Village Election Delayed Over One Year Amid Ghost Names in Registry
A village in Kham Khuean Kaew district has gone without a headman for over 15 months after election delays triggered by 37 ghost names discovered in the household registry, with authorities struggling to resolve the fraudulent registrations
On July 21, 2026, a candidate for village headman submitted documents requesting that the Kham Khuean Kaew district chief accelerate efforts to install new village leadership in Moo 5, Song Phuea Subdistrict, which has operated without a headman for more than a year. Virat Klobklin, a resident of Kok Saaad Village, explained that the previous headman's term ended in early 2025, with a new election scheduled for April 30, 2025, attracting two candidates including himself. However, during verification, he discovered 37 ghost names—deceased or fictitious persons—had been added to the village household registry. He submitted a complaint to the district office requesting investigation, but received no response. On April 25, 2025, he led residents to the district office demanding updates, though the district chief delegated the matter to Deputy District Officer Ekaphop Medharm.
The deputy later informed Virat that 22 names had been removed from the rolls, leaving 15 unexplained. Virat said he had also filed a complaint with the Good Governance Center, which extended the investigation deadline by 60 days, but no progress materialized. Now, more than 15 months have passed with no election scheduled. Virat further noted that during the recent Tambon Song Phuea municipal election, the remaining ghost names were still active on voting rolls, and the winning margin was only a few votes. He urged the district and relevant agencies to resolve the ghost name issue and hold the village headman election without further delay.
