The Election Commission (EC) is to investigate widespread reports that a man was registered as a political party member without his consent.
EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee said his office will verify the information with the party in question to determine whether the reports are true and whether the party’s membership recruitment process is conducted in accordance with the law and party regulations.
If the investigation confirms a violation, the party leader would face a fine, while the membership registrar, the initial person responsible for verification, would face criminal penalties, including a possible jail term.
Sawaeng was responding to a complaint from a man who posted on social media that he recently discovered his name had been registered as a member of the Kla Tham Party without his knowledge.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao, advisory chairman of the Kla Tham Party, reiterated that the party’s membership figures are authentic and verifiable. He contrasted his party with others, claiming that, while some parties’ membership numbers are “fake,” Kla Tham’s can be independently verified.
Thammanat explained that his party’s large number of members, currently 171,148, reflects active engagement with citizens, including meetings with local communities and groups, such as P-Move, which recently contributed an additional 2,000 membership registrations.
Following these reports, the EC urged citizens to check their membership status on its official website party.ect.go.th.
If individuals discover their names were added without consent, the EC advises them to notify the party registrar to verify the claim and request removal.
If confirmed that the person did not knowingly or willingly register, the registrar must remove the name, legally treating the individual as never having been a member.
Citizens may also submit an official letter to the EC, at 120 Ratchaprasanabhakdi Building, 2nd Floor, Chaeng Wattana Road, Bangkok, 10210.
The EC warned that anyone who falsifies a party membership list or falsely claims someone as a member could face up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both, along with a five-year voting ban if convicted.
