Thailand’s Election Commission has endorsed three new MPs, bringing the number of approved MPs to the full complement of 500, including 150 party-list and 350 constituency MPs.

EC deputy secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said today that the EC had endorsed the by-election result in Chiang Mai’s Constituency 8, which saw Ms. Srinuan Boonlue of the Future Forward party win almost 80,000 votes, beating the candidate from the Palang Pracharat party in landslide.

He added that the EC also endorsed Ms. Chitpat Kridagara of the Democrat party and Ms. Watanya Wong-opasee of the Palang Pracharat as party-list MPs. The three new MPs are entitled to vote in the race for the prime minister’s post at the joint sitting of the Senate and House, on a date yet to be set by House speaker and Parliament President Chuan Leekpai.

Mr. Sawaeng disclosed that many people wondered why the Future Forward party was not given another party-list seat after its candidate had received almost 80,000 votes in the by-election in Chiang Mai.

He explained that, in the calculation of party-list seat sharing, the combined votes from throughout the country for each party were used in seat calculation, not just the votes in Chiang Mai.

The latest calculation resulted in the party-list seat of Thai Rak Tham candidate Phirawit Ruangdolapark being forfeited and given to Ms. Watanyu of Palang Pracharat.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has sought Royal approval for the appointment of House speaker Chuan Leekpai and Senate speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholachai.