Natthaphong and Suchart trade barbs as Chon Buri recount calls grow

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut on Tuesday raised concerns over alleged irregularities in Chon Buri’s Constituency 1 election count, while Suchart Chomklin of the Bhumjaithai Party—who led the unofficial tally—hit back, comparing the People’s Party to “children throwing a tantrum for sweets”.

The exchange came after People’s Party supporters staged protests demanding a recount in Chon Buri Constituency 1.

Natthaphong: defeat is acceptable, “cheating” is not

Natthaphong said his party could accept losing an election, but not alleged vote rigging.

“Everyone can accept defeat, but we cannot accept cheating. So Khun Suchart—or anyone else—should be calling for the same thing: ensuring the election is transparent. The simplest decision is to hold a recount,” Natthaphong said.

He said Pongsathorn Sornphetnarin, deputy secretary-general of the People’s Party, had been assigned to monitor the situation in Chon Buri, and that party staff had been dispatched to join local observers.

Natthaphong said suspicions were raised after a tally sheet was reportedly found discarded in a rubbish bin.

“It should not have happened and it’s not right. I would like to thank the people for coming out to defend their rights and votes, and the People’s Party is ready to defend the rights and votes of all people as well,” he said.

He called on the Election Commission (EC) to build public confidence by ordering recounts—either across Chon Buri or nationwide.

Natthaphong also rejected Suchart’s claim that the party orchestrated protests.

“I affirm that no single party leader acted as the lead figure in organising protests. We are extremely cautious to ensure the other side—or even Suchart—cannot twist the issue. Statements like that are unfair to the people,” he said.

Suchart: “tantrum” politics, and a demand for accountability

Suchart, who is caretaker deputy prime minister and minister of natural resources and environment, said “spiritual leaders” of the People’s Party had used social media to incite protests in Chon Buri.

He said he believed the result was clean, noting that Constituency 1 has 168 polling stations and that vote counting at all stations was monitored by party representatives, who could have objected if they had seen wrongdoing.

Suchart said he led the count with 45,700 votes, while the People’s Party candidate received about 41,000—an advantage of more than 5,000 votes.

“This is a refusal to accept the result, and it should not happen in an election,” he said.

On the reported tally sheet found in a bin, Suchart said that if it were genuine it should carry the signatures of election officials. He said the People’s Party should file a formal complaint or take legal action, rather than mobilising protests.

He also denied vote-buying allegations after images circulated of his campaign cards alongside cash, saying he had distributed up to 300,000 cards and rivals could have used them to frame him.

“It’s like a child who wants sweets, hasn’t got any yet, and throws a tantrum demanding them. How can you run the country like that? In other constituencies in Chon Buri, rival parties won and my party lost by only a few hundred votes, yet we haven’t demanded anything—despite not seeing any counting of advance ballots anywhere either,” Suchart said.

What are “jumping ballots” and why they matter?

One allegation cited by the People’s Party involves discrepancies between the number of voters who signed in at polling stations and the number of ballots found in ballot boxes—known in Thai as “butr khayeng” or “jumping ballots”.

In many cases, critics suspect pre-marked ballots were added to inflate totals for a candidate or party, though authorities have previously cited administrative errors as a cause in some instances.

“Jumping ballots” in past Thai elections

2005 election (2548)

Discrepancies were found in both constituency and party-list counts, totalling 35 ballots.

2007 election (2550)

A discrepancy of six ballots was found in the proportional system. Constituency totals could not be conclusively summarised due to the complex numbered-ballot system.

2019 election (2562)

The term gained wide attention after the 2019 election. The EC said voter turnout figures did not match ballot totals, producing “jumping ballots”. Subsequent checks in some areas found irregularities, leading to recounts in certain locations and fresh elections in others.

2023 election (2566)

The issue resurfaced, especially in Bangkok and the surrounding metropolitan area. The EC acknowledged mismatched figures at multiple polling stations and ordered recounts to ensure transparency.

2026 election (2569)

Reports have emerged in several areas, including Chon Buri (Constituency 1), Sakon Nakhon (Constituency 1), Phayao, Khon Kaen, and Lampang.

• Chon Buri, Constituency 1: Students and members of the public protested outside the provincial EC office after a power outage during counting and reports of discrepancies at some polling stations. There were also claims that ballot boxes were kept in a vehicle.
• Sakon Nakhon, Constituency 1: A discrepancy of more than 100 ballots was reported (votes exceeding the number of voters). The EC initially said confusion may have arisen while counting three ballots simultaneously, prompting a recount order.
• Phayao: Seven “jumping ballots” were reported, with the EC investigating whether polling officials made an error.
• Khon Kaen, Constituency 3, and Lampang, Constituency 2: The People’s Party requested special scrutiny after unusually high numbers of invalid ballots were recorded. In Lampang Constituency 2, more than 7,000 invalid ballots were reported, along with mismatches in some units between voter sign-in figures and ballot totals.