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On the morning of May 14, Thai voters began voting for the new 500-seat House of Representatives. The voting began at 8:00 a.m. (Vietnam time) and will last until 5:00 p.m. at 95,000 polling stations nationwide. It is estimated that more than 52 million voters are eligible to vote this time.
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| Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Bangkok. Photo: CNA |
Although nearly 70 parties are contesting the election, the race is expected to be a contest between two parties: the United Thailand National Party (UTN) of incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Pheu Thai, an offshoot of the Thai Rak Thai party of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thai Rak Thai no longer exists.
As inflation weighs on Thailand's post-pandemic economic recovery, livelihood issues have been highlighted by candidates in their election pledges.
Most parties have promised welfare programs, such as raising the minimum wage, paying pensions, deferring debt and guaranteeing agricultural prices. Pheu Thai has pledged to pay 10,000 baht ($293) via e-wallet to every citizen aged 16 and older. The parties have also pledged to rewrite the 2017 constitution.
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| Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Hat Yai. Photo: CNA |
This year, more than 6,000 candidates will compete for 500 seats in the Thai parliament’s lower house, including 400 constituency seats and 100 party-list seats. Each voter will receive two ballots, one for a candidate in their local constituency and the other for a party at the national level. The 400 constituency seats will be awarded to the candidates who win the most votes in each district.
Meanwhile, the 100 party-list seats will be allocated proportionally to political parties based on their share of the national vote. A party or group of parties needs to win or gather at least 251 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives to form a government.
Previously, the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) estimated that voter turnout could reach 85%. According to EC Deputy Secretary General Suranee Pontawee, the agency is expected to announce preliminary results at 10 p.m. the same day.
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