The Secretary-General of the Election Commission apologized for multiple errors during early voting but confirmed these mistakes do not affect the vote counting. He explained that the postal codes on the ballot envelopes were incorrect, with officials currently investigating the issue, and assured that ballots will be sent to the correct districts nationwide.
On 1 Feb 2026 at 18:00 GMT+7, Mr. Saeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, spoke to the media regarding the QR codes displaying candidate names at polling stations showing data from the 2023 election. He stated that several problems arose today due to human error. The QR code at the Bang Bon district polling station showed the 2023 candidate list because the staff intended to facilitate voters but failed in verification. He apologized to the public but emphasized it did not affect vote counting. Regarding public concerns about incorrect postal codes on ballot envelopes, Mr. Saeng said postal and Election Commission officials are thoroughly checking to reconcile voter turnout with the number of ballots. He confirmed that all ballots, both constituency and party-list types, will be correctly delivered to all electoral districts nationwide, preventing any ballot shortages. On 3 February, Thailand Post will begin transferring early voting ballots to storage at all 400 electoral districts to await simultaneous counting on the evening of 8 February.
Mr. Saeng also reported that this morning there was activity related to vote-buying, with the police having information. It has now been revealed that this occurred in Surat Thani province. Police are currently sealing off a house and waiting for a search warrant from the court, as there is substantial evidence of preparation to commit an offense. Further updates will be provided. Regarding counting votes in military zones, he is unsure of the rules governing these locations but believes all polling stations allow public observers. On 3 February, the media will be invited to observe the sorting of ballots both domestically and abroad before they are sent to various districts. It is expected that all ballots cast overseas will be returned completely by 5 February. Following that, sorting must be finished by 6 February, and ballots must reach the destination districts by 7 February to be counted simultaneously on 8 February.