Thais vote in first general election since 2014

By Prime Sarmiento in Bangkok | China Daily | Updated: 2019-03-25 07:32

Thai voters turned out in high numbers on March 24 on hopes that their voices will be heard in the first general election in eight years and in response to calls from the king and leading candidates.

More than 80 percent of the estimated 51 million registered voters cast their votes at more than 90,000 polling stations across the country. They voted for members of the House of Representatives, which together with Senate members appointed by the ruling government, will later select a prime minister.

The new Constitution empowers parliament's upper house, the 250-seat Senate, and the 500-seat House of Representatives to vote for prime minister

Punchada Sirivunnabood, an associate professor of political science at Mahidol University, expects an even higher voter turnout among young first-time voters: about 90 percent. "We haven't had an election in eight years," she said.

"They want to exercise their right to vote (and hopefully) bring changes to their country."

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn made a call for unity and happiness just 12 hours before the vote.

The polls were open from 8 am to 5 pm but eligible voters started to queue up at 6 am in some places.

The last general election was held in 2011, with Yingluck Shinawatra emerging victorious in the polls. Yingluck was the country's first female prime minister and younger sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Three years later, Yingluck's government was ousted by the military.

Prayut Chan-o-cha, the incumbent prime minister, is running in this year's polls under the Palang Pracharat Party. Other strong contenders in this year's elections are the Thaksin-linked Pheu Thai Party and the Future Forward Party led by the 40-year-old billionaire Thanatorn Juangroongruangkit.

With 89 percent of overall votes counted late on Sunday, the Election Commission said that the Palang Pracharat Party was leading with 7 million votes. Close behind with 6.6 million was the Pheu Thai Party, Reuters reported.

The commission earlier said the full count could take days or weeks. And the formation of a new government could also take weeks.

Prayut cast his ballot at a station in Bangkok at about 8:30 am. He had asked voters to use their rights properly to bring about unity and better development of the country.

Analysts agreed that the 7 million plus first-time voters, aged 18 to 26, are one of the most formidable voting blocs in this year's elections.

The Thai youth vote is very important in the elections, according to Pandit Chanrochanakit, deputy dean of political science at Chulalongkorn University.

"They are looking forward to this year's elections because they want to make their views heard," Pandit told China Daily.

He said that young Thais believe that voting will allow them to decide what future they want for themselves and their country.

Kitikorn Jeheh, a 24-year-old university student and a member of the Karen hill tribe from the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai, was one of the first-time voters.

Kitikorn was excited to vote because he believed his vote will help establish a government that will care about the plight of Thailand's hill-tribes. Many of them are still stateless despite having been born or living in Thailand for decades.

prime@chinadailyapac.com