Barkar Nash (Page 1,043)

About 50 million Thais have the right to cast their vote today in an election to decide the future of the country, and whether it will undergo radical change or maintain the status quo. Another two million voters took part in advance voting previously.

“This election is seen as a national agenda item to express the power of clean elections,” said Election Commission (EC) chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong yesterday. “No vote-buying, no vote-selling.”

At the polling station, each eligible voter will be provided with two ballot papers — a purple ballot for choosing a local member of parliament and a green one to pick their party of choice to run the country, he said.

The EC expects an 85% of voters will turnout in today’s election. The choices for Thais are between the continued rule of the elite, whose political and economic decisions have resulted in stark inequality, or the country’s dream of having truly democratic government representatives who empower citizens and uplift those living in poverty, observers say.

A total of 70 parties, 1,898 list-MP candidates and 4,781 MP candidates have registered to contest this election, while 63 people have been named as prime ministerial candidates for 43 parties. The selection of a new PM will take place at a later date.

Mr Ittiporn said the EC is ready to organise today’s election and ensure it will run smoothly. The EC expects to begin reporting unofficial election results from 6.30pm, he said. Marked ballots from advance voting have already been sent to respective polling stations for counting along with ballots cast today, Thailand Post said.

Over 147,500 police will be deployed to ensure law and order at the close-to 95,000 polling stations nationwide today, national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said.

These officers will be divided into teams to guard polling stations during voting hours or stand by for rapid deployment to deal with specific incidents, he said.

Ahead of the election, police cracked down on crime from May 4 to Thursday, during which close to 35,900 suspects were detained, he said. Of this number, almost 9,600 were wanted by police over weapons cases, while about 3,300 were arrested over online crime, he said.

A number of other suspects have also been arrested in a total of 184 cases related to the election, he said. Of these, the most common type of crime committed was election poster destruction, he said, adding that a total of 142 such incidents involving 939 damaged posters, most in Bangkok, were reported to the police.

About 40 suspects have been prosecuted while about 50 others have been interrogated by the police, he said. Other election-related criminal cases included attempts to disrupt an election rally, assault, carrying weapons in public without permission and criminal intimidation of election campaigners, he said.

Members of the public who observe or suspect any violations of election law are advised to report it to the authorities at the police’s 191 and 1599 hotlines or the Election Commission’s hotline, 1444, he said.

Meanwhile, voters in the deep South in particular have been told by the Fourth Army that security measures have been strengthened for today’s voting, said Lt Gen Santi Sakultanak, commander of the southern regional army.

He was speaking during an inspection of a security checkpoint in Pattani, where security was being boosted ahead of today’s election.

Tripartite security teams, consisting of soldiers, police and defence volunteers, have been deployed in Yala, Patani Narathiwat and some parts of Songkhla provinces to ensure public safety on voting day.

“People can rest assured that they can go out to vote without fear or worry about their safety today as the authorities are working to maximise security,” he said.

Security was stepped up, particularly at polling stations and areas seen as vulnerable, to prevent attacks, he said, noting that during an election in 2021, a vehicle transporting ballot boxes encountered a bomb attack.

Security officials stationed at polling stations are also being told to maintain political neutrality, he said.

EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said some marked ballots from advance voting accidentally sent to incorrect provinces for vote-counting have been re-routed to the correct provinces.

All marked ballots from advance overseas voting have been delivered to polling stations as well, he said.

For their own convenience, voters are advised to visit the Bureau of Registration Administration website to check where they are supposed to go to cast their vote today.

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A number of senators yesterday sought to reassure the public that the vote for the next prime minister will be free from influence and there are mixed opinions as to the best choice among members of the upper House.

Sen Seree Suwanpanont said senators have their own opinions and criteria when selecting the prime minister and noted that those who express their views do not represent the majority.

Mr Seree said that personally he will consider more than just votes and consider the qualifications, calibre and experiences of each prime minister candidate when casting his vote.

The number of House seats each party wins will determine if it is eligible to nominate a prime minister candidate for parliament to vote on.

“But for senators, they don’t necessarily vote the same way as the people.

“If the Senate has to vote the same way as the majority of MPs, we don’t need the Senate. This Senate has to do screening. They have a special role and they must know what their role is,” he said.

Sen Khamnoon Sitthisamarn said although the constitution does not require the Senate to vote in line with the MPs, senators can’t afford to discard the fact the government should have majority support in the House or it can’t pass key bills.

