The public should closely monitor the Bangkok and Pattaya elections on June 28 to help ensure transparency, fairness and confidence in the voting process, civil society groups say.
Speaking at a forum titled "Watching Transparency in the Bangkok and Pattaya Elections" at Thammasat University's Faculty of Law on Sunday, academics and election monitoring organisations urged greater public participation in observing voting, vote counting and result reporting.
The event brought together Assoc Prof Prinya Thaewanarumitkul of Thammasat University, former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, data scientist Thuntee Sukchotrat, We Watch director Pongsak Chan-on, and iLaw manager Yingcheep Atchanont.
Assoc Prof Prinya said concerns over transparency had intensified following questions raised about previous elections, making public scrutiny essential to maintaining trust in democratic processes.
He said vote counting should be conducted openly and in full view of the public.
While election laws require vote counting to be conducted in public, practical barriers have sometimes limited public observation, leading to complaints and suspicions over the handling of ballots, he said.
Mr Pongsak from We Watch, which monitors elections before, during and after polling day and trains volunteers to observe voting procedures and collect field data for independent analysis, said citizen participation was crucial to safeguarding the poll's integrity.
He highlighted several issues from the 2022 Bangkok and Pattaya elections that showed the importance of monitoring.
These included reports of ballots being removed from polling stations, damaged ballot papers and disputes over vote-counting procedures.
This year, Mr Pongsak said observers would be monitoring concerns about the neutrality of some polling station personnel in Bangkok, as well as the growing use of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to spread misinformation and discredit candidates.
Pattaya's election will also draw scrutiny following problems during the 2022 poll, including missing ballot papers and irregularities that resulted in delays to the announcement of results and repeat voting at some polling stations.
The panellists encouraged residents to follow the election process closely and monitor vote counting and the reporting of results.
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