Thailand is scheduled to hold its first ever Senate election under the current constitution next month to replace the outgoing 250 Senators appointed by the military junta. Nevertheless, this unprecedented election process is viewed as the most complicated yet.

<p>Election banners have become a leading campaign gimmick in the gubernatorial race. In response to criticism that the plastic banners are wasteful relics from the pre-digital era, some candidates have come up with &lsquo;green&rsquo; alternatives, like shrinking banners or promising to recycle them after the vote is over.&nbsp;</p>

<div> <div>The recently-dismissed Election Commissioner has said that the upcoming general election might be invalidated due to legal ambiguity and conflicts of authority between the junta and the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT).</div> <div> </div> <div>On 25 March 2018, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, a former member of the ECT, posted on Facebook a prediction that two problematic issues could lead to the nullification of the long-awaited election. </div></div>

<div> <div>In the aftermath of mourning for the late King, a provincial governor has faced a furious protest for his failure in organising a local cremation ceremony while the junta’s organic laws have caused public concern.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>After the royal cremation on 26 October, King Maha Vajiralongkorn allowed the cremation site to be open to the public throughout November. </div></div>

<div> <div> <div> <div>90 members of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) face dismissal for breaching the constitution, according to the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT).&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>On 4 July 2017, the ECT initiated an <a href="https://prachatai.com/journal/2017/07/72259">investigation into 90 members</a> of the NLA over alleged conflict of interest in their stock holdings. If found guilty, they will be dismissed for breaching the 2017 Constitution. </div></div></div></div>

<div> <div>New regulations on political parties have sparked debate over whether these will make parties more responsive to voters, or whether they will kill off many of Thailand’s current parties.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 7 December 2016, the Constitution Drafting Committee published the first draft of the Organic Act on Elections, a reform of regulations on political parties that comes under the new junta-backed constitution. </div></div>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai Election Commissioner has confirmed the junta can legally dissolve parliament to resolve gridlock during the process of selecting a new Prime Minister, but questions whether such drastic measures would be worth it.</p>

<div>The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) has refused to recount ballots after the August 7 draft charter referendum despite reports of various polling irregularities. </div>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai authorities threatened to sue a human rights institute of one of Thailand’s leading universities over infographics about the public referendum on the draft charter.</p>

<p>After a stand-off with anti-junta activists over leaflets criticising the junta-sponsored draft charter, the Thai authorities say that the leaflets cannot be distributed as they distort facts about the draft.</p> <p>Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), on Thursday afternoon, 14 July 2016, told the media after a meeting with the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) that leaflets entitled ‘7 Reasons Not to Accept the Draft Constitution’ are not allowed to be distributed.</p>

<div> <div>An Election Commissioner has claimed that the public inclination to self-censoring their opinions on the charter draft because of a climate of fear was not the commission’s fault, adding that if people want to know exactly what they can or cannot do during the referendum, they had better ask the junta.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Thursday, 30 June 2016, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, a commissioner of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), told the media at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand that the Commission never suppressed a free discussion on the draft charter or the A </div></div>

<p>Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn has attempted to put the kibosh on plans by the UDD to monitor the upcoming referendum.&nbsp; That much was entirely predictable.&nbsp; What was more surprising was the legal justification that he gave for saying that they couldn’t do it.</p> <p>He is reported to have said that the Referendum Act did not expressly permit it.&nbsp;</p> <p>But saying so you can’t do something if the law doesn’t explicitly permit you to do it – that’s complete bullshit.&nbsp;</p>