PATTAYA, Thailand – The atmosphere at polling stations in Chonburi’s Constituencies 8 and 9 was lively on Sunday morning, Feb 8, as voters — including several prominent figures — turned out early to cast their ballots in the MP election and national referendum.
At Polling Unit 15 in Constituency 9, located at St. Nicholas Church in Pattaya’s Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet arrived to vote in the parliamentary election and take part in the referendum. He was listed as voter number 593 at the station.
Accompanying him was his daughter, Saruda Ngampichet, who was voting for the first time in her life. She said she felt excited to take part in the election and encouraged young people to exercise their voting rights, noting that the process was simple and offered an important opportunity to help shape the country’s future.
After casting his ballot, Mayor Poramet urged the public to turn out and vote, stressing the importance of the election amid recent political instability. He said the country had seen three prime ministers within just over two years, resulting in a lack of policy continuity that had affected national development efforts.
He added that rapid changes in both the domestic and global economy made consistent and stable governance essential, and called on voters to express their will by choosing political parties and candidates to lead the country, while also playing a role in holding the government accountable.
Mayor Poramet also emphasized that Pattaya, as a key economic city, requires continued support from the central government to ensure effective local administration and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, at Polling Unit 19 at Wat Nong Ket Yai in Nong Pla Lai subdistrict, Banglamung district, Pol. Col. Nithat Waenpradap, Deputy Commander of the Investigation Division of Provincial Police Region 2, also turned out to vote in the MP election and referendum. He was listed as voter number 120.
Election officials said voter turnout during the morning hours reflected strong public engagement in both the parliamentary election and the national referendum across the Pattaya and Banglamung areas.
