Bangkok: Supachai refutes Wissanu's claim, stating that the barcode on the ballot does not compromise secrecy. He reiterates that the 2016 election was in accordance with the Constitution and affirms that it will not be invalidated. Mr. Supachai Jaisamut, a prospective MP on the party-list and chairman of the legal working group of the Bhumjaithai Party, posted on Facebook stating that regarding the news citing the opinion of former Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam that the 2026 general election might have issues with voting secrecy due to barcodes on ballots, this should be considered based on legal principles, not just technical concerns.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Supachai stated that the 2017 Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand stipulates that elections must be conducted 'directly and secretly.' The term 'secret' means that there must be no system that can link an individual to the voter; it does not mean that the ballot must be free of any codes or markings.
Mr. Supachai further stated that the barcodes on the ballot papers, which are produced under the supervision of the Election Commission, are for controlling the number of ballots, preventing forgery, and managing operations at each polling station. They are not linked to the voter registration list and there is no system to track who voted for whom.
Mr. Supachai further explained that for an election to be declared "void," there must be a serious violation of fundamental principles and clear evidence, not merely the assumption that the system "might" not be secret.
Mr. Supachai further cited an example: even if people around a person might speculate on which party they might vote for, the act of casting a ballot occurs alone in the polling booth. Once the ballot is folded and placed in the ballot box, no one can prove whose ballot it is or which candidate it represents. Therefore, secrecy remains, as per legal principles. He concluded that, as long as there is no evidence that barcodes can identify voters or that such a system is used to track votes, the 2026 general election remains a direct and secret election under the Constitution and cannot be invalidated solely on the basis of technical suspicion.