BANGKOK – Thailand’s Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the Election Commission to provide a formal explanation within seven days regarding the use of barcodes and QR codes on election ballots, following complaints that the practice may violate constitutional guarantees of secret voting.

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The inquiry stems from multiple petitions, including those filed by lawyer Phattarapong Supakson and independent scholars, who allege that the codes could enable authorities to trace individual votes. Such traceability would contravene Article 85 of the Constitution and Section 96 of the MP Election Act, both of which mandate the secrecy of the ballot.

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BANGKOK – 17 February 2026
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former commissioner of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC), has criticised the agency over what he described as an expensive… pic.twitter.com/rh9aPBQbwH

— Khaosod English (@KhaosodEnglish) February 17, 2026

The Ombudsman’s office will review the Election Commission’s response and determine whether the complaints have legal merit. If the office finds grounds for concern, the matter will be forwarded to the Constitutional Court for a final ruling. If the complaints are deemed unfounded, the case will be dismissed.

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The controversy has intensified scrutiny of the February 8 general election, with critics arguing that the inclusion of scannable codes on ballot papers undermines the fundamental principle of anonymous voting. The Election Commission has previously defended the codes as anti-counterfeiting measures but has not yet issued a formal response to the Ombudsman’s order.

-Thailand News (TN)