Thailand’s Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has crossed a dangerous line. By filing a police complaint against citizens who observed vote counting during a Bangkok revote, the country’s election management body risks transforming itself from a constitutional referee into a litigant against public scrutiny — a move that bears the hallmarks of a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP.

The Election Commission (EC) is facing mounting criticism from legal groups, media organisations, politicians and an academic after filing a criminal complaint against six individuals over allegations linked to photographing ballot papers and attempting to decode QR codes during a Bangkok re-run vote. The EC lodged a complaint on Feb 25 with the Central Investigation Bureau over incidents at polling unit 9 in constituency 15 in Khan Na Yao during a Feb 22 re-vote.

Scenes of residents sleeping overnight to guard ballot boxes unfolded in Chon Buri Constituency 1 following a tightly contested general election, amid allegations of irregularities and calls for a recount that the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) says could meet the legal threshold under election law. The constituency has emerged as one of the most disputed races in the election, pitting Suchart Chomklin, a former MP from the Bhumjaithai Party backed by a powerful local political network, against Warot Sirirak of the People’s Party.

The Election Commission (EC) has rejected a recount request in Chon Buri Constituency 1, ruling that the alleged irregularities do not meet the legal threshold required to affect the election outcome. Under election law, the EC may order a recount if there is credible evidence that irregularities could change the result. The Commission said that standard was not met in Chon Buri.

กกต. 5 คน ที่ปฏิบัติหน้าที่อยู่ก่อนถึงวันเลือกตั้งและประชามติ 2569 มีที่มาแบบ “ไฮบริด”ระหว่าง กกต. สายมรดก “ลายพราง” จากยุคคสช. กับ กกต. สายเงา “สีน้ำเงิน”