Vote tally sheets found in rubbish bin in Chonburi

2026-02-10 - 03:26

CHONBURI — 10 February 2026, Residents and party representatives on Monday raised concerns over the results of the parliamentary election in Chonburi’s Constituency 1 after ballot tally sheets were found discarded in a rubbish bin. People in Chonburi province, together with representatives of political parties acting on behalf of the public, met officials at the Chonburi office of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) to seek clarification over suspected irregularities in the constituency’s vote count. The concerns dated back to the evening of 9 February. At 02:13, Pol. Capt. Chanin Noilek, deputy secretary-general of the ECT, arrived at the scene and urged the public to gather evidence and await a meeting of the seven-member Election Commission scheduled for 10 February at 10:00. The commission will determine whether a recount should be ordered for Chonburi Constituency 1. Chanin said he had no authority to make a ruling himself and was present only to maintain order. He added that he did not have the contact details of ECT Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee. Some members of the public questioned why an immediate decision could not be made, citing what they described as a clear offence. At 03:15, residents discovered vote tally sheets from Polling Station 15 at Wat Klang Don Kindergarten School discarded in a rubbish bin. The sheets showed that Suchart Chomklin, candidate No. 1, received 266 votes, while Worath Sirirak, candidate No. 7, received 278 votes. The latest situation showed demonstrators satisfied with the authorities’ response. All ballot boxes have now been securely placed behind barricades inside the gymnasium, with volunteer protesters closely monitoring the area. All sides are awaiting a decision from the central Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), which is scheduled to meet at 10:00 on 10 February 2026. The ruling will determine whether a recount will be held or what further action will be taken in the constituency. In the morning, protesters continued to maintain their presence, keeping watch over the ballot boxes. Pol Capt Chanin Noilek, deputy secretary-general of the ECT, also remained inside the gymnasium after protesters refused to allow him to leave. Chanin told reporters he was not under stress and was acting in accordance with legal procedures. At 09:00, Chonburi Governor Narit Niramaiwong arrived to inspect the situation. He spoke with Chanin and later gave interviews to the media, urging the crowd to remain calm and wait for the ECT’s decision at 10:00. The governor also instructed officials to ensure tight security at ballot storage locations for the province’s remaining nine constituencies to prevent any unrest. He asked protesters to allow Chanin to briefly leave the gymnasium to bathe and eat before returning to await the central ECT’s ruling on how to proceed with ballot boxes from more than 100 polling stations.