Labour Leader Claims Certain Victory in Social Security Board Election

Panas Thailan, chairman of the Thai Labour Organisations Council and former appointed board member of the Social Security Office, declared on September 25 that his faction will win the board election with near-certainty, dismissing the prospect of losing to a union of 500,000 members. In an interview on the Garmor News programme, Thailan acknowledged that his campaign strategy is orchestrated rather than organic, explaining that union leaders and committee members from factories with set membership numbers are told how many workers will definitely vote for his slate.

Thailan oversees 13 labour councils across Thailand, each managing 10 to 30 factories, and his own council alone manages 287 factories. He confirmed that he has been laying groundwork for months, including the distribution of QR codes and designated voting locations. On election day—September 27—Thailan plans to hold a union assembly from 9 a.m. to noon at Prasatthong Subdistrict Municipality in Bang Pa-in district, Ayutthaya province, where he will have seven representatives discuss policy positions before attendees proceed to vote that afternoon.

When asked whether holding a large assembly where members are told candidate numbers on the same day voting begins constitutes illegal campaigning, Thailan rejected the suggestion, arguing that union assemblies are entitled to present candidate platforms and that workers are free to vote as they choose. He further contended that there is no rule prohibiting such conduct on election day and compared his approach favourably to political parties sending teams to campaign. Thailan insisted there is no legal risk and dismissed concerns, stating he has been involved in elections for 50 years and knows the rules.