The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) deployed small teams of election observers to monitor the elections in Bangkok, Thailand on 28 June 2026. Bangkok voters headed to the polls to elect the capital's governor and members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council. Pattaya voters simultaneously went to the polls to elect the
Key Recommendations Ahead of the Bangkok Gubernatorial and Metropolitan Council Elections Overview On 28 June 2026, Bangkok voters will head to the polls to elect both the Governor of Bangkok and the 14th Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC). While public attention often focuses on the gubernatorial race, the BMC plays a critical role
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) has been monitoring electoral developments and the state of democracy in key areas in Asia where actions to push back against democratic backsliding have been noted. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, ANFREL deployed international election observation missions to elections in Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal
Executive Summary On 8 February 2026, Thailand reached a significant political milestone as voters simultaneously participated in a general election and a constitutional referendum for the first time in the country’s history. The elections produced a government with the strongest electoral mandate since the 2014 military coup and marked the first parliamentary
In Season 03 Episode 04 "The Election Observer" podcast, the Asian Network for Free Elections discusses necessary institutional reforms and improvements in civil liberties towards empowered electoral and democratic participation and engagement of citizens. Joining us are Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, central chairperson of National Election Observation Committee and Mr. Pongsak Chan-on,
As an international election observation organization committed to strengthening the integrity, transparency, and credibility of electoral processes, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) notes the ongoing public debate in Thailand regarding barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers used in the 2026 Thai Parliamentary Elections and expresses serious concern over potential
Executive Summary The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) deployed 24 international observers in 31 provinces across Thailand to observe the campaign period, advance voting, and Election Day of the 2026 Thai parliamentary elections and constitutional referendum. According to preliminary results, over 36 million Thai citizens participated in voting on 1 and
Overview Thailand will hold a snap election for the 500-seat House of Representatives on Sunday, 8 February 2026, following the royal-approved dissolution of Parliament on 12 December 2025 – a move that placed the country under a caretaker period and triggered an election within the constitutional timeframe. The same day, voters will
https://www.youtube.com/live/yOo35vMTyFA?si=XwvXbCwYhYQr_aja The Asian Network for Free Elections is hosting a two-part webinar on political rights and movements in Southeast Asia. The first and second parts of the webinar will be on 17 and 24 October 2025, respectively. For the first part, ANFREL executive council member Asiath Rilweena and Professor Duncan McCargo will
The election of 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra is a noteworthy development in Thailand's political landscape. Her rise to the position of Prime Minister not only highlights her family's ongoing influence but also contributes to increased female representation at the highest levels of government. At 37, she has become the youngest and only the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) organized a two-day training workshop in Thailand about strengthening civil society collaboration towards building a comprehensive electoral reform strategy, 18-19 July 2024. Various CSO representatives participated in a series of workshops to help identify priority electoral reform agenda in the country. They were able to
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is looking for a Program Associate for Thailand Program. The position is for six months and renewable subject to funding availability. ANFREL is looking for a Thai national who holds a bachelor's degree in social sciences or related fields. Experience in NGO work in the
The Asian Network for Free Elections and We Watch organized "From Ballot Box to Democracy: Public Forum on Electoral Reforms in Thailand" on Monday, 18 December 2023 highlighting the need for a more inclusive and transparent election. ANFREL and We Watch hosted two panel discussions on "Lessons from electoral reform in Asia"
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and We Watch are hosting a public forum on electoral reforms in Thailand on Monday, 18 December 2023. After the 2023 Thai General Election, "From Ballot Box to Democracy: Public Forum on Electoral Reforms in Thailand" will bring together election observation groups, civil society and
Press Release14 July 2023 BERSIH expresses our deep concern and disappointment that Mr Pita Limjaroenrat, whose coalition parties received more than 60% of party-list votes, is blocked by military-appointed Senators from becoming Prime Minister in the first vote. Such affront to the voice of the Thai people is irresponsible and is destabilising
ANFREL released its interim statement and report on the 2023 Thai General Election and 2023 Timor-Leste Parliamentary Elections while ANFREL member organizations selected a new set of officers and members to the ANFREL Executive Council during the second quarter of 2023. ANFREL conducted international election observation missions to the recently concluded elections
On May 14, 2023, over 39 million Thai people headed to the polls in the country’s largest democratic exercise ever. We salute the strong turnout of around 75% in spite of extreme heat and sometimes heavy rain, and congratulate the Election Commission of Thailand for a peaceful and orderly Election Day that
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) deployed 41 election observes across Thailand for the 2023 general election. ANFREL election observers, who are duly accredited by the Election Commission of Thailand, are monitoring the campaign period, advance voting, and preparations for the polls in 52 out of the 77 provinces in the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) organized a training of trainers workshop for national election monitoring groups in Thailand on 25-26 March 2023. Ahead of the upcoming general election, ANFREL gathered in Bangkok, Thailand about 40 leaders of election observer groups in Thailand to mentor them on training their members about
Story by Attachai Had-anCover illustration by Kittiya On-in In preparation for the upcoming election on May 7, 2023, “The Opener” has studied the spread of misinformation and how it might impair the quest for a free and fair election in Thailand. Lessons from the 2019 election campaign until now indicate that while
May 12, 2022 President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.The White HouseWashington, DC Re: Thailand’s abusive draft law on not-for-profit organizations Dear President Biden, We, the undersigned non-profit organizations, are writing to express our serious concerns regarding Thailand’s Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-Profit Organizations, which the Thai Cabinet approved in principle on
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), in its final comprehensive report on its observation of the 2021 Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO) elections in Thailand, said the polls were more genuine and democratic in nature than the 2019 general election. ANFREL said the conduct of the first tambon elections since the 2014
International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 every year around the world. The IWD 2022 campaign theme is "Break The Bias". Women have taken charge to advance the exercise of their civil and political rights in different aspects of everyday living but obstacles remain, limiting the progress of women to have
First published on workpointTODAY on 17 February 2022, "Thailand: Why do we have so few women in Parliament?" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. By Wasinee Pabuprapap Women have held leadership positions in different sectors of society in Thailand, even in public office but they remain
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is commemorating 25 years of advancing electoral democracy in Asia in 2022. In the last quarter of 2021, ANFREL organized the Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum 5 where participants adopted the “AESF 5 Memorandum: The Way Forward for Elections Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.” ANFREL also observed
Bangkok, 30 November 2021 Thailand held on Sunday 28 November 2021 its first tambon/sub-district administration organization (TAO) elections since the 2014 coup. This followed on provincial elections and municipal elections held in December 2020 and March 2021, respectively. ANFREL welcomes this long-overdue return to local democracy, congratulates the voters, the Election Commission
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), the leading election monitoring group in Asia, is proud to launch its pilot media fellowship on election reporting for Southeast Asian journalists. The fellowship program seeks to equip journalists from independent news outlets and freelance journalists in empowering the electorate through crucial reporting of underrepresented
Seventeen international human rights organizations today denounced the Thai government’s newly announced Regulation No. 29, which empowers the authorities to censor online expression, and investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for communications that may “instigate fear”. The Regulation is the government’s latest attack on the right to freedom of expression and information in
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) have made a joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Thailand that will take place in October 2021. The submission was done based on ANFREL's findings in its international election observation mission to the 2019 Thai general
The people of Thailand will head to the polls for the municipal elections on 28 March 2021. Voters were able to participate in the the 2020 Thai Provincial Administration Organization (PAO) elections held on 20 December 2020, the first local elections since the civilian government was toppled by a military coup in