More than 800,000, or 87.22% of the 900,000 registered early voters in Bangkok went to the polls yesterday, according to City Clerk Mrs. Silpasuey Raveesangsoon.

Bang Kapi district saw the highest number of early voters with 52,615, or 85.53% of those registered turning up.

In percentage terms, Bangkok Yai district led the way with 5,611 out of 6,053 (92.70%) casting ballots.

257 disabled people registered for early voting and 218 (84.82%) exercised their voting rights yesterday.

The average turnout for all the districts was above 80 percent:

• Bang Kapi                          85.53%
• Bang Khun Thien             86.46%
• Huay Khwang                   86.41%
• Rajthevi                             89.35%
• Wattana                           85.63%
• Bangkok Yai                      92.70%
• Samphanthawong          91.86%
• Phya Thai                          91.62%
• Pathumwan                     90.89%
• Bang Khor Laem              90.80%

In Bang Khen district, one early voter, wanted by police on 18 fraud charges, drowned in a lake in Wat Phra Sri Mahathat as he tried to evade capture.

Nationwide early voter turnout was 75% in smooth and trouble-free voting, though one man was caught using another person’s ID card in Uthai Thani province.

In the three restive southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, the Election Commission reported turnout rates of 85-90%, indicating increased political awareness among the local people.

Thai PBS news teams covering the early voting yesterday identified some issues that need to be fixed to ensure a smooth vote next Sunday. These include long queues, heavy traffic at polling units, incorrect ballot sheets being handed out by officials and lids on several ballot boxes were not correctly sealed.