The People’s Party said it will next week file a complaint against the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, alleging that barcodes on ballot papers meant the 8 February election was not conducted by secret ballot. The party urged the public to monitor closely whether the same ballot format will be used in the 22 February re-run.

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Speaking on Thursday 19 February, at the Future Forward Building in Bangkok, Parit Wacharasindhu, party spokesperson, said Dr Wayo Assawarungruang from the party’s legal team is drafting the complaint and expects to submit it formally next week. He said details of the strongest evidence would be announced when the complaint is filed, but confirmed the core issue concerns the barcode system.

Parit said the party believes the presence of barcodes compromised ballot secrecy. He stated that various sectors have examined the issue through multiple channels and that the party’s aim is not to reject defeat but to protect every citizen’s vote and ensure officials are held legally accountable.

“The barcode issue is serious. It must be examined whether the fault was negligent or whether someone intentionally created a system enabling wrongdoing. We have therefore decided to invoke Section 157 to ensure proper legal scrutiny and accountability,” Parit said.

He referred to comments by Wissanu Krea-ngam, former deputy prime minister, and Charan Pakdithanakul, former Constitutional Court judge, who have suggested that if ballots are proven not to be secret the election could be nullified. Parit said the matter must be addressed step by step.

The party maintains that a secret ballot must not be traceable in theory or in practice. Parit said that regardless of access to ballot stubs or ballot boxes, there must be no mechanism allowing verification of how an identifiable individual voted, and that the mere existence of barcodes rendered the ballot non-secret.

The EC has consistently argued that the ballots did not compromise secrecy. Parit said the dispute centres on differing definitions, adding that the EC has acknowledged that the barcode corresponds to a specific ballot serial number, but focuses on the practical difficulty of linking data.

He invited the public to observe the 22 February re-run. Parit said that if the EC insists the 8 February election had no problems, it must use the same procedures, including barcode ballots and ensure full transparency in vote counting.

He also questioned differences between the EC’s conduct in the 2023 and 2026 elections, including information disclosure and the absence of regular press conferences. He said public confidence depends on transparent and effective administration, and that regular press briefings would help address doubts.

Kaodod reported that Parit added that the issue reflects the 2017 Constitution’s design of independent agencies, which he said limits public mechanisms for accountability. He said that once parliament reconvenes, the People’s Party, with more than 100 MPs, will propose amendments to restore the public’s right to initiate impeachment proceedings against independent bodies, as provided under the 1997 and 2007 constitutions but removed in 2017.

Cover picture courtesy of Khaosod

Key Takeaways

• The People’s Party will file a Section 157 complaint against the EC over barcode ballots used on 8 February.

• The party argues that the existence of barcodes breached the principle of a secret ballot.

• The 22 February re-run will be closely watched for changes in ballot procedures.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 20 Feb 2026

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Take a number and stand in line…

I think the People’s Party is really pushing this one further than it deserves, especially as the matter is already in the hands of the court. It's claims that the 8 February ballots weren’t secret seem overblown.

Thailand isn’t unique in using barcodes on ballots, and in most cases, barcodes simply help with counting and tracking without compromising voter anonymity.

The EC’s failure to properly notify the public about its intentions before the election does carry a significant credibility cost. Much of the debate about transparency could have been avoided if they had properly informed the public beforehand.

But beyond that, suggesting that the election was anything other than secret feels like an unnecessary escalation, especially when we already have so many unsubstantiated claims flying around about vote buying or rigging.

Surely no one genuinely believes that barcodes allow a voter’s choice to be traced in practice. If anything, the EC now has a clear incentive to make the 22 February re-run fully transparent so that public confidence can be maintained.

While the EC should certainly answer for its communication failures, the idea that ballots were inherently non-secret must be treated in the realms of fantasy.