Info
Parties and Candidates
PC001
Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
b . Deposit requirement (specify amount) c . Regional distribution requirement f . Other
Comments: Each political party shall make one list of candidates, the member of which shall not be more than one hundred and twenty-five members and the list shall be submitted to Election Commission before the date an application for candidacy in an election on the constituency basis commences. The lists of candidates shall fairly consist of candidates of different regions and regard shall be had to opportunity and approximate proportion between women and men.
Candidates in the lists shall not be the same as candidates in the lists
prepared by other political parties and shall not be the same as the candidates in an election on the constituency basis. Candidates in the lists shall be placed in numerical order.
In addition, in the case of the candidacy on a party-list basis, the leader of the political party or any person who is entrusted by him or her shall pay the fee of ten thousand Baht for each candidate.
Source: Organic Act B.E. 2541 on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives and Senators, Sec. 35, 36:
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/TH/thailand-organic-act-on-the-election-of-members-of/view
Constitution (2017) Article 90
https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Thailand_2017
Verified: 2023/10/11
PC003
Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Age b . Citizenship c . Country of birth d . Residence f . Registration h . Minimum level of education j . Other
Comments: A person having the following qualifications has the right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:
(1) Thai nationality by birth;
(2) Being not less than twenty five years of age on the Election Day;
(3) Being a member of any and only one political party, for a consecutive period of not less than ninety days, except in a general election following an unexpected House dissolution, in which case he or she is required to have been a registered member of a political party not less than thirty days continuously up to the date of an election;
(4) A candidate in an election on a constituency basis shall also possess any of the following qualifications:
(a) Having his or her name appears in the house register in Changwat where he or she stands for election for a consecutive period of not less than five years up to the date of applying for candidacy;
(b) Born in the Changwat where he or she stands for the election;
(c) Having studied in an education institution situated in Changwat where he or she stands for election for a consecutive period of not less than five academic years before;
(d) Having served in the official service before or having had his or her name appear in the house register in Changwat where he or she stands for election for a consecutive period of not less than five years before.
Source: Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, Sec. 97: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Thailand_2017
Verified: 2023/10/11
PC008
Independent candidates
Question: Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s):
d . In legislative elections (Chamber 2)
Comments: Eligible candidates for Senatorial elections shall not be members of any political party or hold any position by the political party, or if so, must have left no less than five years to the day of application or nomination.
Source: Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, Sec. 107-111: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Thailand_2017
Verified: 2023/10/11
PC012
Public funding of parties
Question: Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
Answer(s):
b . Direct c . Indirect
Comments: There shall be the Fund for Development of Political Parties in the Office of the Election Commission, operating as a revolving fund for subsidizing political parties and political party development activities as prescribed by the Election Commission. The Election Commission shall have the power and duty to allocate subsidies to a political party and control the revolving fund’s expenditure for the development of political parties.
The revenue and property received by a political party shall be exempt from taxation under the Revenue Code.
Source: Organic Act on Political Parties B.E. 2550, Sec. 73, 74, 48, 79: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/TH/thailand-organic-act-on-political-parties-b.e./at_download/file
Verified: 2023/10/11
PC015
Question: What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s):
b . Based on result of previous election e . Other
Comments: The subsidy for political parties shall be allocated annually to those political parties which have stood candidates at the latest general election of members of the House of Representatives and have received votes on a party-list basis equivalent to not less than zero point five per cent (0.5%) of the aggregate of votes cast for all political parties in the party-list election, or have received votes on a constituency basis equivalent to not less than zero point five per cent (0.5%) of the aggregate of nationwide votes cast for all candidates in the constituency election.
The Election Commission shall distribute the subsidy to entitled political parties by allocating forty per cent (40%) of the total amount of the subsidy according to the number of votes obtained from an election on a party-list basis, forty per cent (40%) of the subsidy according to the number of votes obtained from an election on a constituency basis, ten per cent (10%) of the subsidy according to the number of branches of a political party that meet the requirements prescribed by the Election Commission, and ten per cent (10%) of the subsidy according to the number of active members who paid annual subscription fees, under the rules and procedures prescribed by the Election Commission. No one political party shall receive more than half of the total allocation granted in a year.
The State shall allocate subsidies to political parties entitled to donations at the rate of five per cent (5%) of the total amount of donations specified in all indicated intents.
Source: Organic Act on Political Parties B.E. 2550, Sec. 75, 76: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/TH/thailand-organic-act-on-political-parties-b.e./at_download/file
Verified: 2023/10/11
PC017
Question: Are political parties entitled to private funding?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: A political party may receive revenue from the following sources:
(1) fees and political party subscriptions as prescribed by the political party’s regulations;
(2) proceeds from the sale of political party products or services;
(3) money, property or any other benefit of financial value, derived from the
political party’s fund-raising activities;
(4) money, property or any other benefit of financial value, derived from
donations to the political party;
(5) subsidies from the Fund for Development of Political Parties;
(6) accruements of money and revenue, derived from the political party’s
property;
(7) other revenues.
Source: Organic Act on Political Parties B.E. 2550, Sec. 53: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/TH/thailand-organic-act-on-political-parties-b.e./at_download/file
Verified: 2023/10/11
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