However, the Senate must also screen candidates for key public posts, and the post of prime minister is most important of all, he said.

“We don’t know who will win the election and who will be nominated. Some parties have three candidates.

“So, I think I will need room to think carefully to make a decision that will benefit the country,” he said.

Sen Khamnoon said the next government will face many challenges and the Senate wants to sure the prime minister it chooses can steer the country away from crises and make a difference on the global stage.

Sen Chalermchai Fuengkhon said he will vote for the bloc that commands a majority in the House and noted that he cannot speak for his fellow senators.

“Parties shouldn’t count on the Senate to support them.

“If they want to be the government, it is their job to gather 376 votes among themselves,” he said.

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The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will provide free shuttle bus services linking Samsen Road to areas in Thon Buri, with the aim of easing traffic congestion when schools reopen tomorrow.

Speaking after a test run, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the shuttle bus services will alleviate heavy traffic on Samsen Road which is dotted with schools.

Work on a new extension of the Purple Line (Tao Pun-Rat Burana) is also affecting traffic flow on the road and on Krung Thon Buri Bridge, which connects Phra Nakhon with the Thon Buri side, he said.

The shuttle bus services will be an alternative for parents who want to avoid traffic congestion.

They are available Monday to Friday from 6am to 9am and 3.20pm to 8pm, starting tomorrow.

An electric feeder bus can seat 20 people and has a capacity of 35 passengers. A city official will be deployed on the bus for passenger safety.

The shuttle bus will make six stops along the route — in front of Office Mate Sirindhorn Branch, a bus stop in front of the Kuakarun faculty of nursing, Soi Samsen 13, the SG Alumni Association, Soi Ratchawithi 9 and Tang Hua Seng shopping mall on Sirindhorn Road.

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The construction of an overpass over the Na Ranong intersection in Klong Toey district is expected to be completed early next month, said Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

An agreement was inked in 2018 to complete the overpass by 2021. However, it was hit by delays, including stoppages caused by Covid-19.

The Bangkok Post asked Mr Chadchart about the delay. He said he had “followed up on the progress of the project since assuming the position of governor.

“So far, I’ve learnt the delay was caused by a technical issue [involving] construction engineering and the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“I’ve already instructed the Department of Public Works to expedite construction [so the overpass] can open by June 1,” he said.

Tawatchai Napasaksri, director-general of the Department of Public Works, said construction is 91% complete.

The only work that remains includes painting traffic lines and installing fences. Construction is expected to finish by June 1 as instructed by Mr Chadchart, he said.

“The Bangkok governor may not have chaired the opening ceremony of the bridge, but he may come to check surrounding traffic conditions,” Mr Tawatchai said.

“On the first day, the overpass will open in the early morning, while it will close temporarily overnight for minor works for about a month,” he said.

The department signed a contract with Sahakarn Wisavakorn Co Ltd on Sept 25, 2018, agreeing that construction would finish by Nov 11, 2021, with a budget of 1.34 trillion baht.

A 20-year-old overpass from the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, along Ratchadaphisek Road, crossing the Na Ranong intersection and ending at Rama III near Penang Market has been demolished to make way for the new overpass.

The department has also asked the company to expand the four-lane overpass from the market to Nonsiwitthaya School from 1.95km to 2.65km.

An overpass crossing a railway track on Chuea Phloeng Road was also demolished and rebuilt on both sides of the road, with two lanes in each direction, while the descending section crossing the Na Ranong intersection was rebuilt near the Port Authority of Thailand on Sunthon Khosa Road.

These two sections of the project were launched last year, Mr Tawatchai said.

A source at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said the main cause of the delay was sluggish land transfer from the State Railway of Thailand and the Expressway Authority of Thailand to the BMA as well as Covid-19.

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Two people were arrested in Bangkok and charged with possessing and selling firearms without permission in a police crackdown on guns and violence ahead of the election, says the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).

Pittinan, 31, and her boyfriend Chayut, 34, were nabbed at a house in Bang Khen district during a search in which police found 17 registered guns, two BB guns and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

Their arrest is part of an extended investigation into the online sale of firearms and ammunition. Police launched a sting operation in which they ordered a box of ammunition and tracked it down to the pair’s house. Police then obtained a search warrant and searched the premises.

Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhonbancha, commissioner of the CCIB, said some of these guns were modified from BB guns to be used with M4 ammunition. He said individuals are not allowed to possess this type of firearm, so the pair have been charged with possessing guns and ammunition and distributing them without permission.

