Voting Behaviors and Political Campaigns in the 2019 Thailand General Election, Roi Et Province

Abstract

     The study of political competition and activities in Roi Et Province during Thailand’s 2019 general election reveals that the number of outstanding candidates in each constituency produced multiple levels of  competition. In terms of political campaigns,vote canvassing and vote-buying still exist in various forms. The factors that instead have a more powerful influence on people’s choices include policy competition, learning from the ideological struggle throughout a decade of Thai political conflict, economic growth, and concerning the political situation at that time. Furthermore, the online platform was an excellent opportunity to create space in the election campaign, facilitating reduced costs and limitations for candidates in many ways. These modern technologies are used in campaign management to link, expand, and strengthen networks. The election results show that most of the candidates from the Pheu Thai Party were elected, yet open area politics characterize the political landscape of Roi Et Province. In particular, the coming local elections will play an essential role in recruiting and supporting local political candidates.