ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

Thai Election Commission Certifies Remaining Parliamentary Seats

With 499 of 500 seats now certified, the newly elected parliament will convene to select a new prime minister within 15 days.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chairs a cabinet meeting relating to the conflict in the Middle East, in Bangkok, Thailand, Mar. 2, 2026.

Thailand’s Election Commission has certified the majority of the parliamentary seats won in last month’s general election, clearing the way for the House of Representatives to convene and select a new prime minister.

The commission on Wednesday endorsed the 100 members of parliament who were elected from party lists, a week after approving 396 of the 400 lawmakers elected from particular constituencies, the Bangkok Post reported. Three more constituency seats were certified later on Wednesday, bringing the total to 499 in the 500-seat House of Representatives.

The Election Commission stated that 37.8 million people voted in the February 8 election, representing 71.42 per cent of eligible voters. The certified results, slightly different from the unofficial seat totals reported by the Commission earlier, show the Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party winning 192 seats, followed by the progressive People’s Party on 120. The once-dominant Pheu Thai Party came in third with 74, followed by the Kla Tham Party on 58.

According to the Thai Constitution, a new parliament must convene within 15 days of the certification of at least 95 percent of the seats in the House, i.e., 475 MPs. Now that this has happened, the first session of parliament is likely to be scheduled quickly – especially in light of the instability emanating from the Middle East, which could well compound the economic troubles facing Thailand.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Sirote Paetphan, the secretary‑general of the House of Representatives, said that the House Secretariat will not wait for every certified MP to report before initiating the opening of the new House, the Bangkok Post reported. Once the required quorum has reported, it can proceed with scheduling the session.

The Prime Minister’s Secretariat Office will now coordinate with the House Secretariat to seek royal approval for the convening of the new House. The legislature will first elect a speaker and deputy speaker, and then choose a prime minister to form a new government.

This is almost certain to be Anutin, who has spent the last month in negotiations over the shape of his incoming coalition. Bhumjaithai has said it plans to form a coalition with the Pheu Thai Party and a smattering of smaller parties, ​an alliance ​that would ⁠hold an estimated 292 seats of the 500 seats in the House.

The certification of results comes despite widespread claims of irregularities and vote-buying. VOTE62, an independent election watchdog, said that it recorded more than 5,000 complaints nationwide on election day. Shortly after the polls, the People’s Party announced that it had filed requests for recounts in 18 constituencies, where it claimed there was “clear evidence of irregularities during the tallying process.”

There have also been numerous objections over the use of barcodes on ballots, which some critics claim could have compromised the constitutional requirement for secret voting.

According to the Post, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct is soon scheduled to decide whether to accept a malfeasance complaint filed against Election Commission Chairman Narong Klanwarin and seven other senior officials in connection with the ballot controversy. Other legal challenges are also pending.

The Commission said on Wednesday that it ​still needs time to investigate 246 election-related complaints.

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Thailand’s Election Commission has certified the majority of the parliamentary seats won in last month’s general election, clearing the way for the House of Representatives to convene and select a new prime minister.

The commission on Wednesday endorsed the 100 members of parliament who were elected from party lists, a week after approving 396 of the 400 lawmakers elected from particular constituencies, the Bangkok Post reported. Three more constituency seats were certified later on Wednesday, bringing the total to 499 in the 500-seat House of Representatives.

The Election Commission stated that 37.8 million people voted in the February 8 election, representing 71.42 per cent of eligible voters. The certified results, slightly different from the unofficial seat totals reported by the Commission earlier, show the Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party winning 192 seats, followed by the progressive People’s Party on 120. The once-dominant Pheu Thai Party came in third with 74, followed by the Kla Tham Party on 58.

According to the Thai Constitution, a new parliament must convene within 15 days of the certification of at least 95 percent of the seats in the House, i.e., 475 MPs. Now that this has happened, the first session of parliament is likely to be scheduled quickly – especially in light of the instability emanating from the Middle East, which could well compound the economic troubles facing Thailand.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Sirote Paetphan, the secretary‑general of the House of Representatives, said that the House Secretariat will not wait for every certified MP to report before initiating the opening of the new House, the Bangkok Post reported. Once the required quorum has reported, it can proceed with scheduling the session.

The Prime Minister’s Secretariat Office will now coordinate with the House Secretariat to seek royal approval for the convening of the new House. The legislature will first elect a speaker and deputy speaker, and then choose a prime minister to form a new government.

This is almost certain to be Anutin, who has spent the last month in negotiations over the shape of his incoming coalition. Bhumjaithai has said it plans to form a coalition with the Pheu Thai Party and a smattering of smaller parties, ​an alliance ​that would ⁠hold an estimated 292 seats of the 500 seats in the House.

The certification of results comes despite widespread claims of irregularities and vote-buying. VOTE62, an independent election watchdog, said that it recorded more than 5,000 complaints nationwide on election day. Shortly after the polls, the People’s Party announced that it had filed requests for recounts in 18 constituencies, where it claimed there was “clear evidence of irregularities during the tallying process.”

There have also been numerous objections over the use of barcodes on ballots, which some critics claim could have compromised the constitutional requirement for secret voting.

According to the Post, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct is soon scheduled to decide whether to accept a malfeasance complaint filed against Election Commission Chairman Narong Klanwarin and seven other senior officials in connection with the ballot controversy. Other legal challenges are also pending.

The Commission said on Wednesday that it ​still needs time to investigate 246 election-related complaints.

Sebastian Strangio is Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat. 

Thailand 2026 election

Thailand Election Commission

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