Qualifications of Candidates for Election of Members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council,
Bangkok Governor, Members of the Pattaya City Council, and Pattaya City Mayor
in the Case of the Expiration of the term

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          The Election Commission has approved the election plan for members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council, the Bangkok Governor, members of the Pattaya City Council, and the Pattaya City Mayor in the case of the expiration of the term, dated 21 May 2026. The application period for candidacy is scheduled for 28 May – 1 June 2026, and the election day is scheduled for Sunday, 28 June 2026 (details as attached).

          The Office of the Election Commission therefore publicizes the qualifications of candidates for election as members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council, Bangkok Governor, members of the Pattaya City Council, and Pattaya City Mayor, so that the consideration of qualifications may proceed properly and in accordance with the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), and its amendment, as follows:

1. Qualifications of Eligible Candidates

           1.1 Must be a Thai national by birth.
          1.2 A candidate for election as a member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council or a member of the Pattaya City Council must be at least 25 years old on election day.

A candidate for election as Bangkok Governor or Pattaya City Mayor must be at least 35 years old on election day.

          1.3 Must have their name listed in the house registration in the local government organisation area where they are applying for election, on the application date, for a continuous period of at least 1 year up to the application date.

1.4 Educational qualifications

·       Members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council and members of the Pattaya City Council

          No educational qualification is prescribed.

·       Bangkok Governor and Pattaya City Mayor

          Must have graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

2. Persons Having the Following Prohibited Characteristics Shall Be Prohibited from Running for Election

          2.1 Being addicted to narcotic drugs.

          2.2 Being bankrupt or having been dishonestly bankrupt.

          2.3 Being an owner or shareholder in any newspaper or mass media business.

          2.4 Being a person prohibited from exercising the right to vote under Section 39 of the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), namely:

              (1) being a Buddhist monk, Buddhist novice, member of the clergy or priest;

              (2) being under revocation of voting rights, regardless of whether the case is final.

              (3) being of unsound mind or mentally infirm.

          2.5 Being under temporary suspension of the right to candidacy in an election or being under revocation of the right to candidacy in an election;     

          2.6 Being sentenced by a judgment to imprisonment and detained by a warrant of the Court;  

          2.7 Having been discharged for a period of less than 5 years up to the election date after being imprisoned, except for an offence committed through negligence or a petty offence;

        2.8 Having been ordered to leave the Government service, a State agency or a State enterprise by reason of corruption in office or any deemed corrupt practice or malfeasance in the Government service;         

          2.9 Having been sentenced by a final judgment or order of the Court to the effect that the property shall vest in the State by reason of unusual wealthiness or having been sentenced by a final judgment to imprisonment by reason of the commission of an offence under the law on anti-corruption;

        2.10 Having been convicted, by a final judgment, of an offence of malfeasance in governmental office or judicial office or an offence under the law on offences of officials in State organisations or agencies or an offence relating to property committed dishonestly under the Penal Code or an offence under the law on loans involving public fraud, the law on narcotics insofar as it deals with being the producer, importer, exporter or trader, the law on gambling insofar as it deals with being a gambling dealer or gambling-palour owner, the law on anti-human trafficking or the law on money laundering control insofar as it deals with money laundering;

          2.11 Having been convicted, by a final judgment, of election fraud; 

          2.12 Being a Government official holding a permanent position or receiving a permanent salary;  

          2.13 Being a member of the House of Representatives, a senator, a member of a local assembly or a local administrator;    

          2.14 Being an official or employee of a Government agency, a State agency, a State enterprise or a local administration or being any other State official;

          2.15 Being a judge of the Constitutional Court or a holder of a position in an independent organ; 

          2.16 Being under a prohibition from holding political position.

        2.17 Having previously vacated office by reason that the Supreme Court or the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions has rendered a judgment that such person has circumstantially become unusually wealthy or committed corruption in office or intentionally performed the duty or exercised the power contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or law or gravely violated or failed to comply with an ethical standard;       

          2.18 Having been finally convicted of an offense under the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), whether penalty is inflicted or not, provided that the period of less than 5 years up to the election date has elapsed as from the discharge from the penalty or the conviction, as the case may be;
         2.19 Having previously been removed from the office of a member of the House of Representatives, senator, member of a local assembly or local administrator under the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand or the law casting votes for the removal of members of local assemblies or local administrators, as the case may be, when the period of less than 5 years up to the election date has elapsed as from such removal;

         2.20 Being under the restriction of the right to candidacy in an election into the post of a member of a local assembly or a local administrator under section 42 of the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), or under the organic law on the election of members of the House of Representatives;

          2.21 Having previously had voting rights revoked and less than 5 years have passed from the date of completion of the revocation period up to election day.

          2.22 Being a candidate in an election into the post of a member of the House of Representatives or in a selection into the post of a senator or being a candidate in an election into the post of a member of a local assembly or local administrator of the same local government organisation or any other local government organisation;

          2.23 Having previously vacated any office in a local government organisation on account of having direct or indirect interests in a contract or undertaking concluded or to be concluded with or for such local government organisation or having direct or indirect interests in a contract or undertaking concluded or to be concluded with or for any other local government organisation, when there are circumstances indicative of reciprocity or personal favour facilitation and the period of less than 5 years has elapsed as from the date of vacation of office up to the election date;

       2.24 Having previously been ordered to vacate any office in a local government organisation on account of intentional failure to comply with the law, official regulations or rules or resolutions of the Council of Ministers, thereby seriously prejudicing official interests and the period of less than 5 years has elapsed as from the date of vacation of office up to the election date;

          2.25 Having previously been ordered to vacate any office in a local government organisation on account of a neglect of or omission from performance in accordance with the duties and powers or unlawful discharge of duties and powers or a behaviour in violation of public order or welfare or a behaviour in a manner causing prejudice to official dignity or the local government organisation or official service and the period of less than 5 years has elapsed as from the date of vacation of office up to the election date;

          2.26 Being of other descriptions provided by the law establishing the local government organisation.

         Note  Item 2.21 is not enforceable pursuant to Constitutional Court Ruling No. 5/2566, dated 3 May 2023, which held that Section 50(21) of the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), stating that a person “having previously had voting rights revoked and less than 5 years have passed from the date of completion of the revocation period,” is contrary to or inconsistent with Section 26, paragraph one, of the Constitution.

          Any person who applies for election while knowing that they lack the required qualifications or possess prohibited characteristics shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of 1 to 10 years, a fine from 20,000 to 200,000 baht, and the court shall order the revocation of that person’s voting rights for 20 years, pursuant to Section 120 of the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), and its amendment.

          Further details may be studied from the Election of Members of Local Assemblies or Local Administrators Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), and its amendment, or from the website of the Office of the Election Commission of Thailand at www.ect.go.th, the hotline 1444, or the Smart Vote application.

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