BANGKOK, Oct 24 — The likely date for a general election in Thailand is March 29, a senior government official told Reuters today after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul discussed the issue with the country’s Election Commission (EC).
The prime minister has earlier said he plans to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with a general election to follow in March or early April.
“The government and EC have discussed the timeframe for holding the election,” said Paradorn Prissananantakul, a minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The most likely date is March 29,” he said.
Paradorn also said a referendum on a new constitution and another to decide whether to revoke two agreements concerning a border demarcation with Cambodia will likely take place alongside the general election.
The EC has yet to formally set the election date but its chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said details will be worked out on both the poll vote and the two referendums, which will likely take place on the same day.
The estimated budget for the election and referendums is nine billion baht (RM1.16 billion), and about 53 million Thais are eligible to participate, Ittiporn said.
Anutin won a parliamentary vote in September to become Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, after having withdrawn his Bhumjaithai Party from a ruling coalition led by Pheu Thai Party.
To win power, Anutin secured the backing of the largest grouping in parliament, the opposition People’s Party, but calling an election within four months of taking office and holding a referendum on a new constitution were two of the conditions of its support.
