BANGKOK, Thailand – The Songkhla Provincial Election Commission Office has clarified that registration for advance voting outside one’s constituency is separate from registration for out-of-district referendum voting, following a case in which a voter was unable to cast a referendum ballot due to not being registered under the required procedure.
On February 8, 2026, an incident was reported in which a member of the public arrived at an out-of-district referendum polling station and found that their name did not appear on the official voter list, resulting in a loss of voting eligibility for the referendum.
Thanakrit Nakcharupong, Director of the Songkhla Provincial Election Commission Office, explained that the matter stemmed from a misunderstanding. He noted that advance election registration outside one’s constituency is conducted separately from out-of-district referendum registration, as the two processes fall under different legal frameworks and require separate registration procedures. Officials have already clarified the facts with the voter involved.
He added that citizens who are unable to travel to exercise their voting or referendum rights may submit a notification of absence through the channels provided by the Election Commission for public convenience.
Meanwhile, Deputy Songkhla Governor Sangkom Koetkor encouraged all eligible voters to participate fully in both the election and referendum at their designated polling stations in support of Thailand’s democratic process under the constitutional monarchy. (NNT)
