The Election Commission (EC) has scheduled a final ruling on the vote recount controversy in Chonburi for 10:00 AM tomorrow. It emphasized that complaints must be supported by solid evidence, not just hearsay, and announced preparations to prosecute a female student who broke into and opened an election ballot box.
At 2:00 PM on 12 Feb 2026, at the Election Commission Office, Acting Lt. Pasakorn Siriphakayaphon, Deputy Secretary-General of the EC, held a press conference regarding election vote counting results. He said that today some citizens submitted requests for a vote recount to the EC office, which has accepted the cases and is gathering details to present to the EC committee for consideration. Regarding recount requests in some provinces, EC Secretary-General Sa-nguan Boonmee recently held a meeting to clarify issues with election directors across all 76 provinces plus Bangkok, aiming to help the public understand any doubts. If questions or complaints remain, they should be formally submitted so the EC can compile them for EC meetings. The provincial EC offices have begun publishing detailed vote count results on their websites, especially in Bangkok’s 33 districts, which have been gradually posted for public access.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the EC added that regarding the situation in Chonburi province, today Deputy Secretary-General Khanchit Charoenin and his team visited the complainants and related parties to investigate the facts. They expect to present the findings to the EC on 12 Feb for full consideration of the circumstances in that area.
Asked about the dismissal of evidence in Chonburi and how much weight the accompanying evidence should carry, as well as the legal consequences for anyone opening ballot boxes, Acting Lt. Pasakorn said the matter is under investigation by the EC deputy secretary-general, who is reviewing all information before deciding on further action. Regarding the female student who entered the ballot box storage area, he explained that the storage is under the responsibility of the local EC office and is government property. Any damage or infringement is subject to criminal proceedings by the EC in that district, with penalties ranging from one to ten years in prison.
“Regarding Chonburi’s District 3, where ballot boxes were transported to the provincial EC office at night, I would like to clarify that the process of collecting election documents, including consolidating ballot boxes, was completed around 5:30 PM. The transport departed at 6:00 PM to the EC’s provincial storage facility, escorted by highway police officers to oversee the transport of ballot boxes and materials, arriving around 7:00 PM. So, the public can be assured.” .
When asked about cases where officials were found entering ballot box storage in the early morning, Acting Lt. Pasakorn explained that once all ballot boxes are consolidated, they are stored securely in designated locations equipped with CCTV. Any unauthorized access or suspicious activity can be investigated. All locations have security measures to prevent anyone from opening or tampering with ballot boxes.
Regarding posts on Shopee about ballot boxes being sold, which raises concerns about potential tampering with evidence, Acting Lt. Pasakorn stated that, as far as he knows from social media, some companies sold ballot boxes to local administrative organizations during previous elections such as for subdistrict administrative organizations or municipalities. The EC is currently investigating which companies are involved and whether this violates EC data policies. However, even if purchased, these boxes cannot be used in the current election because the EC uses security seals with coded tags to control ballot boxes. Additionally, the boxes have locked ballot slots and signed seals by election committee members, ensuring authenticity. Thus, purchased boxes from elsewhere cannot be used in this election.
Asked about the Pathum Thani case where a vote recount was conducted by unauthorized individuals rather than EC-appointed staff, and whether the provincial EC director is responsible or if those individuals committed offenses, Acting Lt. Pasakorn said they are compiling information to submit to the EC for prompt consideration. They expect to present the matter to the EC within this week and provide updates on progress.
When asked about ballot papers marked 5/11 where some districts and provinces had candidate numbers and names pre-printed while others used handwritten entries, Acting Lt. Pasakorn explained that most ballot papers are blank, with EC staff at each district writing candidate numbers for convenience. In this election, due to the large number of parties and candidates in some districts, pre-printed names and numbers were used to avoid errors by staff. This is at the discretion of the local EC offices, so variations exist, but both blank and pre-printed ballots are equally valid.
Asked about unofficial EC result reporting and concerns about discrepancies of hundreds of thousands between constituency and party-list voter counts, Acting Lt. Pasakorn said that the figures on the website are unofficial results, so data entry errors by EC staff are possible. Official results depend on verified counts by local EC offices. Also, unofficial results represent about 95% reporting, so numbers can change when 100% of votes are processed and verified. He urged the public to follow the official vote count announcements, which are signed by the district election committees.
Reporters asked about crowds gathering outside the EC office, possibly pressuring operations, and whether the EC wants to communicate with the public outside. Acting Lt. Pasakorn said he appeals to citizens who might misunderstand or have inaccurate information to clearly report what happened, where, and how so the EC can investigate the facts. General or vague claims make investigations difficult. Citizens can also inquire at provincial EC offices to receive initial explanations about any errors before filing formal complaints.
Suttada Kongdecha, Director of the EC Investigation Office 1, revealed that election protest petitions can be filed within 30 days from election day. So far, there have been 99 complaints filed plus 14 cases identified by the EC itself, totaling 113 cases, mostly involving campaign violations. Among these, 31 relate to vote-buying under Section 73(1), and the largest category, 68 cases, involve misleading or deceptive campaigning under Section 73(5). Currently, 39 cases have been accepted for investigation by provincial EC directors and the EC secretary-general.
“Regarding complaints about vote counting, regulations require filing during the counting process before completion or, for aggregation complaints, before official results announcement at polling stations. Recently, many candidates have submitted provincial requests to recount. According to regulations, recount complaints should be filed at polling stations during counting only. However, the EC does not outright reject late complaints; if sufficient evidence exists, recounts may be ordered on a case-by-case basis. But evidence cannot be based on personal assumptions or hearsay without solid proof.” Suttada added.
Asked about penalties for filing complaints with false evidence and subsequent procedures, Suttada stated that complaints must be factual. If found to be false and intended to harass candidates or parties to revoke their election rights, legal penalties will apply.
Reporters noted that on 12 Feb the EC will meet at 10:00 AM to review the investigation report on the Chonburi vote recount request. Currently, evidence consists only of claims, with no objections raised during counting. Therefore, without clear proof of irregularities, the EC is unlikely to order a recount. Regarding Pathum Thani, investigations continue following reports that students conducted vote counting, which is illegal and could lead the EC to order a recount or reinstate initial results.