According to the initial investigation, Ms Pittinan, who works as a nurse at a privately-run hospital, purchased a total of 21 registered guns under a welfare scheme during 2019-2020 and another one in 2022.

Ms Pittinan told police that her boyfriend made the purchases under her name and she had no idea about him selling firearms. She said he also had her deliver the ammunition but that she had no idea what was inside her deliveries.

A total of 50 people were arrested and 77 guns and 2,440 rounds of ammunition seized from 60 locations in 42 provinces since the crackdown.

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NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Many people headed to their home provinces on Saturday to exercise their voting rights, signalling a high turnout for Sunday’s general election.

People formed long queues to buy tickets at Nakhon Ratchasima bus terminal 2 on Saturday afternoon. Most had travelled from the Mor Chit terminal in Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the Northeast, to take interprovincial buses, mini-buses or vans to other northeastern provinces such as Khon Kaen, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Udon Thani. All vehicles were filled with passengers.

Sor Lekprakhon, 51, the operator of mini-bus No 30 on the Nakhon Ratchasima-Surin route, said he had seen a high number of passengers during the past two days. On Saturday, he had already made two trips and all seats were booked. Most passengers said they wanted to go home so they could cast their ballots on Sunday, said Mr Sor.

People were more enthusiastic about Sunday’s election than the last general election in 2019, he added.

Many people were also waiting for passenger vans to their home provinces in the Northeast. Many had travelled from Bangkok as long-haul interprovincial buses from Mor Chit to the Northeast were fully booked.

Panida Uppachanthor, 27, a native of Khon Kaen, said she and her younger sister had taken a bus from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, where they would take a van to their home province to cast their ballots on Sunday. She had missed the registration for advance voting so she had to go home, she said.

She also observed that many voters were very active this weekend. Many passengers had to wait for buses and vans for almost 3 hours, said Ms Panida.

Passengers wait for buses at Nakhon Ratchasima bus terminal 2 on Saturday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)

At the van terminal in Korat, many passengers wait for rides to their provinces in the Northeast. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)

Panida Uppachanthor, 27, a native of Khon Kaen, says she and her sister are looking forward to exercising their voting rights on Sunday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)

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The Election Commission (EC) is confident that advance-voting ballots that were sent to the wrong provinces will be delivered correctly and in time to be counted on Election Day on Sunday.

EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee on Saturday acknowledged reports of ballots marked for Mukdahan and Maha Sarakham provinces being mistakenly sent to Khon Kaen, saying the ballots were correctly marked and that the error was likely due to sorting ahead of posting. Postal officials have been instructed to remedy the problem, he added.

According to the commissioner, the issue is not significant, and the ballots should be delivered on time. He also referenced the work done to transport and account for advance votes from provinces as far as Songkhla and Thai communities as distant as Mexico.

Mr Sawaeng said he had no concerns about problems during Election Day except for weather-related issues, as there have been reports of possible stormy conditions. The EC has given discretion to local units to act as necessary.

He reminded voters to avoid offences such as wearing party logos or numbers or posting photos of their filled ballots on social media.

Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee says the sending of some advance-voting ballots to the wrong provinces did not appear to be a major problem. (Photo: EC)

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Three alleged vote-buyers were arrested on Saturday ahead of Election Day on Sunday, authorities said.

The first arrest was made in Bueng Kan province, with the culprit caught carrying a list of names and cash, said Pol Maj Gen Nithithorn Jintakanon, spokesman for the security and peace maintenance centre for elections.

The second incident occurred in Ayutthaya and the third in Phichit, with both offenders caught with cash intended to buy votes. All three cases are being handled according to legal procedures.

In an effort to combat electoral crimes, police are increasing their efforts and raising awareness of relevant laws to prevent voters from violating them, according to the spokesman.

He warned that vote-buying could lead to imprisonment of one to 10 years and/or a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 baht for both buyers and sellers. Those who sell their voting rights could face up to five years in jail and/or a fine between 20,000 and 100,000 baht. Their voting rights will also be revoked for 10 years.

Other offences include betting on the outcome of the election, transporting groups of people to booths with the intent to influence their votes, obstruction of voting and destruction of campaign materials.

From 6pm on Saturday until 6pm on Sunday, alcoholic drinks may not be sold and all campaigning, including the personal wearing of party logos or numbers, will be illegal.

Voters have also been reminded to be mindful of regulations at polling stations, which prohibit leaving the premises with a ballot, damaging ballots and taking photos of ballots, among other activities.

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