2011 Thai general election

The Democrat Party promised that with their rule all Thais would live "under the same sky" with all groups being served fairly, whereas a Pheu Thai victory would result in "mob rule" in which social division and violence would spread and some groups could stand above the law. Abhisit referred to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as a poison that had to be detoxified.[34] The Democrats have repeatedly accused Thaksin and the Pheu Thai Party of disloyalty to King Bhumibol.[35]

The parties Bhumjaithai and Chartthaipattana formed a pre-campaign electoral alliance pledging to support whichever party won.[36] The parties were members of Abhisit's coalition.

Red Shirt leaders Jatuporn Prompan and Nisit Sinthuprai had been jailed for months on charges of violating national security and insulting King Bhumibol following the 2010 crackdown on the Red Shirts. They had been released on bail, but the bail was revoked immediately after Abhisit announced the 2011 elections. They were not allowed to vote in the elections.[37]

Abhisit unveiled a slate of candidates highlighted by 30 celebrities and heirs of political families, including Chitpas Bhirombhakdi, heiress of the Singha Beer fortune and former staff member of Abhisit's secretariat office.[38] She had earlier resigned after she was caught handing out nude calendars to secretariat office staff.

The Chartthaipattana fielded four sports celebrities as candidates: former national team football player Piyapong Pue-on, tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan, Olympic taekwondo bronze medallist Yaowapa Boorapolchai, and former rugby player Apirak Areemitr.

Abhisit promised to increase the minimum wage by 25% if the Democrat Party won the election.[39]

The Pheu Thai Party promised to increase the minimum wage to 300 baht per day. Abhisit had promised to raise the minimum wage to 300 baht prior to the elections, but changed his mind after pressure from employers.[40]

Rak Thailand Party of Chuwit Kamolvisit conducted a vigorous "Angry Man" campaign pledging to be in opposition to whichever party won.[41]

For Heaven and Earth Party (political arm of the Santi Asoke Buddhist sect) supported the NO campaign of some PAD supporters, which featured proverbial animals in color-coded suits as non-human electoral candidates, most bearing the slogan: Don’t let animals enter parliament (อย่าปล่อยสัตว์เข้าสภา). Also prominent: Flee (หนี...) (blue-suited tiger) For (ปะ...) (red-suited crocodile).[42][43] Chamlong Srimuang, a key supporter of the "vote-no" movement, did not vote "no" after all. In fact, he did not vote at all; his and his wife’s names were not on the list of eligible voters as they had voted in advance in the previous election but did not realise that they had to inform election officials that they did not want to do so in this one.[44]

Other PAD supporters, however, formed the New Politics Party whose logo is a yellow sauwastika under a Trairanga rainbow.[45]

Pracha Prasopdee, ex-MP for Samut Prakan Province who had won all five of the previous elections, was shot in the back on the night of 10 May. Pracha had been a member of the Thai Rak Thai, Peoples Power, and Pheu Thai parties.[49]

In this election more eligible voters turned up to vote. The number of Thais registered to vote from abroad is 147,330, the equivalent of just over half the population of Mae Hong Son Province and soared from 90,205 in 2008 – in Singapore the figure has surpassed 10,000 while in the United Kingdom the number has doubled from 2,296 to 4,775.[50] Early voting arranged on Sunday (26 June 2011) only while prior elections arranged on Saturday and Sunday. Around 2.6 million people, including 1.07 million in Bangkok turned up to vote; however, many potential voters were unable to vote due to large crowds.[51]

After the election was held on 3 July, the next procedure is that the Election Commission acknowledges the election result within thirty days from the election date in order that Abhisit Vejjajaiva, Caretaker Prime Minister, would enact a royal decree convoking the House of Representatives to have the new President of the House, Vice President of the House and Prime Minister selected respectively, and the President of the House would then advice and consent the King to appoint a new Prime Minister according to the resolution of the House.[54]

The Election Commission met to consider the election result in the afternoon of 12 July. The meeting was held until nightfall. More than fifty Red-Shirt members gathered in front of the Election Commission Office awaiting the outcome, with strict control of the police officers. That night, three hundred and fifty candidates were acknowledged by the Election Commission as the members of the House, but not including Yingluck Shinawatra, Abhisit Vejjajiva and Nattawut Saikua by cause of a great number of objections pending consideration.[54] The remainders, that is, one hundred and forty two elected candidates, are to be acknowledged by 20 July, said the Election Commission.[55] Yingluck described the postponement as part of a "normal process" for the commission.[56]

On 19 July, both Yingluck and Abhisit were acknowledged as the members of the House. On 27 July, the acknowledgement extended to further ninety four elected candidates. Now and eventually, the number acknowledged sufficed to constitute the House. This, however, did not include Jatuporn Prompan whom the Election Commission declared to have lost the suffrage due to failure to vote in both the previous and the present elections. The Constitution requires that a member of the House must possess the suffrage, and also prescribes that a person failing to vote in an election loses the suffrage but regains it once he votes in the next election.[7]

The Election Commission's announcements of the acknowledgement were published in the Government Gazette as follows:

Five red cards were expected during balloting in Sukhothai Province, Chaiyaphum Province, Maha Sarakham Province, Sisaket Province and Buriram Province in reference to campaign fraud.[57] There have been allegations of massive electoral fraud against third-place finisher Bhumjaithai Party that could potentially lead to the party dissolution by the Constitutional Court[58]

On 21 July, the Election Commission ordered the re-elections to be held in Sukhothai province and Nong Khai Province.[8][9] It also ordered a recount in Yala Province.[10]

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Proclamation on Appointment of Prime Minister dated 5 August 2011

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Proclamation on Appointment of Ministers dated 9 August 2011

Abhisit enacted on 29 July the Royal Decree Convoking the National Assembly, BE 2554 (2011), by which the National Assembly, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on Monday, 1 August 2011 at Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. The state ceremony of opening the National Assembly was presided over by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn instead of his aged father who has been confined in hospital for so long.[11] In this first joint session of the National Assembly, Somsak Kiatsuranont has been elected as the President of the House of Representatives (ex officio President of the National Assembly of Thailand); several other members have been selected as the Vice Presidents of the House.[59] The first separate session of the House of Representatives was held in the morning of 5 August to select a new Prime Minister.[60] In which 296 of the 500 members of parliament voted to approve the premiership of Yingluck Shinawatra, three disapproved, and 197 abstained. Four Democrat lawmakers were absent.[61][62] Somsak Kiatsuranont, President of the National Assembly, advised and consented King Bhumibol Adulyadej to appoint Yingluck Prime Minister on 8 August.[63] The Proclamation on her appointment has taken retroactive effect from 5 August.[64]

Yingluck has set up her Council of Ministers on 9 August. She and her Ministers were sworn in on 10 August.[65] They must then complete addressing their administrative policy to the National Assembly. According to the Constitution, the address must be made within fifteen days from the effective date of the Proclamation on Yingluck's appointment.[66]

By-elections were held to replace disqualified MPs. For Bangkok's 12th electoral district (which covered most of Don Mueang District, Pheu Thai MP Karun Hosakul was disqualified and banned for five years for defaming rival candidate Tankhun Jitt-itsara and the Democrat Party. A by-election was held to replace him.[67] Tankhun Jitt-itsara re-ran as the Democrat candidate,[68] while Yuranunt Pamornmontri, a party list MP, was chosen as Pheu Thai's candidate. He then resigned from his House seat on 27 May 2013 to run for the vacant seat.[69] Tankhun won the by-election, resulting in a Democrat gain for the constituency.