Polls open for Thailand’s first election since 2014 military coup

Listen to this article:

An election worker secures a ballot box at a polling station ahead of the general election in Bangkok, Thailand, March 24, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Polls opened on Sunday for Thailand’s first election since a 2014 military coup, a vote that is being seen as a contest between the country’s junta leader who wants to stay on as elected leader and a “democratic front” of anti-junta parties.

About 51.4 million people are eligible to vote in the election, which analysts say is likely to be inconclusive and could usher in a new phase of political instability.

More than 93,000 polling stations in 77 provinces will be open until 5 p.m. (1000 GMT). The election commission has said that the first unofficial results will be available three hours after voting ends.

Array
(
    [post_type] => post
    [post_status] => publish
    [orderby] => date
    [order] => DESC
    [update_post_term_cache] => 
    [update_post_meta_cache] => 
    [cache_results] => 
    [category__in] => 1
    [posts_per_page] => 4
    [offset] => 0
    [no_found_rows] => 1
    [date_query] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [after] => Array
                        (
                            [year] => 2024
                            [month] => 01
                            [day] => 24
                        )

                    [inclusive] => 1
                )

        )

)