Bangkok (VNA) - Thai voters on December 20 casted their votes to select leaders ofthe provincial administrative organisations (PAOs) and members of PAO councils.
This is the first local polls to take place since the 2014coup. The pools stared at 8am and will conclude at 5pm the same day. Dueto impact of COVID-19 pandemic, voters were requested to wear masks.
According tothe country's Election Commission (EC), 335 people have applied to be PAO chiefcandidates and 8,186 are seeking council seats. Buri Ram saw the mostcandidates — eight for chief and 344 for the council. Phetchaburi has thefewest candidates — one and 33 respectively.
A PAO isresponsible for public services such as roads, bridges, sewage systems andelectricity. It also maintains order, promotes tourism, preserves naturalresources, and supports education and culture.
Up to 120,000 police officers have been mobilised to ensure things gosmoothly and also prevent and arrest anyone involved in election fraud at the96,000 polling stations throughout the country.
Provincial police in 10 provinces were on alert forpotential violent incidents. These provinces are Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani,Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Sakon Nakhon, Nan, Phichit, Kanchanaburi, NakhonSi Thammarat and Trang, according to Thai deputy national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapat./.
VNA
