EC Secretary apologizes for vote buying communication, confirms preparations are illegal.

Thairath•Politics•233d ago

Reader Briefing

Election Commission Secretary-General apologizes for controversial remarks on vote buying, clarifying that preparing funds is already illegal.

•On January 31, 2026, EC Secretary-General Sa-wayng Boonmee apologized for his communication error regarding political parties preparing funds for vote buying.
•He clarified that any preparation for vote buying is already a violation of election law, even before any money is distributed.
•The apology aimed to correct public misunderstanding stemming from his previous statements about 'political parties can prepare money but cannot distribute it'.

Overview

•On Jan 31, 2026, Election Commission Secretary-General Sa-wayng Boonmee posted on his personal Facebook account.
•Sa-wayng Boonmee apologized for poor communication that led to societal misunderstanding regarding political parties preparing funds for vote buying.
•Sa-wayng Boonmee clarified that 'preparing for vote buying is already an offense' according to the law, not just distributing it.
•Sa-wayng Boonmee stated that his previous comments might have been too brief or spoken too quickly, causing the context to be misconstrued.
•The Election Commission Secretary-General's remarks were in response to news concerning his interview about political parties being allowed to prepare funds but not distribute them.
•Sa-wayng Boonmee emphasized that the focus was on the actions of individuals intending to commit vote buying, not a legal interpretation.
•Sa-wayng Boonmee highlighted the difficulty in catching vote buying during the preparation phase if evidence is not clear.
•Sa-wayng Boonmee reiterated the apology, taking responsibility for the communication breakdown.

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Key Quotes

นายแสวง บุญมี

"This is getting out of hand... I apologize."

ไปกันใหญ่...ขออภัยมา ณ ที่นี้

นายแสวง บุญมี

"This was actually referring to the actions of those planning vote buying, not explaining the law. The law states that just preparing for vote buying is already an offense."

จริงๆ เป็นการพูดถึงพฤติการณ์คนที่จะทำการซื้อเสียง ไม่ได้อธิบายกฎหมาย กฎหมายได้กำหนดว่าแค่จัดเตรียมการซื้อเสียง ก็เป็นความผิดแล้ว

นายแสวง บุญมี

"I must apologize for causing societal misunderstanding due to my poor communication."

ต้องขออภัยที่ทำให้สังคมเข้าใจผิด ที่สื่อสารไม่ดีเอง

Key Entities

Person

Sa-wayng Boonmee(นายแสวง บุญมี)ℹ️

Secretary-General of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) who apologized for misunderstood comments on vote buying.

Organization

Election Commission of Thailand(คณะกรรมการการเลือกตั้ง)ℹ️

The governmental body responsible for overseeing elections in Thailand, whose Secretary-General issued a clarifying statement.