Not Phuwanat, People's Party candidate for Kanchanaburi Constituency 1, accompanied by the party's deputy secretary-general, submitted a letter to the Kanchanaburi provincial Election Commission requesting a full recount after discovering an excess of over 7,000 suspicious votes beyond the number of voters. The director of the Kanchanaburi Election Commission accepted the case for factual verification and pledged to forward it to the central Election Commission as soon as possible, emphasizing that human error can occur—even AI systems can produce errors.
The Election Commission posted unofficial election results for Constituency 1, including party-list, constituency votes, and referendum results, on the front of the Mueang Kanchanaburi district office on the morning of 9 February. The elected Member of Parliament for the constituency was Akkaranan Kankittinan (Golf) from the Pheu Thai Party, number 5, with 38,216 votes. Second place was Phuwanat Ratsameerukset (Not) from the People's Party, number 6, with 26,680 votes. Third was Pol. Lt. Col. Kittipich Chan-somboon from the Bhumjaithai Party with 9,799 votes.
The People's Party Kanchanaburi Facebook page posted the announced results, stating: “I don’t know if I’m mistaken, but the Election Commission miscounted. Number of voters = 88,897; valid votes counted = 85,219; spoiled ballots = 3,787; no preference votes = 6,988; total 95,994. When subtracting the total votes counted from the number of voters, there is a discrepancy of +7,097 votes.”
After the photo and message spread on social media, many people commented, mostly calling for a full recount of the entire constituency's votes.
On the morning of 10 February 2026, the People's Party Kanchanaburi posted that their provincial team and the candidate for Constituency 1 were already at the front of the Mueang Kanchanaburi district office, waiting for the office to open to submit a letter requesting an immediate investigation.
Local media arrived at the Mueang Kanchanaburi district office and found Jesada Iempun, deputy secretary-general of the People's Party, and Phuwanat Ratsameerukset, People's Party candidate for Kanchanaburi Constituency 1, number 6, along with several party supporters, waiting in the front garden of the district office for the official opening.
Upon arrival, Phuwanat led the media to inspect the Kamnan-Village Headman Hall, where election ballots and equipment were stored. Empty boxes and crates were kept outside the building, while all ballots were kept inside the hall, with entry doors and windows locked from the inside.
Phuwanat Ratsameerukset, People's Party candidate for Kanchanaburi Constituency 1, said their visit to the district office was to request a full recount of the election results for the constituency. He planned to submit a letter to the provincial Election Commission director along with photographic evidence of the unofficial vote tally for Constituency 1.
The letter submission followed the 8 February 2026 election for Kanchanaburi Constituency 1 and the unofficial counting and compilation of votes, which were posted at the front of the Mueang Kanchanaburi district office.
The photographic evidence showed 88,897 voters participated, with 85,219 valid ballots, 3,787 spoiled ballots, and 6,988 ballots with no candidate selected. The total ballots counted were 95,994—7,097 more than the number of voters, indicating a clear discrepancy.
To ensure accuracy, clarity, transparency, and fairness for all candidates and voters in Constituency 1 of Kanchanaburi, Phuwanat requested a full recount of all ballots in every polling station.
He emphasized that the purpose of the recount request was not to overturn results in their favor, but to ensure maximum transparency. Every vote counts and should be treated fairly, especially for voters who traveled from other provinces or Bangkok. Therefore, the Election Commission must verify and order a complete recount to restore fairness.
Jesada Iempun, deputy secretary-general of the People's Party, added that the most obvious irregularity was the posted results showing 88,897 voters, but the sum of valid, spoiled, and no-preference ballots exceeded that number by over 7,000 votes.
On 9 February, Phuwanat asked relevant officials and was told some votes had been mistakenly added twice. He questioned why, if other numbers were forgotten, the number of voters was not also adjusted accordingly.
He further questioned why, if officials admitted to forgetting some numbers, they erased the posted results on the board on 9 February, placed stickers over them, and delayed updating the official results to reflect the truth for an entire day.
He expressed doubts about the entire process, noting that official results must undergo thorough administrative verification. He believed the error was not just a simple posting mistake but systemic, and questioned whether the vote verification system was reliable from the start.
He reminded that every voter, regardless of party, spent resources to cast their vote, which should be accurately counted. They requested that the Mueang Kanchanaburi district office immediately secure all ballots stored in the Kamnan-Village Headman Hall until a joint conclusion is reached.
At 11:30 a.m., Phuwanat Ratsameerukset arrived at the Election Commission office to meet with Pol. Lt. Col. Pongbandit Pinsuwan, director of the Kanchanaburi provincial Election Commission, to submit the letter. Pongbandit was waiting in the meeting room. Phuwanat explained the discrepancies in the posted vote tallies until understood, then formally submitted the letter. The atmosphere was calm and orderly.
Pol. Lt. Col. Pongbandit Pinsuwan, director of the Kanchanaburi provincial Election Commission, stated afterward that the media and public were aware of a candidate complaint in Constituency 5. The People's Party candidate’s complaint today concerned alleged official misconduct. He acknowledged that with many officials working, errors can occur, even AI systems can produce errors.
Nevertheless, after receiving the complaint, the Kanchanaburi Election Commission will promptly investigate all issues raised to ensure fairness for all parties and provide transparent answers. He emphasized that election officials must be transparent and accountable, and welcomed the complaints as a positive sign.
The Election Commission has officially received the People's Party candidate’s complaint. They will investigate the source of the vote count discrepancies in Constituency 1 and aim to reach a conclusion quickly to inform the complainant. This issue is important and of public interest, with results expected by Friday, 13 February.
Regarding the request for a full recount, the Kanchanaburi Election Commission will first verify the facts and then forward the case to the central Election Commission. The national commission will then decide whether to order a full recount.
The Kanchanaburi Election Commission will handle these matters as quickly as possible and assures the complainant that their concerns will be addressed.