Election Commission Withdraws 49 MP Candidates Before Poll

The Election Commission (EC) has announced that courts have ordered the withdrawal of 49 parliamentary candidates ahead of nationwide voting on 8 February 2026, warning voters that selecting disqualified constituency candidates will result in spoiled ballots. The decision affects 18 constituency candidates and 31 party-list candidates across multiple political parties, including several major parties. The EC urged voters to carefully check candidate lists before casting their ballots.

The announcement was made on 7 February 2026 at the Election Commission Office in Chaeng Watthana by Acting Sub-Lieutenant Phasakorn Siriphokyaporn, Deputy Secretary-General of the EC, during a briefing on preparations for the general election and a national referendum taking place on the same day. He said voting would be conducted at 99,538 polling stations nationwide, with approximately 52 million eligible voters expected to participate. Voters were reminded to bring valid identification, including a national ID card, driving licence, disability card, or official digital identification.

According to the EC, the Supreme Court ordered the removal of 18 constituency MP candidates from ballots. These include candidates from Kla Tham Party, Pheu Thai Party, Palang Pracharath Party, Prachachon Party, Democrat Party, Thai Sang Thai Party, Phalangwat Party, Phuea Ban Muang Party and Thai Kao Mai Party, across provinces such as Nakhon Ratchasima, Ratchaburi, Phuket, Rayong, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Udon Thani. The EC stressed that any vote cast for these individuals, including advance votes already submitted, will be counted as invalid.

The court also ordered the removal of 31 party-list MP candidates from various parties, including Palang Tham Mai, Thai Kao Mai, Prachathipatai, Kla Tham, Palang Pracharath, Ruam Thai Sang Chart and others. The EC clarified that this will not affect party-list voting, as voters select parties rather than individuals, and parties are legally permitted to submit lists of up to 100 candidates.

To prevent confusion, provincial election offices have been instructed to publicly display the names of disqualified candidates at polling stations, with withdrawn names crossed out on ballots. The EC also reiterated that alcohol sales are banned nationwide from 6pm on 7 February until 6pm on election day, and that all campaigning must cease after 6pm on 7 February.

Khoasod reported that the EC confirmed that voters who registered for advance voting on 1 February but did not vote cannot cast ballots in the general election on 8 February, though they may still participate in the referendum. Voters whose advance registration was unsuccessful may vote at their registered polling stations as normal, while updated voter lists will be displayed to address visibility issues reported earlier.

Pictures courtesy of Khaosod

Key Takeaways

• Courts have ordered the withdrawal of 18 constituency and 31 party-list MP candidates before the election.

• Voting for withdrawn constituency candidates will result in spoiled ballots, including advance votes.

• Party-list voting remains unaffected, and voters can still choose their preferred party.

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2026-02-08