About 80% of voters likely to cast ballots in Thailand's new general election

NONTHABURI, THAILAND, February 21 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Interior has forecast that about 80 per cent of eligible voters should turn out to cast their ballots in the country's new general election, set on March 24, 2019, with only 2 per cent of expectedly voided ballots. Thai Deputy Interior Minister Suthee Makboon told journalists of the forecast figure on Thursday, after holding a meeting with relevant parties at Muang Thong Thani on the outskirts of Bangkok to discuss preparations for next month's new general election. Suthee said the meeting, in which provincial governors, district chiefs and representatives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) participated, estimated that about 51.43 eligible voters should turn out to cast their ballots at over 92,000 electoral units across the country in the upcoming national poll, accounting for about 80 per cent of Thai eligible voters totally and up from about 75 per cent of them in 2011. The deputy minister stated that to meet the targeted figures, he has asked all agencies under his ministry to timely launch public relations (PR) campaigns to invite eligible voters to exercise their electoral rights. According to the deputy minister, his ministry will also work together with other relevant agencies, including the Royal Thai Police, to keep public peace and order during the electoral period, covering the opening of adhoc command centers in targeted areas. (TNA)