Election Bill Enacted, Paving Way for 2019 Poll

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks to reporters in September in Bangkok.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks to reporters in September in Bangkok.

BANGKOK — His Majesty the King on Wednesday signed into the law the regulations governing the upcoming general election, bringing Thailand one step closer to next year’s poll.

Published on the Royal Gazette, the laws on the election and selection procedures for MPs and Senators, respectively, dictate that an election date must be formally announced between 90 days and 240 days from now. The government has previously said the next election could take place as early as Feb. 24, 2019.

The two bills will come to effect 90 days from now, or Dec. 11.

It’s the closest Thailand has come to holding an election since the military junta seized power in 2014. The ruling regime repeatedly postponed all previous pledges to a poll.

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Correction: Information about when an election date must be set has been revised.

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