Clarifying the voting procedure for the Speaker of the House on 15 March, “Pairoj Lohsoontorn” will serve as interim chairperson in his capacity as the most senior member. He noted that if competing nominees are presented, a secret ballot must be conducted.
On 12 March 2026, Mr. Siroj Paetphun, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, explained the voting steps for electing the Speaker on 15 March, stating that the person who will act asinterim Speakerduring the electionof the Speaker on that dayis Mr. Pairoj Lohsoontorn, a party-list MP from the Pheu Thai Party, as the most senior MP. Before the vote on 15 March, a rehearsal will be held regarding his role as the interim meeting chair. Regarding the vote for Speaker anddeputy speakerstotaling three positions, if no competing nominations arise, or only a single nominee exists for each position, no vote will be held. The nominated individuals will present a 10-minute vision to the assembly.10 minutesThe voting process will be quick; however, if there are competing nominees, a secret ballot must be held according to the rules, which may take about2 hours 30 minutesper position. The secret ballot involves MPs lining up alphabetically to receive ballots, entering the booth to write the name of the candidate they support, dropping the ballot into the box, and a committee representing MPs from each party counting the votes.
In the case of Mr. Peerapan Saleerutwiboon, a party-list MP from the United Thai Nation Party, resigning, the Speaker must announce the advancement of the next party-list MP. Since there is currently no Speaker, the process of selection and royal appointment must be completed first. The next in line for the United Thai Nation Party is Mr. Attawit Suwanpakdee.However, it is not confirmed thatthe advancement of the United Thai Nation Party’s list will be completed before the vote for Prime Minister.