Somkid blasts the 2026 election as a failure, exposing over 20 billion baht in vote-buying, and accuses the Election Commission of acting as a 'party lawyer' protecting political parties.
On 12 February 2026, Somkid Chueakhong, former Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister and former MP for Ubon Ratchathani representing the Pheu Thai Party, publicly criticized the election held on 8 February, calling it a major failure marked by a lack of transparency across many areas nationwide.
Somkid revealed that he received reports from multiple provinces detailing blatant vote-buying. Experts estimate that at least 20 billion baht, possibly more, was circulated. This dire situation renders party policies meaningless, with victory going to whoever pays more. He questioned the legality of such vast sums of money.
Somkid severely criticized the Election Commission's performance, stating that everyone in the community knows who paid how much, yet both the Commission and police remain silent despite evidence. He likened the Commission's role to that of a 'party lawyer' or secretary for certain political parties. Instead of upholding the organization's honor and ensuring fairness, they have allowed vote-buying to become normalized in Thai society.
Beyond vote-buying, Somkid pointed out irregularities in vote counting, such as discrepancies between ballot numbers and votes counted (ballot shortages), as well as missing and excess ballots in several areas. These issues reflect a failed election management causing public disillusionment. He believes complaints will definitely be filed with the Constitutional Court and warned the Election Commission to prepare for court summons due to their negligence in duty.