Missing 'X' Instruction Could Invalidate Millions of Thai Referendum Votes

A sudden scramble inside Thailand’s election machinery is forcing officials to clarify something most voters thought was obvious: how to tick a box. A printing slip-up in millions of referendum booklets has revived old questions about the Election Commission’s preparedness just one month before voters decide whether the country should rewrite its constitution.

Snapshot of the controversy

• Wrong instruction: sample ballot says “mark only one box” but never specifies the need for an “X”.

• Mismatched colours: the booklet shows a blue sample, even though the real referendum paper will be yellow.

• 19 M copies of the booklet are already in homes nationwide.

• Referendum and general election share the same 8 Feb ballot day, meaning three different voting papers will be in every booth.

• Former election officials warn the oversight could inflate the number of invalid votes and erode trust.

Why a missing “X” is a big deal

Ballot instructions may look trivial, yet a single word can decide whether millions of votes are counted or binned. In previous Thai polls, even minor ambiguities produced tens of thousands of spoiled ballots. With the upcoming referendum asking the straightforward question, “Do you agree Thailand should draft a new constitution?”, the vote could hinge on turnout and precision. A ballot marked with a tick, circle or heart is automatically rejected under Thai rules; only the bold, unmistakable “X” (or กากบาท) is valid.

The Election Commission’s damage-control plan

Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee conceded the omission and promised an “intensive public-information blitz.” Officials will now:

Run television and radio spots demonstrating the correct mark.

Push graphic posts on LINE and Facebook that highlight the yellow referendum ballot and the required X.

Equip polling stations with posters in Thai, English and Braille reiterating the rule.

Sawaeng also stressed that the 31-page booklet’s wording was supplied verbatim by the Cabinet, while the EC merely printed and distributed it. That distinction, he argued, protects the commission’s neutrality, though critics say it also showcases a worrying lack of quality control.

Critics turn up the heat

Former commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn labelled the error “grave.” He fears ballots marked incorrectly could exceed the margin between yes and no votes, triggering political turmoil reminiscent of the 2007 and 2016 charter referendums. Civil-society network Vote62 and legal watchdog iLaw echoed those concerns, urging the EC to apologise publicly. “Be professional,” Somchai wrote, accusing his old agency of repeating past mistakes.

Registration hiccups complicate matters

Beyond the booklet, technical snags have rattled confidence:• Around 4,000 voters mistakenly signed up for out-of-constituency voting “inside their home province,” a status the EC software was never meant to allow.• Overseas registration data fluctuated overnight, dropping in some embassies after a database update.

The commission says it will contact affected voters directly and let them correct their records online until 18 January.

What every voter should remember on 8 February

• Three papers: green for constituency MP, pink for party-list MP, and yellow for the referendum.• Use a blue or black pen supplied at the booth; other colours risk invalidation.• Place one clear X in a single box—nothing else on the paper.• Fold the ballot as instructed and pop it into the matching-colour box.• Check your polling station in advance via the Smart Vote app or the local district office.

The deeper battle over the charter

Campaigners like Yingcheep Atchanont argue a brand-new constitution is the only way to curb military influence and restore full civilian control. Opponents, often linked to pro-establishment parties, warn that tearing up the current charter could invite prolonged instability. Surveys by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) show a narrow majority leaning toward a “yes” vote, but nearly one-third remain undecided—exactly the cohort most vulnerable to ballot-marking confusion.

Trust on the line

Every Thai election in the past decade has faced accusations of miscounts or opaque procedures. The EC has invested heavily in tamper-evident ballot bags and live-streamed counting to rebuild faith. Yet this printing gaffe threatens to overshadow those reforms. As political scientist Stithorn Thananithichot notes, “People judge an election’s fairness on the small details they can see. If the booklet is wrong, what else might be?”

The next four weeks

Expect a surge of voter-education workshops from provincial election offices, universities and NGOs. The EC’s hotline 1444 will reportedly extend hours to midnight, and 600,000 polling staff are being retrained to provide on-site guidance without crossing the line into persuasion. For Thai voters—and the many foreign investors watching political risk—the most basic of symbols, a simple X, has suddenly become the focus of a much larger conversation about competence, transparency and the future of Thailand’s democracy.