The Election Commission (EC) has disqualified the winner of the election for chairman of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO) and ordered a fresh elecion be held.
Charn Phuangphet, winner of the June 30 election, has been issued a yellow card over complaints about alleged vote buying. He allegedly threw a pre-polls party to woo voters.
However, Mr Charn can stand again, competing with other candidates for the seat. No date was set for the election.
Mr Charn stood for election as a candidate of the Pheu Thai Party.
He received 203,032 votes, beating Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit Toopkrajang, the former PAO chairman, who received 201,212 votes. Noppadol Laddayaem came third with 16,983 and Athiwat Sonnoei fourth with 7,122 votes
Charn, 62, and Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit, 72, were the main contenders in the PAO election.
Mr Charn also faces a malfeasance trial in connection with his past performance as PAO chairman more than a decade ago.
In 2012, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found grounds to believe Mr Charn had committed malfeasance regarding the PAO's procurement of relief supplies during the 2011 floods.
The NACC then forwarded the case to the Region 1 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, which suspended Mr Charn from work later in the same year. The case remains unfinalised.
