Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder threatens to tear up results

South China Morning Post · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Two weeks after an election that was called to cut through Thailand’s political stalemate, much is still in doubt.The threat of annulment hangs over the entire vote, while the final shape of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s governing coalition is still being formed.The February 8 poll, called by Anutin’s caretaker government to seek a fresh mandate, aimed to halt the revolving door at Government House that saw three prime ministers come and go in just two years.In that time, an economy that was once the star of Southeast Asia has slowed to its weakest growth in decades.Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s caretaker prime minister, pictured at his party’s Bangkok headquarters last week. Photo: ReutersAnutin’s Bhumjaithai stormed to a surprise victory at the poll, emerging as the largest party with more than 190 seats. Most voters, for the first time in a generation, actively turned to conservative leadership to tackle economic woes and end years of political upheaval.