(CTN News) – More than 70,000 Thais living overseas have registered to vote in the next General Election on May 14.
Registration for Thai citizens living abroad to vote began on March 25 and will expire on April 9, according to Ruj Thammongkol, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (23.59 hours Thai time).
As of Sunday, April 7th, 72,779 Thai citizens registered to vote from outside Thailand.
He predicted that the number of voters would rise to at least 119,313 to meet the threshold for a quorum in the upcoming election.
Thai voters abroad to cast their vote at embassy/consulate general or by post
According to Ruj, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working closely with the Ministry of Interior, which is in charge of the online overseas voting registration system, to ensure that Thai citizens residing abroad can easily register to vote.
He also mentioned that the online registration process has been more streamlined and accelerated.
According to Ruj, the Department of Consular Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the Overseas Voting Coordination to improve the preparations for elections held abroad and to avert other issues learned from previous experiences.
“At the Overseas Voting Coordination, the officers are assigned to monitor the latest progress from the Royal Thai Embassies or Consulate General using the Overseas Voting Monitoring System (OVMS), which provides real-time updates from around the world to ensure smooth and transparent arrangements,” he said.
Votes cast by Thai citizens outside of Thailand will be counted in Thailand at a location chosen by the Thai embassy or consulate general.
The Election Commission scheduled Election Day for May 14, with early voting beginning on May 7.
ORIGINAL STORY: Thailand’s General Election Will be Held on May 14
