Thai capital records high turnout for early voting ahead of general election

BANGKOK, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's capital Bangkok has recorded a robust turnout for early voting on Sunday, one week ahead of a general election, with over 87 percent of registered out-of-constituency voters casting their ballots.

According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), 740,966 voters participated in advance voting outside their respective constituencies across 50 central polling stations in the capital.

In a statement released on Monday, Narong Ruangsri, permanent secretary for the BMA, said early voting operations proceeded smoothly and efficiently, noting that the high figures reflect a significant public alertness and active participation in the democratic process.

Narong said that Thailand Post has successfully received all out-of-constituency ballot envelopes from Bangkok for delivery to voters' home constituencies. These ballots will be counted together with ballots cast on the general election day.

More than 2.41 million Thais had registered for advance voting both within the Southeast Asian country and overseas, out of a total of 52.92 million eligible voters aged 18 and above, data from the Election Commission of Thailand showed.

The kingdom is set to hold elections for the House of Representatives on Feb. 8, when 500 members in the lower house of parliament will be selected for a four-year term. ■