Thai Election Commission charges 26 senators with vote-buying in Senate election

Thailand’s Election Commission announced on Monday that 26 current senators are suspected of cooperating to manipulate the June 2024 Senate election, a scandal that has already sparked street protests. These senators are among 77 people named in the investigation, which also includes 36 failed Senate candidates and 15 additional political actors accused of election fraud. The Senate, which reviews bills from the lower house and appoints officials to bodies such as the Constitutional Court and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, was chosen by other candidates representing 20 professional sectors.

The commission must file its case to the Supreme Court within 60 days, after which the court will determine whether to proceed. If found guilty, each offence carries a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 baht. Protesters organized by the watchdog iLaw marched in Bangkok demanding indictments, and iLaw’s executive director Yingcheep Atchanont warned he will release investigation documents if the court declines to hear the case.