Thai election concerns rise due to prolonged ballot box transport in Buri Ram

Concerns have been raised over the prolonged transportation time of ballot boxes in Buri Ram, following the recent general Thai election. A group of ten complainants from Non Suwan and Nong Ki districts filed a request with the Election Commission’s Buri Ram office, questioning why it took four and a half hours to transport the ballot boxes across a 20-kilometre distance.

Led by Sawat Jampasasawangwong, the complainants pointed out that it took election officials from 9.30pm on May 14 to around 2am on May 15 to transport Constituency 7 ballot boxes from the Non Suwan district office to Nong Ki district office. They also expressed concerns over the apparent improper sealing of the ballot boxes upon arrival in Nong Ki, as well as the number of used ballots from some polling stations exceeding the number of voters.

Provincial election office representatives have accepted the complaint and committed to investigating the matter, Bangkok Post reported.

Buri Ram’s Constituency 7, which includes Nong Ki, Non Suwan, and parts of Pa Kham and Nong Hong districts, shares a border with Nakhon Ratchasima province. Bhumjaithai Party candidate Pornchai Srisuriyanyothin secured the seat with 28,685 votes, closely followed by Panthanu Wankangsai of the Pheu Thai Party who garnered 28,470 votes. Bhumjaithai went on to win all ten constituency seats in the northeastern province.

A month ago, the Thai postal company managed the transportation and delivery of pre-election ballots for the Thai elections. Employing rigorous security protocols and a fleet of over 500 vehicles, the transportation routes of these vehicles were meticulously tracked via advanced GPS systems. A dedicated control room vigilantly supervised the entire logistics process, ensuring seamless and efficient operations. The primary objective of these stringent measures and dedicated efforts was to guarantee the absolute safety and integrity of the ballots, thereby contributing to the responsible conduct of the election process and reinforcing the democratic values of the nation. Read more HERE.