The Deputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok instructed civil servants and personnel under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to perform their duties with political neutrality and emphasized strict control over ballot distribution at polling stations due to differences in voter eligibility between the governor and council elections.
On 18 June 2026, Mr. Thanit Tanbuaklee, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok, inspected preparations for election management and registration security at Khlong Sam Wa and Khan Na Yao district offices. This was to prepare for the upcoming Bangkok Metropolitan Council and Governor elections scheduled for 28 June 2026 from 08:00 to 17:00. The meeting included executives, civil servants, and staff from Khlong Sam Wa and Khan Na Yao district offices, the Administration and Registration Office, the Governor's Secretariat, and related agencies who gathered to report information.
At the meeting, the Deputy Permanent Secretary reiterated the Bangkok Permanent Secretary’s directives, in his role as the local election director for Bangkok, urging civil servants and personnel to maintain political neutrality. He emphasized readiness in registration management, preparing voter lists, and verifying polling station locations to ensure the election runs smoothly. They also discussed election-related issues, obstacles, and procedures from previous elections. Regarding civil registration matters involving foreigners—such as marriage registration, birth notifications, and address changes—staff were instructed to handle these carefully and strictly in accordance with the law.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary noted that Khlong Sam Wa district has the highest number of polling stations in Bangkok, totaling 246. He emphasized the district office staff’s preparedness, particularly concerning about 2,000 voters whose eligibility differs between the governor and council elections. This discrepancy arises because council election voters must have been registered residents of the district for at least one year, whereas the governor election treats all of Bangkok as a single constituency. Therefore, voters who recently changed their registration within Bangkok may be eligible to vote for governor but not for the council. Consequently, district offices have instructed polling staff to exercise extra caution when distributing ballots to avoid giving council ballots to voters only eligible for the governor election, which could affect vote counting. The office also recommended creating clear markers and warning signs, such as slips or color-coded voter lists, to minimize errors.
He further explained that issues with ballot shortages or mismatched ballot numbers mainly stem from differing voter eligibility between the governor and council elections. This matter is acknowledged by district offices, which have prepared countermeasures including training polling station staff and implementing alert systems or visual cues to reduce ballot distribution mistakes. Regarding changes in polling station locations, continuous efforts follow the Permanent Secretary’s directives. All district offices are tasked with informing residents widely by posting notices at old polling sites, sending letters to household heads, stamping alerts on related documents, and conducting proactive outreach through sanitation officers, municipal officials, and door-to-door visits to ensure comprehensive public awareness.
“The core of election management is the neutrality of the officials conducting the process. As election administrators and civil servants, everyone should be aware of their duty to remain impartial, act transparently, and uphold principles of fairness to ensure the election proceeds smoothly and earns public trust,” said the Deputy Permanent Secretary.