UBON RATCHATHANI, THAILAND – A parliamentary candidate warned of unprecedented cash flows and potential vote-buying in Ubon Ratchathani just days before the February 8 election.
Candidate warns of billion-baht election money flow
Pheu Thai candidate Watcharapol Chueakhong said he believed at least one billion baht could circulate in connection with the election campaign in the province. He called on the Election Commission to take firm action against suspected vote-buying. According to him, border areas in particular were at risk.
“In Ubon Ratchathani, at least one billion baht is likely to be in circulation during the election period, especially in border regions where other factors are being used to win votes.”
said Watcharapol, adding that the scale of the money movements raised serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in the northeastern province.
Calls for investigations and reports of irregularities
Watcharapol urged the Election Commission to launch urgent and comprehensive checks and investigations. He said residents in several areas had reported incidents that could amount to violations of election law. He stressed that the pressure on authorities to follow up on suspicions without delay was increasing.
He referred to cases in which copies of national ID cards had allegedly been collected without a clear explanation of their purpose. At the same time, he said, financial clout appeared to matter more to some actors in this campaign than genuine political support. According to Watcharapol, people in the northeast were politically aware and knew very well who was doing what and how much each party was paying.
Reference to 2023 election and criticism of inaction
The candidate pointed back to irregularities that he said occurred during the 2023 election in Ubon Ratchathani and other provinces. These events had remained in the public memory nationwide. He argued that earlier cases had not been handled transparently.
“Although the evidence is clear, the matter has been swept under the carpet.”
said Watcharapol. He appealed to the Election Commission to take its role seriously and not to disappoint the public through the behaviour of state agencies.
Pheu Thai targets majority of seats in the province
Watcharapol ran as candidate number 3 in constituency 10, which covers the districts of Nam Yuen, Nam Khun, Si Udom and Samrong. He represented the Pheu Thai Party in this area. After extensive visits and discussions in his constituency, he reported very positive feedback for all Pheu Thai contenders.
He said many people were convinced that Pheu Thai members of parliament would remain closely connected to their constituencies and would not abandon them after the vote. Internal surveys by local Pheu Thai teams indicated, according to Watcharapol, that the party could win more than eight of the total of eleven seats in Ubon Ratchathani. Many voters in the province were said to be seeking above all income security across the country.
Trust built through crisis response and new leadership
As a key factor of trust, Watcharapol cited Pheu Thai’s handling of refugee camps during the conflict along the Thai-Cambodian border. Local people had directly witnessed the party’s intensive work in supplying food and drinking water. From this, expectations had grown that living conditions for many could improve noticeably if Pheu Thai were to form a government again.
He added that the policy approach of Yotsanu Wongsawat, the party’s new lead candidate for prime minister, had been well received in Ubon Ratchathani. This, he said, contributed to the strong support Pheu Thai appeared to enjoy in the province. At the same time, he underlined that all parties were actively reaching out to citizens and presenting their programmes to enable informed voting decisions.
Rising concerns over money politics as campaign intensifies
Parallel to the energetic campaigning, reports of questionable activities increased, according to Watcharapol. Against the backdrop of the ongoing election race, concern was growing in Ubon Ratchathani that money flows and possible vote-buying could shape the outcome more strongly than political content. These fears, he argued, made decisive action by oversight bodies all the more urgent.