Turnout Expected To Exceed 60%

[Lite Beer]

Turnout expected to exceed 60%
The Nation on Sunday

Election officials prepare ballot papers and voting equipment at Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- EC chief says election officials on full alert to guard against vote-buying or other frauds

The voter turnout in today's gubernatorial election is expected to be above 60 per cent due to the fierce competition, Election Commissioner Prapan Naikowit yesterday.

He was speaking after Election Commission officials had checked all election equipment, ballot boxes and the places where they would be kept.

Ninnart Chalitanont, permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), said city officials hoped the voter turnout would reach the target of 70 per cent out of some 4 million eligible voters.

The BMA has spent Bt175 million in campaigning for a high voter turnout. She said every polling station would have one director, three officials and one police to ensure a free and fair election. She urged voters to exercise their voting right early in the morning to prevent traffic congestion.

The EC has ordered election officials to ensure a free and fair election and to assist disabled people and students who want to exercise their voting right.

The Office of Basic Education has informed the EC that it could not postpone the exam date for GAT/PAT so it has extended the lunchtime from one to two hours so that students could exercise their voting right.

Responding to reports that a number of police names from Northeastern provinces have been added to the list of eligible voters for today's election, Prapan said he would ask the Interior Ministry's Department of Provincial Administration to check if there were any irregularities.

Prapan said 13 electoral complaints had been filed with the EC and the only one accepted for investigation was from independent candidate Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, who accused pollsters of releasing poll results that are misleading the public.

He said there had not been any complaints about vote-buying and he believed it would be difficult to buy votes because the capital spans large electoral areas. However, the EC would remain vigilant and deploy intelligence teams to collect information about attempts to buy votes and other electoral frauds.

Meanwhile, Police Lt-General Thaweesak Toochinda, chairman of the EC's Bangkok office, responding to allegations of a number of police names suspiciously being listed as eligible voters, said the report may have been a result of misunderstanding. He said speaking from his own experience as a police officer, he had learnt that many police may have their residence in Bangkok but could have been transferred to work in the provinces but had not requested a housing registration in the provinces.

He said he would check if the incident was just a registration error and the Department of Provincial Administration would be requested to check the suspicious voter list.

He said residents of Bangkok should also inform election officials in their constituency if unknown names appeared in their housing registration.

Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election.

"The EC has adopted measures based on our experience from previous elections. In this election, we are using a lot of police personnel and volunteers in a bid to prevent fraud. We are confident that we can close all the loopholes that could allow fraud," Thaweesak said.

He said election officials were gathering information to determine if any candidate or their canvassers had offered to buy votes. Any candidate found guilty would be disqualified and ordered to pay Bt176 million in compensation.



Up-to-date coverage

The big day has arrived. Keep yourself updated about today's election news until you know who will become the next Bangkok governor.

The Nation's website, nationmultimedia.com, will feature a real-time vote count, breaking news and rolling updates via "Tweets from The Nation" by Nation News (@nationnews), Suthichai Yoon (@suthichai), Tulsathit Taptim (@tulsathit), and Achara Deboonmee (@Biz-_TheNation), while Facebook users can check Friends of Nation.

You can also follow today's election through The Nation's senior editor Tulsathit Taptim's live blogging on our website.

Thanks to the multiple resources of our convergent newsroom, we will be able to keep you up to date with developments from the moment voting begins at 8 in the morning until a clear picture emerges of who will become the next Bangkok governor.

-- The Nation 2013-04-03

[hellodolly]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

[OzMick]

Vote early, vote often.

[Buchholz]

.

She said every polling station would have one director, three officials and one police to ensure a free and fair election.

.

.

Also present at every polling station today.....

.

.

Red Shirt Leader Thida announced that 10,000 Red Shirts would be sent out to monitor all 6,548 polling stations for the Bangkok Governor election.

She also said that "rapid deployment teams" would be dispatched immediately to any polling area suspected of having anomalies.

.

. Edited March 3, 2013 by Buchholz

[Pimay1]

Meanwhile, Police Lt-General Thaweesak Toochinda, chairman of the EC's Bangkok office,

Police, chairman, EC. Enough said.

[Thai at Heart]

The BMA has spent Bt175 million in campaigning for a high voter turnout.

How does it cost 6mn usd to do this?

[dcutman]

we are using a lot of police personnel and volunteers in a bid to
prevent fraud.

I think the EC could have made a better choice of personnel. Or is it a Chinese holiday today?

[Buchholz]

Meanwhile, Police Lt-General Thaweesak Toochinda, chairman of the EC's Bangkok office,

Police, chairman, EC. Enough said.

.

What also could be said was the kid's gloves treatment extended to two different returning fugitives that Police Major-General Thaweesak provided when was Head of Immigration Police at the airport five years ago.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/27/thai.thaksin/

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/INTERNATIONAL%3A+Ousted+PM%27s+wife+is+arrested%3B+THAILAND.-a0173178382

,

Edited March 3, 2013 by Buchholz

[Locationthailand]

Let's just wait for the unbiased results. Classic comment - 10,000 red shirts will 'monitor'. More like intimidate.

[dominique355]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

My neighbors have just been visited by Pheu Thai people handing out THB 100 for their vote.

Where is all this money coming from?

[Buchholz]

Let's just wait for the unbiased results. Classic comment - 10,000 red shirts will 'monitor'. More like intimidate.

.

I'm intrigued by Red Shirt Thida's Rapid Deployment Teams who will also be present today.

