The opposition continues to pursue the Senate vote-rigging case without pause. A former candidate exposed the blatant copying of voting slips and approval of candidates with questionable qualifications, accusing the Election Commission Secretary-General of knowing about the rigging process but failing to act. He challenged the Election Commission to open the ballot boxes to prove the rigging slips.
On 4 Aug 2026 at the Parliament Building, the Opposition Coalition Whip Committee, led by Mr. Parit Watcharasinthu, party-list MP and deputy leader of the People's Party, acting as opposition whip chairman, organized an event titled “2nd Anniversary of Senate Election – In-depth Evidence of Senate Vote Rigging (Special Edition): How Much Can We Trust the Election Commission?” Witnesses included Ms. Sarinthorn Sonthisirikrit, former Senate candidate; Police Major General Banyat Piansawat, former Senate candidate; and Police Colonel Manat Nakonsri, former Election Commission inspector. Ms. Sarinthorn remarked that what was surprising on the national Senate election day, 26 Jun 2024, was that the Election Commission announced no documents would be allowed inside during the cross-voting round, instructing candidates to act freely. Many copied slips carelessly but did not expect such large-scale rigging. Later that afternoon, some candidates brought folders into the room, raising suspicion about how folders were allowed inside. After entry, cheating occurred, so she reported to Mr. Sa-Waeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, but was told "Everyone does it; if you lose, why complain?" She then traveled to Japan for rest and upon return filed a complaint to the Supreme Court, but was told she lacked standing to sue. After the Senate election concluded, she studied the qualifications of several candidates and found, for example, some aged 40 claimed to be instructors at the Royal Military Academy for 10 years, but verification revealed false information. Others claimed to be nurses at Synphaet Hospital, which was untrue. She submitted these findings to the Election Commission for investigation on 25 Nov 2024 but the matter was ignored, and the individuals became current Senators.
Police Major General Banyat Piansawat, former Senate candidate, said he reported the dishonest Senate election data to the Election Commission. He noted that at the district-level Senate election, some candidates holding state welfare cards still registered. Some wore helmets in the morning to collect debts and in the afternoon applied as candidates. Many shared the same guarantor or had medical certificates from the same doctor. However, the Election Commission allowed unqualified people to register. He submitted evidence to the Election Commission since 2024 targeting ineligible individuals. Later, in Dec 2025, the Election Commission stated that the chairperson decided not to pursue criminal charges against seven health volunteers he identified, and 13 others had their petitions dismissed. He found this puzzling because health volunteers must receive training and meet Ministry of Public Health criteria. Although this was evident, nothing was done. He argued the issue should be corrected to allow public access to justice as victims in matters beneficial to society. He urged the opposition to question the Interior Minister to inspect district-level Election Commission directors who assess Senate candidates' qualifications. They can link data nationwide from the Department of Provincial Administration, with candidates’ information on computers, revealing family relationships and spouses applying simultaneously, which is illegal but left unchecked. He asked if the Interior Minister would take firm action. He clarified he is unaffiliated with any party or faction but attended because he could no longer tolerate the situation.
Police Colonel Manat Nakonsri, former Election Commission inspector, presented video clips showing the delivery and collection of voting slips at the 26 June 2024 Senate election. At 18:30, a clip captures a voice announcing no documents are allowed inside and clearly states that three new Senate slip versions would be distributed to candidates who passed the morning round. At 19:00, staff were seen asking if anyone had slips and confiscating them. Another clip shows Mr. Niyom Chanyiam, Director of the Uttaradit Election Commission, collecting many slips in his pockets and recording and signing official unit reports about the incidents. However, Mr. Sa-Waeng claimed nothing happened. He stated rigging could not occur without officials’ complicity. On 26 June 2024, while serving as a Senate election inspector, a candidate wrote slips on the third Senate ballot, which he reported to Mr. Sa-Waeng, who responded that “They planned it this way and allowed them to bring the third Senate ballot into the cross-voting round.” This indicates Mr. Sa-Waeng was already aware of the planning. Three factors caused irregularities in the Senate election: 1) The election venue was arranged in a shared room, not confidential as required by law. 2) Regulations mandated using the same candidate numbers from provincial to national levels, facilitating rigging plans. 3) The Election Commission chair appointed an investigative committee, but it was staffed by Mr. Sa-Waeng’s subordinates to investigate him. The Election Commission should not act as a court; if there is suspicion, cases should be referred to court rather than dismissing them. The Election Commission must not act as a judge. Regarding the possibility of duplicate votes, he challenged the Election Commission to open the ballot boxes to verify vote rigging and prove the legitimacy of the voting process.