Thailand votes to fill 500 seats in the House of Representatives, preparing to launch the race for prime minister

A voter in Vadhana district, Bangkok during Thailand's general election on May 14. Photo: CNA

According to CNA, the general election officially began in Thailand on May 14, thereby choosing new parliamentarians in the House of Representatives to form the next government.

About 52 million people are eligible to vote across Thailand and polling stations will close at 5 p.m. More than 2 million people voted early on May 7.

A total of 500 members of the House of Representatives will be elected on May 14, with 400 elected in regional elections and the remaining 100 elected from party lists. This is a form of proportional representation, in which multiple candidates are elected from lists prepared by their respective parties, based on the total number of votes they receive.

In the constituency form, 4,710 candidates are competing for 400 seats. In the remaining form, nearly 1,900 candidates from 67 parties are participating in the hope of winning 100 seats.

Each Thai voter will receive two ballots - one for a constituency and one for a party list.

A polling station in Bangkok. Photo: CNA

“Choose someone you can trust”

In Bangkok, voters began casting their ballots after polling stations opened at 8 a.m. Among them, 18-year-old Natchanon Prasansri, who is about to become a university student and is voting for the first time, said outside a polling station in Vadhana district: “This is a very important election because it is about our future and our rights. We have to choose people we can trust and people we like because many parties have many policies. It will be a factor that determines the direction of the country.”

Natchanon believes that the next government in Thailand needs to urgently address many issues, including air pollution and public transportation. “I rarely go out because of the pollution. There are not enough buses and sometimes people have to wait for hours,” he told CNA.

Change is what many Thais want to see after the May 14 election. For example, voter Nattawoot Chulikit, 45, who runs an online business, believes that people should be able to express their opinions more freely. “I hope to see change in many things,” he said. “The most pressing issues I want to see addressed are freedom of expression, poverty and business opportunities.”

For 79-year-old voter Yupin Macleod, it is important to vote for people with a bright vision for the country: “We want good people to run the country, we want some fresh individual with a good vision. If we have a new generation without a good vision, it will be very dangerous.”

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt goes to vote. Photo: CNA

There are 6,327 constituencies in the Thai capital. According to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, all ballot boxes had arrived at the polling stations by 6:05 a.m. on May 14 and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration was ready to facilitate the election process.

Before casting his vote, he said: “Today is a great opportunity for us to exercise our rights and help ensure that the election will be transparent. Let's go vote!”

In the southern province of Songkhla, voters also showed up early to exercise their rights. At a polling station in Hat Yai district, voter Prani Sumritpon and her husband showed up at 6:45 a.m. The 81-year-old farmer said she had voted in every election and hoped to see improvements after this one. Her 71-year-old husband, Khajit Premjaichon, also said: “I hope the economy will improve and prices will not be as expensive as they are now. I want a government without corruption because then the country will be better.”

Voters Khajit Premjaichon and Prani Sumritpon at a polling station in Hat Yai, Thailand on May 14. Photo: CNA

For first-time voters, Thailand’s May 14 election is an exciting time to get involved in shaping the country’s future. “I want a prime minister who has good leadership, is not corrupt, and dares to amend some laws,” 21-year-old voter Afsamawatee Laengaenae from Bangkok told CNA.

At the same polling station, 20-year-old first-time voter Thanittha See-Hoo also shared: “I want my voice to be heard. I want a democratic government, a new government that can improve public transport, quality of life and the education system for young people.”

What is the process for electing the Prime Minister of Thailand?

With all 500 seats in the House of Representatives filled, the race for prime minister will begin. This time, 62 candidates from 43 parties will vie for Thailand's highest office.

Under the country's current constitution, each political party can nominate up to three candidates for prime minister. However, only parties with at least 25 elected members in the House of Representatives can nominate a prime minister.

In the previous election in 2019, five parties met this requirement, including Pheu Thai, Palang Pracharat, Democrats, Bhumjaithai and Future Forward, including the now-dissolved party.

A nominee must be supported by at least 50 members of the House of Commons, or no less than one-tenth of the total number of members of the House of Commons, before a vote can be held to choose a prime minister. This process involves the 250 members of the Senate and the entire House of Commons.

The prospective prime minister must win the approval of more than half of both houses of parliament. This means that a candidate must win at least 376 votes – whether from both houses or just the 500-member lower house – to become prime minister.

In the most recent vote in 2019, the Pheu Thai party won the most seats in the House of Representatives (136 seats) but could not gain enough support to form a governing coalition.

Palang Pracharat, the party then led by Prayut Chan-o-cha and which won 115 seats in the election, then teamed up with other parties to secure a majority in the House of Representatives, from which it took over the government.

A voter performs his election duty in Hat Yai, Thailand. Photo: CNA

Faces of the top candidates

According to the final poll conducted before the election by the National Institute for Development Administration (NIDA), the most popular prime ministerial candidate is Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, leader and sole candidate of the Move Forward Party. His support has increased rapidly over the past few months. For example, in a NIDA poll released on May 3, 35.44% of 2,500 respondents across Thailand supported him to become the country's next prime minister.

Coming in second with 29.20% was 36-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the Pheu Thai Party. She is the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. Paetongtarn Shinawatra's aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, is also a former Prime Minister of Thailand. Yingluck's government was overthrown in a 2014 coup led by then-army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha.

In third place in the poll was incumbent Prime Minister Prayut, who has been in office for eight years, with 14.84%. The 69-year-old former general is running under the banner of a new party, the United Thai Nation.

Coming in fourth with 6.76% was Srettha Thavisin, 60, a real estate tycoon and another prime ministerial candidate from the Pheu Thai party.

According to the same poll, the parties receiving the most support are Pheu Thai, Move Forward, United Thai Nation, Democrat and Bhumjaithai, respectively.

When are the election results?

According to the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), the unofficial results of the election will be available after 6:30 p.m. on May 14. The votes will be counted at the polling stations before the unofficial results are transferred to the ECT database.

The public can monitor the counting process at polling stations. They can also follow unofficial results on news channels. The ECT aims to release unofficial results from all constituencies by 11 p.m. on May 14.