling opened.
The Tawan Na 2 project divided voting stations into 85 sets covering four regions, each clearly color-coded: Southern region with 34 sets in purple; Northeastern with 23 sets in brown; Bangkok, Central, Western, and Eastern with 20 sets in pink; and Northern with 12 sets in green. This helps voters easily find their stations based on their home province before checking their number and entering the booth.
Additionally, a command center was set up around the polling stations for voters to scan QR codes to verify their station and number via a computer system. Officials provide printed information before directing voters to booths clearly marked with signs and flags.
Bang Kapi district deployed Bangkok Metropolitan officials, military volunteers, and civilian volunteers to assist and disseminate information. They also arranged mobile medical units, police, and municipal officers for security and traffic control, plus mobile signal boosters to support the large number of voters.
For traffic convenience, parking is available for over 1,000 vehicles, with more than 86 police units ensuring safety. However, the public is advised to use public transport such as buses, the Yellow Line Skytrain Bang Kapi station, or Saen Saep canal boats, and to allow extra travel time.
After polls close at 5:00 p.m., ballots will be sorted and handed to nine postal teams to dispatch ballots to provinces by 6:00 p.m.