The "Secretary-General of the Election Commission" believes society criticizes the Election Commission because they are unhappy with election results. He points out that the problem lies with people, not the constitution. Even if laws are changed but the same faces remain, the country will never change.
At 1:00 p.m. on 15 May 2026, at the Three Sixty Five Hotel in Pattaya, Chonburi Province, during the first mobile media seminar on the Bangkok and Pattaya elections, Mr. Sa-wang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, spoke candidly about the commission's work. He said that with every election, he wants to discuss people's expectations of the Election Commission. There are criticisms and opinions suggesting the need to reform independent organizations. During the referendum period, reforming independent organizations was even made a condition for campaigning to amend the constitution. Most social criticisms focus on the Election Commission being disconnected from the public or question whether it operates as the constitution intended. In simple terms, the work is not pleasing to the public. Sometimes, political satisfaction means only winning. Politicians often claim they act on behalf of the people, stating they have majority support from elections and the referendum has passed, so we should consider what comes next.
Mr. Sa-wang said he once led the team drafting the 1997 constitution, which was regarded as very good. But the 2017 constitution, considered an anti-corruption charter, did not improve our corruption index, which has fallen to a low ranking. Politics remains the same, and corruption has not improved. In summary, the issue lies with people. No matter how much we amend or enact good laws, in his experience across three constitutions, the political registrants are 100% the same faces. Candidates remain unchanged; only the laws change. Voters are still Thai citizens as before. Using old knowledge with new rules ultimately leads nowhere. Consider where these problems lie. Is reforming independent organizations alone enough, or must we seek more to improve elections?
"Good players, good voters, and good commissioners—if all three are good, things will go well. I'm sharing this because people have high expectations of the Election Commission. We try to meet those expectations. We understand what the public wants, but there are limitations in having to comply with the law. Competition must follow rules; we cannot act to please one side. If we did, it would mean the country has no rules." Mr. Sa-wang said