Election 2026: “Sa-Wang” orders provincial ECT directors to prepare for the 8 February election and referendum, emphasizing that mistakes from before must not be repeated. He insists every polling station must post complete candidate lists, noting that flaws in early voting harmed the ECT's reputation.
At 09:30 on 4 February 2026 at the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) office, it was reported that on the evening of 3 February, Mr. Sa-Wang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the ECT, sent a message via a group LINE chat to provincial election commissioners, instructing them to ensure the election process for members of parliament and the referendum on 8 February proceeds smoothly. This followed identified flaws in posting candidate lists at polling stations during early voting, which damaged the ECT’s image and affected citizens' rights.
To prevent recurrence of these issues in the general election, all polling stations must be inspected for proper posting of every candidate’s name. Upon completion, reports should be submitted to the election management division, which will formalize the instructions in writing. The ECT will hold a readiness briefing for the election and referendum on 7 February.
The message Mr. Sa-Wang sent to the provincial election commissioners stated: “Dear Directors, due to flaws in posting candidate lists at polling stations during early voting on 1 February 2026, which harmed the ECT’s reputation and may have impacted the rights of voters and candidates, please ensure that on 8 February 2026, during the election and referendum, every polling station displays complete candidate lists for their electoral district. Confirm and report this along with your election preparations by the deadline set by the election management division. The division will issue official instructions tomorrow (4 February). The ECT will hold a press conference on the evening of 7 February to announce that all polling stations have posted candidate lists before election day. Secretary-General, ECT.”