3 Bangkokians in trouble for mishandling their ballot papers

Khajit Chatwanit, a clerk with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said voting in the first half of the day was relatively smooth except for these three cases.

A voter in Suan Luang district was caught tearing up his ballot paper for Bangkok governor, while another – a 65-year-old man in Samphanthawong district – said he tore his ballot paper up because he did not want it to be misused. The third offender was caught crumpling up his ballot paper at a polling station in Klong Toei district.

Khajit did not name the offenders, but said the two who had torn up their ballot papers will be interrogated, while the third man was reprimanded and his crumpled ballot put in the relevant box.

Meanwhile, the first two offenders will be fined 5,000 baht each if police believe they did not have any bad intentions. However, if they are found guilty of trying to influence the results, they will be tried in court and may face a maximum fine of 100,000 baht and/or a jail term. They will also be struck off the voters’ list for 10 years.

Separately, one voter in Sai Mai district complained that he had forgotten to pick up one of the two ballot papers. Voters get to use two ballot papers in this election – one for the Bangkok governor and another for a councillor.