Local Elections and Religious Holiday This Weekend in Thailand, Alcohol Sales Bans and Bar Closures Incoming

Wednesday, 7 May 2025, 15:11

Sri Racha-

At the Sriracha Municipality Office in Sriracha District, Police Lieutenant Colonel Anan Nuchsiri, Chairman of the Election Committee for Sriracha Municipality, presided over the opening ceremony of the campaign to promote voter participation in the election of municipal council members and the mayor of Sriracha Municipality for the fiscal year 2025.

Acting Mayor Tanongsak Phuangnoi, Permanent Secretary of Sriracha Municipality, delivered the event report. The event was also attended by Ms. Manatsanan Witthana, Director of the Chonburi Provincial Election Commission Office, and Ms. Chanphen Wiriyaprapat, Deputy Director of the same office.

The campaign aims to ensure that the election process is conducted smoothly, lawfully, transparently, and fairly. It seeks to educate citizens about their rights and responsibilities, promote democracy, and encourage maximum voter turnout.

The campaign parade included approximately 500 participants, comprising election committee members, election directors, municipal election sub-committee members, municipal teachers, staff, students, and educational institutions under Sriracha Municipality. The parade promoted the upcoming election, scheduled for Sunday, May 11, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Participants distributed informational materials and used mobile loudspeakers to urge residents in the Sriracha Municipality area to vote for capable candidates to lead local governance.

Voter Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a Thai citizen. For naturalized citizens, they must have held Thai citizenship for at least 5 years.
Must be at least 18 years old on election day.
Must have been registered in the household registry in the election area for at least 1 consecutive year up to the election day.
Other qualifications as stipulated by local government organization laws.

Identification Documents for Voting:

National ID card (expired cards are acceptable).
Any government-issued document with a photo and national ID number.

Sriracha Municipality has three electoral districts. The Pattaya News notes that elections will be held locally around Thailand and per Thai election law alcohol sales will be prohibited from the evening before until polls close the day of the election, likely around 6:00 PM Saturday night. This will also lead to bar and entertainment venue closures. Additionally, a religious holiday on the same day means bars and alcohol sales will be prohibited all day Sunday, May 11th.

It’s worth noting that Bangkok and Pattaya are NOT having local elections and may not be affected by the closures on Saturday night, but final confirmation was still not made on this. If so, this would only be Pattaya proper and not extended areas like Nongprue or Pong.

As of press time, however, official notices have yet to go out about elections, only religious holidays.