Thais vote today as registered absentees in the lead up to next week’s election

ThaigerPublished: March 17, 2019, 2:29 PM

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Thais vote today as registered absentees in the lead up to next week’s election | Thaiger

PHOTO: 98 year old Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council – Bangkok Post

Arlina Arshad, Regional Correspondent – Straits Times

Hundreds of thousands of voters across Thailand are heading out today to cast early ballots, a week ahead the country’s first general election – the first time Thais have voted since 2011 and since the military took control in a coup in May 2014.

Under the new voting system they will have a single ballot to cast for their preferred local candidate. The ballot also counts as a vote for the candidate’s party in a separate list of seats up for grabs.

Around 2.6 million of 51 million+ eligible voters have registered to vote outside their home Provinces in Thailand. This includes over 928,000 who will cast their votes at 58 polling stations in the capital Bangkok.

98 year old Prem Tinsulanonda, the popular president of the Privy Council, also voted this morning despite his ailing health.

The former premier, who served as Regent after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2016, arrived in a wheelchair at the polling station at Sukhothai School on Sukhothai Road in Dusit district. It was his first public appearance after reportedly being hospitalised recently.

He waved and smiled to reporters but made no remarks, according to The Nation. He was able to stand long enough to drop his ballot in the box.

As part of voting regulations, alcohol sales and distribution are suspended and political parties are not allowed to campaign near polling stations. Police have also been deployed to secure voting venues and manage traffic.

Advance voting will run until 5pm at designated polling stations, but no results will be announced until after the general election next week.