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Published on August 20, 2007

Meanwhile, downpours in upper southern provinces dampened the spirits of voters who stayed away from the polling booths in large numbers.

Songkhla Election Com-mission director Mongkol Boonchoom said he was informed the factory had opened and employees were turning up for work as usual.

The factory reportedly suspended a group of workers for three days after they said

they wanted to vote in the referendum, a decision that is believed to violate Article 7 of the Referendum Act, he said.

Article 7 stipulates that any employer who detains, places obstacles and refuses to accommodate workers who want to vote in a referendum is liable to punishment of up to two months in jail and/or a Bt40,000 fine.

Ranong and Phang Nga voters were deterred by rain showers yesterday morning, while dark clouds had Phuket election officials praying to a local saint, the late Luang Phor Chaem, to stop the downfall.

Ranong reported a low turnout during the morning, but the provincial election commission insisted all 194 polling stations were opened with no problem and urged locals to vote in "this important day of the country".

In Phang Nga, many leaflets calling on the public to reject the draft constitution were found in Takua Pa district.

Four polling stations in Takua Pa and one in Khura Buri were flooded and were moved to other safer locations.

Flat-bottom boats were on stand-by at areas particularly hard hit to transport the

ballot boxes away from floodwater.

In Phuket, many voted during the morning. More than 40 per cent turned out at some polling stations because they feared rainfall in the afternoon, while the majority of 3,065 registered residents who had asked to vote outside of Phuket also turned up.

Targeting a 60-per-cent voter turnout of the 215,433 eligible voters, the Phuket Election Commission had everything in place.

They even prayed to the spirit of the highly respected Luang Phor Chaem to stop the rain in the afternoon.