CHIANG RAI – A group of about 50 residents in Chiang Rai gathered on February 10 at the Provincial Election Commission office in Mueang Chiang Rai District. They asked election officials to review several issues tied to the February 8 vote for Members of Parliament (MPs) and the constitutional referendum.
Their main concern was the number of invalid ballots, which they said looked higher than expected. Early figures showed 16,892 invalid ballots, about 2.88 percent of all voters who cast ballots.
The group also asked officials to look into how polling station committees operated, saying procedures seemed to vary from one area to another. Another key request was a safety check of where ballot boxes are stored after voting.
Choochat Suksanguan, director of the Chiang Rai Provincial Election Commission office, accepted the complaint and gave a briefing. He said storage sites are selected by election officials in each constituency and must meet security requirements. All seven constituencies have informed the public about their storage locations, and he said people shouldn’t worry about the security measures in place.
On the issue of invalid ballots, the office said it had not seen signs that the number was unusually high. Still, officials plan to ask the relevant teams for more details and review what may have caused ballots to be marked invalid. He added that the public and the media can normally observe and track information at polling stations during the process.
Reporters at the scene said Choochat also brought community representatives to inspect the ballot box storage site for Constituency 1. The location uses CCTV and has security guards on duty. The visit eased some concerns, though the group said it still wanted the same level of assurance for the other six constituencies.
The Chiang Rai Provincial Election Commission office said it will follow election laws and rules strictly. It also plans to publish unofficial MP election results on the Facebook page “Chiang Rai Provincial Election Commission Office” by Friday, February 13, 2569.
In the previous makeup of seats, Pheu Thai held four constituencies, and the People’s Party held three. After the February 8 election, Pheu Thai kept two seats, four seats went to Kla Tham candidates, and one seat went to Bhumjaithai. No People’s Party candidates remained among the province’s winners.
