Poll results certified in 396 constituencies

EC awaits revotes and recounts for 4 other seats; party list certification expected next week

The Election Commission on Tuesday certified the results of the Feb 8 polls in 396 out of Thailand’s 400 constituencies — 17 days from election day and faster than the time required to endorse the results of the 2019 and 2023 general elections.

The endorsement comes despite a number of complaints and legal challenges, most notably over the use of barcodes and QR codes on ballots and the potential to compromise vote secrecy.

Only four constituencies are waiting for revotes or recounts before their MPs can be certified, a process expected to be completed over the weekend.

Certified winners can start picking up their documents at the EC offices from Wednesday. The documents are essential as the new MPs-elect need them to proceed with registration at parliament.

At Sappaya-Sapasathan, the parliament complex in Dusit district of Bangkok, officials on Tuesday were racing to prepare registration areas. 

Although parliamentary staff said they would be ready, preparations were rushed because earlier discussions with the EC indicated that poll results would be released on March 15, according to a source.

Notices in the car park advised owners of vehicles on level B1 to move them to accommodate MPs who will be arriving to register between Wednesday and March 6.

The People’s Party has decided to delay collecting its MP endorsement certificates from the Election Commission, opting to wait until both constituency and party-list MPs are formally endorsed so they can report to parliament together.

A commission source said the 100 party-list seats were expected to be ​certified ‌next week.

A new parliament must convene within ⁠15 days of the certification of at least 475 seats, 95% of the total, after which the House will elect a prime minister to ​form a government.

The four constituencies where results have not yet been endorsed are Phayao Constituency 1, Suphan Buri Constituency 2, and Constituencies 1 and 2 in Chanthaburi. Based on the initial results, the winners in the four constituencies are:

• Akra Prompow (Klatham), Phayao Constituency 1
• Natthawut Prasertsuwan (Bhumjaithai), Suphan Buri Constituency 2
• Pol Lt Gen Surapol Wiratyosin (Bhumjaithai), Chanthaburi Constituency 1, and
• Khamphi Chuenban (Bhumjaithai), Chanthaburi Constituency 2.

The EC on Tuesday also ordered recounts at nine more polling stations in five provinces, though the results are not expected to materially affect the outcome.

A final official nationwide vote count is still not available. The Election Commission last week shut down its Ectreport69 website containing unofficial results. It directed the public to visit its far less user-friendly “official” results site, where PDFs of tally sheets from individual polling stations can be downloaded.

Meanwhile, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct has scheduled March 17 to decide whether to formally accept a case against EC chairman Narong Klanwarin and seven other senior officials over the ballot controversy.