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Korat Deputy Governor Defends EC on Ballot Barcode Controversy

Korat Deputy Governor Defends EC on Ballot Barcode Controversy

Khaosod•Politics•2h ago

Reader Briefing

Korat's Deputy Governor Manas Suwannarin defended the Election Commission (EC) regarding concerns about barcodes and QR codes on ballots, arguing they do not compromise voter secrecy unless officials are corrupt, and likened the situation to barcodes on lottery tickets.

  • •Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, Manas Suwannarin, addressed public concerns about barcodes and QR codes on election ballots.
  • •He argued that these codes do not reveal an individual's vote unless election officials engage in corruption and investigative analysis.
  • •Manas Suwannarin drew parallels to lottery tickets, which also feature barcodes and QR codes, questioning if their presence implies a breach of privacy.
  • •He urged an end to the 'drama,' asserting that these codes are not grounds to invalidate elections due to their perceived lack of logical impact on vote secrecy.

Overview

  • •On February 17, 2026, Nakhon Ratchasima Deputy Governor Manas Suwannarin posted on his personal Facebook regarding the barcode and QR code controversy on election ballots, in order to clarify the situation.
  • •Manas Suwannarin stated that barcodes and QR codes are no different from National ID numbers, in order to highlight his viewpoint on data accessibility.
  • •Manas Suwannarin defined secrecy in voting as the inability of anyone to know who a person voted for while marking the ballot, and the prohibition of taking photos of the marked ballot, due to the constitutional right to privacy.
  • •The use of barcodes and QR codes on election ballots had caused societal concern about whether it was illegal, as it was suspected that they could be used to trace who voted for which party.
  • •Manas Suwannarin used the analogy of lottery tickets having barcodes and QR codes to question if their presence constitutes a breach of confidentiality.
  • •Manas Suwannarin urged the public to stop the 'drama,' asserting that QR codes and barcodes on ballots are not logical reasons to invalidate elections, in order to calm public discourse on the matter.
  • •Manas Suwannarin argued that if QR codes and barcodes were removed, it would create problems in tracing ballot origins in cases of theft or discovery in trash, potentially hindering investigations into election fraud.
  • •The public's perception might be influenced by sensational narratives rather than legal facts, as exemplified by the lottery ticket analogy, resulting in a distorted understanding of the issue.

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Key Quotes

Manas Suwannarin
"Barcode and QR Code are no different from National ID numbers."
บาร์โค้ดและ QR Code กับ เลขบัตรประจำตัวประชาชน ไม่ต่างกัน
Manas Suwannarin
"Secrecy means nobody knows who you voted for while marking, and you can't take pictures showing your vote."
คำว่าลับ คือขณะกา ไม่มีใครรู้ว่าเรากาอะไร และเราไม่มีสิทธิถ่ายรูปออกไปแสดงว่าเรากาใคร
Manas Suwannarin
"Lotteries also have barcodes and QR codes. Is that not a breach of confidentiality?"
ลอตเตอรี่ ก็มีบาร์โค้ดและ QR Code เป็นการไม่รักษาความลับใช่หรือไม่
Manas Suwannarin
"Let's stop the drama. QR codes and barcodes cannot invalidate the results because they are illogical."
หยุดดราม่ากันเถอะครับ QR Code และ บาร์โค้ด มันล้มกระดานไม่ได้หรอก เพราะมันไม่สมเหตุสมผล

Key Entities

Person

Korat Deputy Governor(รองผู้ว่าฯโคราช)
Manas Suwannarin, who serves as the Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, defending the Election Commission on ballot barcode issues.
Manas Suwannarin(นายมนัส สุวรรณรินทร์)
Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima who is defending the Election Commission on the issue of barcodes on ballots.

Organization

Election Commission (EC)(กกต.)ℹ️
The official body responsible for overseeing elections in Thailand, which is being defended by the Deputy Governor of Korat regarding ballot controversies.

Place

Korat(โคราช)ℹ️
Shortened name for Nakhon Ratchasima province, where Deputy Governor Manas Suwannarin is based.
Nakhon Ratchasima(นครราชสีมา)ℹ️
The province in Thailand where Deputy Governor Manas Suwannarin serves and where the news originates.

Policy

Lottery(ลอตเตอรี่)ℹ️
A state-run lottery system in Thailand, used by the Deputy Governor of Korat as an analogy to defend the presence of barcodes on election ballots.

Law

Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)(PDPA)ℹ️
A Thai law mentioned by the Deputy Governor of Korat to question the confidentiality implications of barcodes on lottery tickets.