Hopefully she didn't use this training syllabus for them at her Red Shirt school.

.

[rubl]

Didn't really pay attention, but it has been raining heavily for about half an hour now.

Might effect voter turnout :-)

[samran]

Vote early, vote often.

And strangely enough, I can't. Find myself out of the country today and there didn't appear to be any early polling for me to attend last week. Have a feeling in my bones that the reds will win today and the Dems will have time for some much needed soul searching.

[geriatrickid]

Let's just wait for the unbiased results. Classic comment - 10,000 red shirts will 'monitor'. More like intimidate.

Really? You don't think if some redshirt were to "intimidate" the voter while in the private voting area would not exact some vengeance?

You are living in fantasyland. The redshirts cannot enter polling stations, nor are they able to see how people are voting.

I can't wait to see the excuses you will offer up if the PTP candidate wins.

[geriatrickid]

Didn't really pay attention, but it has been raining heavily for about half an hour now.

Might effect voter turnout :-)

The wealthy Democrats will have their drivers take them to the polls and hold the umbrellas so their expensive hardos are not damaged.

Ok? So no need to worry.

[geriatrickid]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

My neighbors have just been visited by Pheu Thai people handing out THB 100 for their vote.

Where is all this money coming from?

oooo 100 baht. That's quite the largesse. I think that gets a chicken sandwich at Subway.

[Robby nz]

Just turned on the Tele, it was on ch6 a govt channel and they were showing the inside of a polling place with people waiting to vote.

In the background was a large poster with Yingluck's picture on it.

Is this legal?

[rubl]

I guess I should not be amazed that a simple weather update gets a nasty reply. Political subjects tend to raise tempers.

Well, anyway rain stopped now and my TOT internet connection was only down for 10 minutes. Not bad. Watching from the balcony I some some voters trickle by. First they have to go through the list of registered voters it seems. Even with a few sub-stations here that's slow work.

[samran]

Let's just wait for the unbiased results. Classic comment - 10,000 red shirts will 'monitor'. More like intimidate.

Really? You don't think if some redshirt were to "intimidate" the voter while in the private voting area would not exact some vengeance?

You are living in fantasyland. The redshirts cannot enter polling stations, nor are they able to see how people are voting.

I can't wait to see the excuses you will offer up if the PTP candidate wins.

I've voted enough in Thailand to know that the ballot box is pretty private.

[OzMick]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

My neighbors have just been visited by Pheu Thai people handing out THB 100 for their vote.

Where is all this money coming from?

oooo 100 baht. That's quite the largesse. I think that gets a chicken sandwich at Subway.

Does the relevant statute specify how large a bribe must be to be illegal? Is your price higher?

[OzMick]

Just turned on the Tele, it was on ch6 a govt channel and they were showing the inside of a polling place with people waiting to vote.

In the background was a large poster with Yingluck's picture on it.

Is this legal?

Since when has PTP worried about electoral law? Getting the most votes is the game, how you get them is irrelevant.

[DocN]

I just heard, it's gonna rain a bit today.

So many people will not go out to vote....

[Pimay1]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

My neighbors have just been visited by Pheu Thai people handing out THB 100 for their vote.

Where is all this money coming from?

oooo 100 baht. That's quite the largesse. I think that gets a chicken sandwich at Subway.

Does the relevant statute specify how large a bribe must be to be illegal? Is your price higher?

Could be to pay taxi fare to the polling station. No a bribe, or vote buying, just a gift as Chalerm indicated.

[Buchholz]

.

Curious to see if Thaksin will avail himself of his opportunity to vote today in Bangkok.

His name showed up at the Bang Phlat district voter list and the Election Commission has said that since he completed his five year banishment from politics for committing electoral fraud, he was eligible to vote.

.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Buchholz

[h90]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

And that there was NO election in the last 20 years without vote buying.

[rubl]

Started to rain again in my part of Bangkok. As I saw queues buildup and people coming on foot or by motorcy just before, the election results of this particular district may clearly by effected. As some poster remarked Dem's are chauffeur driven I fear this district 5 may today vote in a Dem's candidate

Of course the fact that in July 2011 the Pheu Thai candidate won by a slim margin and we had about 5% 'no votes' / invalid votes is totally besides the point. The people responsable for cloud seeding and rain making are clearly and obviously to blame if something goes wrong

[Pimay1]

.

Curious to see if Thaksin will avail himself of his opportunity to vote today in Bangkok.

His name showed up at the Bang Phlat district voter list and the Election Commission has said that since he completed his five year banishment from politics for committing electoral fraud, he was eligible to vote.

.

Can he vote by Skype?

[h90]

"Thaweesak said yesterday that he did not think any candidate would resort to vote-buying to win the election."

Does he realize this is Thailand and that is the main attraction for votes.

My neighbors have just been visited by Pheu Thai people handing out THB 100 for their vote.

Where is all this money coming from?

He got cheated....the rate is 300-500 Baht.

[bigbamboo]

Just turned on the Tele, it was on ch6 a govt channel and they were showing the inside of a polling place with people waiting to vote.

In the background was a large poster with Yingluck's picture on it.

Is this legal?

Stop complaining. It's only there to cover up the poster of Thaksin underneath.

[Robby nz]

Just turned on the Tele, it was on ch6 a govt channel and they were showing the inside of a polling place with people waiting to vote.

In the background was a large poster with Yingluck's picture on it.

Is this legal?

Stop complaining. It's only there to cover up the poster of Thaksin underneath.

Not a complaint mate an observation and a question.