A Brief Assessment Report BACKGROUND Thailand democratic rule has been forcedly retaken by military through successful coup d'état that happened on May 22nd 2014 led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Commander of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), against the caretaker government of Thailand, following six months of the crisis in the country. The
The Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel), AGENDA – General Election Network for Disability Access, and the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) are currently engaging in projects to improve accessibility of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Thailand during elections. The project aims to spread awareness on the needs of PWDs by providing
For Immediate Release Bangkok, 9 August -- Thailand’s military-drafted constitution was the subject of generally peaceful and smooth polling on Sunday. ANFREL congratulates the people of Thailand for participating in this important electoral exercise. Similarly, the hard work of polling station officials deserves to be recognized for ensuring an efficient and professionally managed
For Immediate Release 04 August 2016 Bangkok, Thailand ANFREL to Perform Random Polling Station Checks during 2016 Thailand Constitutional Referendum The Asian Network for Free Elections announced that it plans to perform spot checks of polling stations to observe the conduct of the Thai referendum to be held on 7 August 2016.
For Immediate Release: 30 June 2016 Bangkok, Thailand Thailand Referendum: Ban on monitoring and free speech against International Norms and Fair Play ANFREL expresses its serious concern on the Thai government’s decision to ban election monitors and its imposition of strong restrictions against freedom of speech in the light of the
Draft Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand 2016 Unofficial English Translation This unofficial translation was made possible through the collaboration and contributions of International IDEA (Australia), International Commission of Jurists (Thailand) and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand (Thailand). Additional technical input was provided by Ms. Eugénie Mérieau,
Referendum Act and document related from ECT.(Election Commission of Thailand) Download PDF version here: Organic Act on Referendum for the Draft Constitution 2016 part 1 Download PDF version here: Organic Act on Referendum for the Draft Constitution 2016 part 2 Download PDF version here: The voting in Referendum (booklet)2016 Download PDF version
Announcement on the “Joint Statement on the Referedum of the Draft Constitution to be held on August 7, 2016” and the discussion platforms on the constitution and sustainable development by Platform of Concerned Citizens (POC) Date: Monday, 25th April 2016 Time: 16.00 – 16.30 Venue: Small Conference Room, 12th Floor, Kasem Udhayanin
(Bangkok, 5 April 2016) - Thailand must immediately revoke National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order 13/2016 which confers sweeping powers on the Royal Thai Armed Forces in contravention of human rights and the rule of law, said the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International (AI),
The New Democracy Movement (NDM) The group is formed by students from the North, Central Plain, Northeast, and South plus more than 20 community-based organizations on 8 June 2015 at the Democracy Monument in Khon Kaen. Their fundamental five principles include; 1. A democratic principle that helps to ensure equal rights and
On the one-year anniversary of Thailand's most recent coup, ANFREL's fears in the days following the 22 May 2014 coup have unfortunately come true. The timing for elections has been pushed back repeatedly, with threats to delay them further unless conditions, in the eyes of the ruling junta, prove perfect. Until the
BANGKOK, 26 May 2014 – The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) Foundation today expressed its condemnation of the Thai military’s May 22nd coup and the subsequent collapse of democratic rights that has followed. Thursday’s military takeover is a grave violation of the fundamental rights of all Thais, no matter their affiliation,
BANGKOK, 03 February 2014 – The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) commends today those that participated in Thailand’s 02nd February Election. Voters with diverse views, including those voting for parties as well as those exercising their right to “vote no” on the ballot, should be complimented for engaging in such a
BANGKOK, 27 January 2014 – The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) views with grave concern all acts of violence and violations of human, civil, and political rights that took place on January 26th, Advanced Voting Day in Thailand. Regarding the shooting of protest leader Suthin Tharatin and the injuries that took
BANGKOK, 26 January 2014, 10:00am – With over two million Thais eligible to vote on Sunday the 26th of January’s advanced voting day, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) calls on all groups to respect the sanctity of the vote and not take provocative actions at polling centers which disrupt and
Below, find the letter ANFREL sent on 7 January 2014 to Khaosod newspaper regarding its recent representation of ANFREL's position on the political and electoral situation in Thailand: Download Here [embed width="650" height="850"]https://anfrel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Open-Letter-to-Khaosod-Newspaper.pdf[/embed]
For Immediate Release: BANGKOK, 23 DECEMBER 2013 – The ANFREL Foundation wishes to express its ongoing concern about street protests in Bangkok, in particular, the recent attempt by protesters to forcibly block elections scheduled for 02 February 2014 as well as their call for an unelected and unrepresentative body to govern the
For Immediate Release: BANGKOK, 08 December 2013 – The ANFREL Foundation wishes to express its deep concern about the ongoing protests in Bangkok, in particular, the attempt by protesters to remove an elected government through undemocratic means and their calling for an unelected body to govern the country, a so-called “People’s Council”,
The Open Forum for Democracy Foundation (PollWatch), The People Network for Elections in Thailand (P-Net), and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) today called for a restructuring of the electoral system in Thailand in an endeavour to more fully realize the democratic rights of Thai voters. After a 3-day seminar of
Constitutional Amendments & Electoral System The constitutional amendments and subsequent changes to the Electoral Law of early 2011 made significant changes to the electoral system. The number of elected members of parliament was increased from 480 to 500, divided between 375 elected from single member constituencies (first-past-the-post) and 125 elected from a
The World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) is closely following the general election that will be held in Thailand on 3 July, with both hope and concern. Following the military coup in 2006, Thailand has seen a rapid succession of governments, of various persuasions, all of which suffered from deficits of
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging all parties in Thailand's Sunday election to act in a credible and fair manner and to “accept and respect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box.” In a statement issued in New York Wednesday, Mr. Ban said he is following the
Sixty representatives of the Asian Network for Free Elections from 24 nations have begun travelling to the provinces to monitor Sunday's election. They will assess political developments and keep an eye on electioneering, especially in fiercely contested areas, said Anfrel chairman Damaso Magbual yesterday.
While commending Sunday's advance voting as relatively well managed, the Asian Network for Free Election (Anfrel) has urged the Election Commission (EC) to place more emphasis on the quality of polling booth officials and called for transparent storage and counting of ballots and transporting of votes cast outside home provinces. The Anfrel
With the organization of the advanced vote on Sunday 26th June, the ongoing electoral process in Thailand has entered a new phase: nearly 3 million voters, both residents and non-resident voters registered to cast their vote one week prior to the General Elections on 3rd July 2011. Voters across the country were
An international organization is appealing for party leaders in Thailand to ask their supporters to end violence and stop obstructing the campaign processes of their opponents. The Asian Network for Free Elections, supported by private-sector groups in 11 countries, said Tuesday it has recorded several cases of threats and intimidation during the
The run up to the July 3 election, marred by reports of violence from different parts of the country, has become a cause of concern for everyone. There have been several reports of violence from Samut Prakan under Phra Pradaeng district as well as from other provinces. The stabbing death of a
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) will deploy its staff to observe the upcoming general election in Thailand in the hope that the election will normalize Thai politics and reinforce democracy.
The Asian Network for Free Elections will begin its monitoring of Thailand's general election Tuesday, with vote-buying and political violence among its top concerns. The poll watcher urged Thai citizens to report any unusual circumstances in their localities, while the media, the Election Commission of Thailand and political parties contesting the poll