Election Commission Charges 28 Party-List Candidates with Ineligibility
The Election Commission is prosecuting 28 party-list candidates who knowingly ran despite lacking qualifications, facing up to 10 years in prison and 20-year voting rights revocation.
The Election Commission has decided to prosecute 28 party-list parliamentary candidates who knowingly ran despite lacking qualifications, with voting rights revoked for 20 years. On September 3, 2026, the Election Commission Office announced its decision following its 51st meeting held on Thursday, June 4, 2026, to examine criminal proceedings against ineligible party-list candidates under Section 151 of the Organic Act on Elections of Members of the House of Representatives, B.E. 2561, and amendments thereto.
The commission voted to pursue criminal charges against 28 party-list candidates (none of whom currently serve as members of parliament) on the charge of knowingly consenting to nomination by their political parties despite being aware they lacked the qualifications or possessed characteristics that disqualified them from running as party-list candidates under Section 151 of the Organic Act.
Section 151 prescribes penalties of imprisonment from 1 to 10 years and fines of 20,000 to 200,000 baht. Courts are authorized to order the revocation of the offenders' voting rights for a period of 20 years.
