Over 52 million Thai citizens will be eligible to vote in the upcoming general election, which is set to take place on May 14. In January 2023, the EC approved 400 electoral constituencies across Thailand’s 77 provinces, an increase from 350 constituencies during the last election. The new 500-seat House of Representatives will be made up of 400 elected MPs through first-past-the-post voting and 100 MPs chosen through the party-list system.
According to an opinion poll conducted April 24-28 by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), the Pheu Thai Party (37.91 percent), the Move Forward Party (35.36 percent), and the United Thai Nation Party (12.84 percent) hold the highest levels of support. The United Thai Party is a relatively new conservative party that has been closely associated with incumbent Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha. If chosen to be prime minister, Prayut will be able to serve a four-year term at most due to Thailand’s term limit. The Pheu Thai Party is a populist party currently leading the opposition in parliament. The Move Forward Party is a progressive political party, with most of their supporters concentrated in urban areas. Recent surveys have shown that the party has been relatively popular among Gen Z voters.
The formation of the government is expected to take place over the course of several months following the general election in May. The prime minister is expected to be selected by the end of July through the combined votes of the Senate and the newly elected House of Representatives. Over a dozen candidates are running for the position, with Prayut Chan-o-cha (United Thai Nation Party) and Paetongtarn Shinawatra (Pheu Thai Party) leading most polls. In the most recent poll by NIDA, Pita Limjaroenrat (Move Forward Party) emerged as the frontrunner for prime minister, receiving 35.44 percent support.
Approximately four percent of eligible voters have registered for advance voting in Thailand or overseas. Over 72,000 Thais have registered for advance overseas voting, which is set to take place from April 25 to May 5, with the specific details on the method of conducting votes being up to the discretion of the respective embassy and consular office. Over 2.2 million Thais have registered for advance voting in Thailand, which will occur on May 7. To mitigate the chances of election fraud, the EC has established 128 committees, 88 intelligence teams, and 400 rapid deployment teams that will span Thailand’s 77 provinces. Unofficial results are expected to be released by 10:00 pm on May 14, following polls closing at 5:00 pm.
