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Somchai blasts EC over expensive ballot 'bonus' lacking barcodes

Somchai blasts EC over expensive ballot 'bonus' lacking barcodes

Khaosod•Politics•18h ago

Reader Briefing

Former EC commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn has strongly criticized the Election Commission (EC) for the inclusion of expensive, unspecified 'bonuses' like barcodes and QR codes in the tender documents for printing election ballots, pointing out potential security risks.

  • •Former EC commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn has criticized the Election Commission (EC) regarding the printing of election ballots.
  • •Somchai alleges that the tender documents (TOR) for ballot printing included expensive 'bonuses' like barcodes and QR codes that were not originally specified.
  • •He claims the pink and green ballots, intended for party list and constituency elections respectively, have these unstated additions, raising concerns about security and cost.
  • •Somchai highlights that the pink ballot's barcode system could compromise voter privacy, as it allows easy identification of voters and their choices compared to the party list.

Overview

  • •On February 17, 2026, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, former Election Commission member, posted on Facebook regarding election ballot printing.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn stated that the tender documents for printing election ballots contained unspecified 'bonuses' such as barcodes and QR codes.
  • •The TOR was issued by the Election Commission (EC) for the printing of 56 million ballots for three types of elections.
  • •The TOR included a list of at least 6 anti-fraud measures, but did not explicitly mention the inclusion of barcodes or QR codes.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn estimated the cost of these unspecified 'bonuses' to be 7,800 million baht.
  • •The security of the pink ballot, which includes a barcode, is questioned by Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, as it could reveal voter choices when matched with the voter list.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn argued that the printing factories followed the TOR, which stated 'at least' 6 anti-fraud measures, implying the EC approved these additions.
  • •If a new election were held solely for the pink ballots, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn estimated the cost to be approximately 4,000 million baht.

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Key Quotes

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn
"Very expensive bonus. Signed without careful consideration. If there's a new election, the pink ballot costs 4 billion, how many will share it?"
ของแถมราคาแพงมาก เซ็นรับไม่รอบคอบ ชี้หากเลือกตั้งใหม่ บัตรสีชมพู 4 พันล้าน หารกันกี่คน
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn
"Why do the 3 ballot types - pink for party list, green for constituency, yellow for referendum - have different added bonuses?"
เหตุใดบัตร 3 ประเภท สีชมพู บัญชีรายชื่อ เขียว สส.เขต และเหลือง ประชามติ จึงมีของแถมต่างที่เพิ่มมาต่างกัน
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn
"None of these mention barcodes or QR codes. Both are therefore additional bonuses, and very expensive bonuses at that."
ทั้งหมดไม่มีการระบุถึง bar code หรือ QR code ทั้งสองอย่างจึงเป็นของแถม เพิ่มเติม และเป็นของแถมที่มีราคาแพงมาก
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn
"As for the pink ballot, anyone can have the key. Scanning the barcode reveals the voter's sequence number."
ส่วนบัตรสีชมพู อนุญาตให้ทุกคนมีกุญแจ เพียงส่อง bar code ก็ได้หมายเลขบัตร ที่มีลำดับที่ของผู้เลือก
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn
"Seeing the expensive bonus, eyes widened and accepted without thinking ahead or considering thoroughly. Unknown. But I confirm this bonus is truly expensive, 7.8 billion baht."
เห็นของแถม ราคาแพง ก็ตาโตรับมาไม่คิดหน้าคิดหลัง หรือ คิดไม่รอบคอบ ไม่อาจทราบได้ แต่ยืนยันของแถมนี้ ราคาแพงจริง 7,800 ล้านเชียวครับ

Key Entities

Person

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn(สมชัย ศรีสุทธิยากร)ℹ️
Former member of the Election Commission (กกต.) who criticized the EC's ballot printing tender.

Organization

Election Commission(กกต.)ℹ️
The organization responsible for Thailand's elections, criticized for its ballot printing tender documents.

Law

Member of Parliament Election Ballots(บัตรเลือกตั้งสส.)
Ballots for electing Members of Parliament, discussed in the context of their printing specifications and security features.
Referendum Ballots(บัตรออกเสียงประชามติ)
Ballots used for national referendums, mentioned as one of the types of ballots whose printing specifications were criticized.
Tender/Terms of Reference(TOR)
The tender document or Terms of Reference for the printing of election ballots, which Somchai Srisutthiyakorn analyzed for unspecified features.