Celebration Ends in Confusion: Electoral Commission Accused of Manipulating Mayoral Election Results

On February 16, 2024, at the Electoral Commission office in Kanchanaburi province, former Mayor Vattana Chiangtong and his supporters staged a protest over the mayoral election results from May 2023. Initially winning by 2 votes, Vattana was shocked when his opponent's vote count mysteriously increased to tie the election, forcing a draw by lot which he ultimately lost. Vattana pointed out irregularities in the vote count, noting that his opponent's votes increased from 195 to 196 without additional vote marks or committee signatures. Despite filing complaints for over 7 months, he has received no response from the provincial Electoral Commission. The local Electoral Commission representative claimed an investigation has been conducted and all documents have been forwarded to the central Election Commission for review, but no details have been disclosed.