No Corners Left to Punch – Election Protests from 1957 to 2026

The government formation led by Bhumjaithai Party with 193 parliamentary seats should have been smooth for Anutin Charnvirakul's potential second term as Prime Minister. But election vote counting protests have emerged in numerous areas including Chonburi, Pathum Thani, Maha Sarakham, Chanthaburi, Phichit, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Samut Prakan, Suphan Buri, and extending to Pattani and Narathiwat. Protesters have gathered at polling stations and election centers, filing complaints with provincial election commissions. The situation has escalated to the point where the Election Commission's ability to quickly certify results is in question. Problems began with dashboard vote count reporting suddenly stopping for 2-3 suspicious hours, followed by irregularities like unsecured ballot boxes, missing vote counting documents, and power outages during vote tallying. Academic experts like Parinya Thewanorimit have warned the Election Commission to rapidly address these concerns to prevent comparisons with the notorious 1957 'dirty election'.