Pathum Thani university students protest alleged election vote-count misconduct
Over 300 students and residents gathered at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Pathum Thani’s Constituency 7 last night, February 8, calling for a recount after concerns were raised about the conduct of the election vote-counting process.
The protest erupted around 9pm at the main hall of the university in Thanyaburi district, where advanced ballots and overseas votes were being counted.
Protesters accused election officials of lacking transparency after student observers were denied entry to witness the process, despite having the legal right to do so.
Tensions escalated when footage surfaced showing CCTV cameras at the counting venue being obscured with dark fabric or plastic bags.
Protesters claimed this raised suspicions of misconduct, especially as the cameras remained covered even after ballot boxes were sealed and counting had begun.
According to student representative Phakranaporn Klinchuanchuen, a small group of observers tried to monitor the count but were ordered to leave the area by a female official in uniform, who allegedly told them their presence was “disruptive.”
By the time they returned to question the procedure, the ballot boxes had already been closed, preventing verification of the results.
Protesters also questioned why only government officials were allowed to handle the advanced and overseas ballots, with no public or independent observers present.
Pian Mansri, head of political party investigations at the Election Commission office in Pathum Thani, arrived at the scene and accepted a written complaint from the students. He acknowledged their concerns, saying he had yet to verify the details and could not reach the official accused of ordering observers to leave.
Pian noted that the university served as a vote collection site for advance and off-site ballots for Constituency 7, and also served as a referendum polling station earlier in the day.
He told the crowd that the local election office lacked the authority to order a recount and that the request would be forwarded to the Election Commission of Thailand.
This morning, February 9, at approximately 9.10am, Thairath reported that officials announced that a full recount would be conducted to address concerns and demonstrate transparency.
In similar news, a serious error was reported at a polling station in Nan province in northern Thailand during the 2026 General Election, after a polling officer mistakenly tore up dozens of ballot papers for the constituency-based Parliamentary election.
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