Narong from the Election Commission inspected preparations ahead of the Nonthaburi PAO chief election on Sunday, 20 Sep 2026. He expects higher voter turnout than before, emphasized facilitation for voters, warned of possible rain, and anticipated informal results by no later than 9 PM.
18 Sep 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Narong Rakroi, Election Commission member, attended a briefing on preparations for the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization chief election scheduled for Sunday, 20 September 2026, and delivered policy guidance to Election Commission staff at the Nonthaburi Provincial Hall.
Ms. Chuleeporn Chanbaipad, Director of the Nonthaburi Provincial Election Office, summarized that Nonthaburi has 6 districts, 52 subdistricts, and 46 local administrative organizations. There are 6 candidates for PAO chief, with 1,075,971 eligible voters, 1,450 polling stations, 13,050 polling staff, and thousands more supporting officials. Six rapid response teams are ready for incidents, supported by Nonthaburi PAO and the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to assist polling stations in case of rain-induced power outages.
Mr. Narong expressed confidence in the preparations, noting this election fills a vacant position. Although last time voter turnout was 41.1%, this election is only for the PAO chief, with no PAO council members elected, so campaign intensity might decrease. Still, he trusts Nonthaburi residents will come out to vote, likely in greater numbers than before, aiming for turnout higher than 41.1% recorded on 1 September 2025.
Regarding venue readiness, all sites are prepared, but challenges remain. More than 50% of polling stations are temporary tents due to predominantly community area limitations. While the Election Commission’s policy prefers permanent buildings, adjustments are gradual. He is confident the Nonthaburi Election Commission director and PAO secretary, also chief election officer, will manage to avoid rain-related problems and emphasized facilitating voters. He urged officials to ensure that voters are not adversely affected by weather conditions. Informal results are expected by no later than 9 PM.
Mr. Natthapoom Nontasirikul, PAO secretary acting as PAO chief and election director, stated that the PAO has already distributed election equipment to districts and municipalities, which will then hand them to polling station committees on 19 September.
