The Supreme Court has ordered a re-election to be held in Bueng Kan's Constituency 2 after disqualifying Bhumjaithai Party MP Suwanna Kumphiro and banning him from running in an election for 10 years for violating election laws.
Mr Suwanna was also ordered by the court to pay around 10 million baht in compensation to cover the cost of organising the election on May 14, 2023, which was later nullified.
The Election Commission (EC) found sufficient evidence to believe that Mr Suwanna violated election law by arranging an entertainment event to attract more voters during the election campaign.
According to the EC, on April 16, 2023, a pick-up truck equipped with a stereo and loudspeakers was used to entertain guests with music at a merit-making event in Ban Nong Thum in Seka district of Bueng Kan province.
The EC said that during the event, the truck occasionally played an election campaign spot with the lyrics repeating: "Mr Mum [Mr Suwanna's nickname] Number 10."
Suwanna: Violated election laws
A man who was operating the truck was also seen using a loudspeaker to thank Mr Suwanna for supporting the event.
According to the EC's findings, the truck was owned by Mr Suwanna's former wife, who was also his campaign assistant.
All this evidence convinced the EC that Mr Suwanna had supplied the village with this entertainment truck at no cost.
The man on the truck also led voters to believe this was the case, said the EC.
This was deemed a violation of election laws which prohibit candidates from organising any entertainment event with the intent of convincing voters to back them, said the EC.
Mr Suwanna is the second MP from Bhumjaithai to be disqualified.
The first disqualification involved Mookdawan Luangsinil, the party's MP in Constituency 8 of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The re-election for Bueng Kan's Constituency 2 must be held within 45 days of Feb 18, when the court rescinded Mr Suwanna's election rights.