70% of Thais clueless about upcoming senatorial elections

A recent poll has revealed that nearly a quarter of Thais are unaware of the upcoming senatorial elections, and an astonishing 70% do not understand the new election system.

As the nation gears up for elections scheduled from June 9 to 26, where thousands of candidates will vote among themselves to elect 200 senators, this revelation highlights a significant gap in public awareness and understanding.

The poll, conducted by King Prajadhipok’s Institute on May 7 and 18, surveyed 1,620 Thais over the age of 18. The results, published today, indicate a worrying lack of knowledge about the elections.

The findings show that 76.5% of respondents are aware of the election, leaving 23.5% uninformed. However, only 28.5% correctly understand that candidates will vote among themselves in the election process.

“There’s a significant knowledge gap. 21.5% of people mistakenly believe the election involves candidates from different occupation groups, and 15.5% think the public will cast votes directly,” the report noted.

A concerning 34.7% admitted they have no idea how the new voting system operates. Age and education significantly influence these misconceptions. About 30% of those over 60 answered correctly, whereas 73.9% of individuals aged 18 to 25 were either clueless or misunderstood the process.

Moreover, 79.3% of respondents with only an elementary education were unaware of how the election works, compared to 35.4% of those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher who answered correctly.

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The upcoming election will have candidates voting at three levels: district on June 9, provincial on June 16, and national on June 26. This new 200-member Senate will replace the current 250-member Senate, appointed by the junta after the 2014 coup, whose tenure ended on May 10. These appointed senators continue to serve in a caretaker role until the new Senate is elected, reported The Nation.

As the elections approach, the poll underscores the urgent need for better public education on the electoral process to ensure a well-informed electorate.

In related news, former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat made a surprise appearance at the Chiang Mai district office at 9am on Tuesday, May 21, marking the opening of senatorial candidate registrations.