Thailand: Polling Concludes, Move Forward Party Takes Lead As Counting Underway

Thailand EC has started counting votes after the general election, which concluded at 5 pm on Sunday, with the 'Move Forward Party' leading in both constituencies, party-list competition.

Thai polling station observers count votes at a polling station at Wat That Thong on May 14, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. Millions of Thai voters are expected to cast ballots in Thailand's General Election. (Representational Image)

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Thailand's Election Commission (EC) is now counting votes after the general election ended at 5 pm on Sunday, with the 'Move Forward Party' leading in both constituency and party-list competitions, according to the Bangkok Post. According to the Bangkok Post, the Move Forward Party had taken the lead in both the constituency and party-list competitions as of 7:44 pm (Local Time), followed by the Pheu Thai Party and the Bhumjaithai Party.

According to Bangkok Post, citing the EC, the election results are still being tallied, and the unofficial results are expected to be available around 11 pm. According to CNN, the election is the first since the country's youth-led a mass pro-democracy protest in 2020, and the second since a military coup in 2014 deposed an elected government.

After a youth-led mass pro-democracy protest in 2020, voters are expected to hand ex-army chief and coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha a resounding defeat. This protest was primarily motivated by a desire for change and a rejection of the traditionalist, royalist establishment.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed by a military coup in 2006, has run for prime minister alongside property tycoon Srettha Thavisin and former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, according to CNN. Her father was deposed by a military coup in 2006. Eight years later, her aunt's government met a similar fate.

Paetongtarn, 36, was announced as one of three prime ministerial candidates for the upcoming May election by the opposition Pheu Thai party in April, alongside property tycoon Srettha Thavisin and former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri.

Thailand's incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former army chief, seized power from the Pheu Thai government in 2014 after Paetongtarn's aunt Yingluck was deposed in a contentious court ruling, according to CNN. Paetongtarn appears to be returning to exact revenge on Prayut in this election.

According to CNN, 50 million Thais are thought to have turned out to elect 500 members to Thailand's bicameral system, which was heavily rejigged through a new constitution written by the military that seized power nine years ago.