"Thailand Election 2019"

Meet seven of the ambitious rookies heading to Parliament under Phalang Pracharat and Future Forward banners

Electoral convolutions resulted in little actual political change – and even less room for claims of legitimacy

The European Union [EU] has praised Sunday’s election in Thailand as an important step towards restoring a democratic form of governance.

Thailand's election was marred by "irregularities" and "rigged" to ensure the military retain their political grip on the kingdom, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra told AFP in an interview on Monday.

Pheu Thai and Phalang Pracharat both claim right to form government with support of likeminded parties

Small parties have vowed to continue campaigning and slowly building support after failing to make much of an impression at the ballot box on Sunday.

Thai Airways International (THAI) president Sumeth Damrongchaitham on Monday said the ballots from advance voting by Thais in New Zealand had arrived at the carrier’s cargo centre on Saturday evening, but no one came to pick them up until the morning of the election.

The Election Commission (EC) has just announced the official tally for constituency MPs, showing that Pheu Thai Party has won 137 of the 350 seats on offer.

The integrity of the Election Commission (EC) has come under question, as people are asking if the vote tally has been free and fair.

The Election Commission (EC) president Ittiporn Boonpracong concluded on Sunday that 65.96 per cent of eligible voters had turned up to exercise their right, and postponed the announcement of initial election results to Monday after 90 per cent of the votes had been counted.

Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit thanked voters for making space for the party in the Thai political landscape after it won more than 50 of the 500 seats in Parliament.

Ongart Klampaiboon, a key figure in the Democrat Party, acknowledged on Sunday that it had suffered a huge loss to the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party.