Former Senate Candidate Exposes Vote-Buying Scheme in Election
A former Phuket senate candidate testified that a People's Power Party operative organized votes and arranged accommodation for candidates ahead of the 2023 Senate election, directing them to wear yellow shirts and surrender documents at a
On July 26, 2025, the Opposition Bloc Committee held a forum at Parliament titled "Two Years After Senate Election: Deep Dive into Vote-Buying Case Evidence (Part 2)," led by Priset Watchrasisindhu, with participation from academics, civil society, and former senate candidates.
Police Colonel Somyos Seehahbuea, a former candidate from Phuket's Group 15, testified that after passing the provincial selection round, he booked a flight for June 19, 2023, to prepare for the national-level selection on June 26. However, between June 21-22, another candidate told him that Wongsakorn Chankij, a former House candidate from Phuket's District 2 representing People's Power Party, had arranged the flights and hotels. Somyos was told to submit his ID copy to Wongsakorn's team, and he was transported with approximately 10 others to Siam Paragon, then to a hotel in the Sathorn area, including a boat dinner.
On June 24, Wongsakorn's team directed the candidates to a hotel via Future Park without initially revealing the location, later directing them to Grand Thara Hotel in Pathum Thani. At the hotel, candidates from Phang Nga, Phuket, and Krabi met separately by province, where they were given ballot numbers for the first round and cross-voting numbers. They were instructed to wear yellow shirts with loyalty symbols and to surrender their senate documents to Wongsakorn's team for later collection at Muang Thong Thani. Somyos refused to surrender his documents and objected to the organized structure. When candidate Suphsakdi questioned why he wasn't selected as a representative, he was told it was due to computer randomization—a claim Somyos disputed as unlawful party interference.
