Professor Jes Thonawanik, the Rakchat Party's prime ministerial candidate, strongly criticized the Election Commission following massive errors in early voting, calling it a systemic failure that is eroding public confidence.
On 2 February 2026 in Surat Thani Province, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jes Thonawanik, Rakchat Party’s prime minister candidate (number 35), commented on the management of early out-of-district voting on 1 February. He noted the massive errors and said the chaos was not targeted political sabotage against any single party, but rather a systemic failure affecting all parties indiscriminately.
“I must address the Election Commission officials regarding the recent early voting. There were many errors, and these were not limited to any particular party. Citizens should not be misled into thinking that certain parties were targeted or had their votes suppressed. All parties were affected. These are official errors that must be acknowledged: misplaced signs, wrong candidate names, covering names with blank sheets—confusing voters. Also, writing numbers on envelopes should be done carefully to avoid repeated mistakes.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jes also referred to a brazen incident in Nakhon Si Thammarat where a candidate list was forcibly seized, exposing lax security measures. He questioned the whereabouts of election inspectors and warned that if officials continue operating this way, public trust in election results will vanish. As faith in the rules is lost, trust in Parliament and political parties will collapse as well.
“In many areas, including Nakhon Si Thammarat, the forceful seizure of candidate lists occurred. Where were the election inspectors? Citizens will lose trust in officials, leading to distrust in the entire process and political parties. Without trust, how can elections function? If elections become disrupted, Parliament cannot be stable, and national development will stall. I urge the Election Commission: you have a crucial role. If you do not manage elections properly, the country will suffer.”
Furthermore, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jes condemned the Election Commission for wasting taxpayers’ money, emphasizing that every baht comes from the people’s hard work. Repeated election mistakes mean wasting public funds. If the green and pink ballots become worthless due to these errors, it is equivalent to burning taxpayers' money.
“Besides elections being vital for the country, they consume large budgets—all from taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Taxes are paid on everything, from buying goods to working. If mistakes are repeated, the green and pink ballots become worthless.”
Toward the end, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jes addressed the yellow referendum ballot scheduled for 8 February. He said the Election Commission issued confusing guidance and questions, noting that the first question is unclear and will inevitably require costly additional referendums. He questioned why budgets are wasted repeatedly when the constitution could be amended article by article, but the Commission never clearly explains this to the public.
“The early voting day already passed, and on the actual election day, 8 February, the yellow referendum ballot will appear. It asks voters to approve or reject a new constitution. The Election Commission’s documents are misleading and confusing. Even one unclear question leads to repeated costly referendums. Why waste taxpayers’ money repeatedly when constitutional amendments can be made article by article? The public’s taxes are being wasted on pointless matters. Elections fail, and the referendum will only further divide and destabilize the nation. I urge officials and political players: do not deceive citizens or waste taxes any longer.”