Bangkok, March 29-“Free Thai Union” calls on the Election Commission and the Election Commission to seriously facilitate the election of Thais outside the Kingdom.
Mr. Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, President of Strategy for Policy Driving The Seri Ruam Thai Party demanded the Chairman of the Election Commission (ECT) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Accelerate facilitation for Thai people abroad. Register to vote outside the Kingdom due to the number of Thai people abroad According to the report of the Department of Consular Affairs In January 2023 is 1,385,157 people, about 1 million people are expected to vote, which the general election on March 24, 2019 held elections outside the Kingdom in 67 countries with 101,003 voters, representing 84.71 percent of 119,2302 registered voters from the above numbers Therefore, it can be seen that if there is a system to facilitate people registering and exercising their rights The number of people exercising their rights can increase several times more than in 2019.
Mr. Somchai said that for the general election that will take place on May 14, 2023, there is a problem that the Election Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs do not make every effort to allow people to exercise their right to vote conveniently. First, a system to facilitate electronic registration. That requires evidence of both a valid ID card and passport. In this case, there are a number of Thai people who have problems with expired documents. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should create a special channel to facilitate the preparation of new documents and have a Q&A system on the registered website. that can answer questions Not asked, told to call 1444 to ask the Election Commission of Thailand itself.
“Every country should There are channels for exercising rights through all channels, including can exercise rights at the embassy at mobile polling stations and postal vote, and demonstrated a sensitive and serious approach to voting. with a good example The Thai embassy in Washington has given up to 3 days, Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April 2023, for people to be able to come and exercise their rights at the embassy. and there is a channel for postal elections By returning to the embassy by May 2, 2023, but there are still some embassies that emphasize their own convenience, such as the Thai Embassy in Brussels. and Thai Consulate in Luxembourg Set the exercise date at the embassy for only one day and it is still a working day. That is Tuesday, April 25, 2023. There is a mobile polling station at a Thai temple in Belgium on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, and there is no mail-in voting channel, ”said Somchai.
Mr. Somchai said that the election laws and election regulations Opportunity for elections outside the Kingdom Points can be counted at the embassy. to solve the problem of sending the card back to the country And there is more time in the election, so the ministry does not have to rush work and can provide more convenience to the people. He therefore urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to arrange for a vote counting at the embassy in a country that was ready instead of sending the card back which had a problem with returning the card in time. become a bad card which, if the Election Commission proceeds as requested It will make the election of Thai people outside the Kingdom worth the budget spent hundreds of millions of baht. Not just saying that it has been arranged only.-Thai News Agency
Source: Thai News Agency