The Democrat Party spokesperson is urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Council Speaker to investigate "People's Party" councilors over swapping vote cards, expressing concern it could damage public confidence and emphasizing that the council must be fully accountable and transparent, rather than transparent only for some or allowing vote card collusion among certain members.
On 1 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesperson for the Democrat Party, posted on Facebook raising questions about suspected vote card swapping among Bangkok Metropolitan Council members. In the recent council meeting, several agendas were pushed to increase transparency, especially the live broadcast of meetings, driven by the Speaker and newly appointed Deputy Speaker. However, suspicions arose over the case of councilors Siram (Sathon district) and Patrasak (Yan Nawa district) from the People's Party swapping vote cards. Patrasak later explained that Siram's voting machine had been broken for a week, so they sat close together, causing him to “accidentally” press the wrong machine. But this explanation conflicted with what he said live during the meeting, where he claimed his own machine was broken, so he had to use Siram's. The council's voting system shows three blinking lights during voting periods; when a vote is cast, the lights stop blinking and remain steadily lit.
“I would like to ask: 1. Before Patrasak cast his vote on Siram’s machine, what was the exact malfunction of his own device, and was its light normally lit beforehand? Because if his own machine was working properly and he had already successfully voted on it, why did he need to vote again on Siram’s machine during the same limited blinking period?”
2. Siram was outside the meeting room only to take a phone call. Why did he not immediately return to the room to confirm his presence and request a new vote for himself upon learning that voting was underway in his absence, instead of allowing the issue to become a dispute in the council?
3. Will the Speaker and Deputy Speaker review CCTV footage to verify the exact times Siram left and returned, and whether Patrasak’s pressing of the vote card was truly accidental, or whether cameras at those locations were non-functional?
4. Will the Speaker and Deputy Speaker consult the voting system technicians to confirm whether Patrasak’s machine was indeed malfunctioning as claimed? Testimony from system staff will be critical evidence for any ethics proceedings going forward.
5. Will the Speaker and Deputy Speaker establish an investigative committee to ascertain the facts, and if wrongdoing is confirmed, proceed with legal action?
All of this will demonstrate whether the Bangkok Metropolitan Council takes ethics seriously or merely focuses on public issues while neglecting councilors' ethical concerns. Today marks the beginning of a positive sign toward full transparency in the council. But the question remains: will transparency apply only to some or equally to all members? Failure to do so will undermine trust and suggest vote card collusion among councilors. This can be proven if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker clearly answers all five questions above,” Mr. Pongsakorn concluded.