Sae-Wang, Secretary-General of the Election Commission (EC), affirmed that election officers perform their duties impartially. He responded to the Bangkok Bin Dai group's request to bar Bangkok civil servants from serving as election unit officers, stating there have been no reports of vote buying so far.
At 14:00 on 17 June 2026 at Centara Life Hotel, Chaeng Watthana Government Complex, Sae-Wang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission (EC), addressed the request from the Bangkok Bin Dai group, a candidate group for Bangkok governor, who asked the EC not to allow Bangkok civil servants to act as election unit officers (GPN), citing concerns about impartiality. He explained that GPNs are volunteers who must be impartial and not campaign assistants. They serve at polling stations under public scrutiny. While they may personally support a candidate, their duties are performed with full neutrality. He emphasized that political opinions are a matter of freedom, but all civil servants must conduct their official duties impartially.
The Secretary-General of the EC also addressed claims from some candidates alleging vote buying in Bangkok. He stated that the EC actively prevents and suppresses vote buying, a problem in every election. Although Bangkok and Pattaya, as urban areas, may have less vote buying, the EC remains vigilant. It has deployed 50 rapid response teams in Bangkok and 2 in Pattaya, along with investigation officers to monitor and help deter violations. Currently, the office has not received any reports of vote buying or election law violations, but encourages the public and candidates to remain watchful and report any suspicions.
Regarding whether red cards can be issued to offenders at this time, Sae-Wang said that both black and yellow cards can be issued at any time. However, it depends on when and where the offense occurred and if there is sufficient time to consider the case, requiring several factors to be evaluated. Anyone with evidence should submit it to the EC to assist in election monitoring. The office already has measures in place for these issues, and the rapid response teams have begun field operations. So far, no reports of vote buying have been received.