Sunday's voting across Thailand went generally smoothly, with the exception of a few minor issues such as damaged ballots and the illegal sale of alcohol, police said.
National Police Chief Police General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said on Monday that only eight cases of vote buying have been registered so far, of which four have already been investigated.
He also added that the police are investigating 21 cases of damaged ballots to find out if they were intentionally destroyed. After the completion of the investigation, the ballots will be handed over to a special commission.
Damrongsak said he did not believe the damage to the ballots was politically motivated, adding that they were likely torn up by drunken voters or soiled by those who accidentally dropped their ballots while voting.
Deliberate destruction of ballots is considered a violation of the electoral law.
The police chief also noted that more police forces had been deployed to Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Ratchaburi due to the unrest that occurred during previous elections.
He added that no violations have been reported in 20 provinces where there is intense competition, although the police continue to monitor the situation where doubts about the results are reported.
The police chief also said that officers are working to reduce traffic congestion as people return to the capital after exercising their suffrage in their hometowns. Roads in Bangkok and surrounding cities were congested yesterday due to record voter turnout.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
