Thai College Entrance Exam Scheduled to Coincide With Election

Thai students meditating during a school session

The Thai junta announced in August that the country’s first general election in eight years will be on February 24 after four postponements, according to BBC. On October 18, the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) publicized details for the 2019 round testings, which are the annual college entrance examinations that all prospective Thai college students are required to take. The announcement revealed the entrance examination period to be from February 23 to 26, which overlaps with the recently announced election date.

Mr. Treerat Sirichantaropas, youth wing leader of the historically dominant Pheu Thai Party, remarked that the overlap could potentially infringe on the constitutional freedom to participate in elections without hindrance, according to Kom Chad Luek. Other political parties, such as the Future Forward Party which counts on young voters in this election, also called on the government and NIETS to reschedule the test, emphasizing the importance of youth political participation.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha denied the accusation that the overlapping dates are a coordinated attempt to exclude young voters. According to Thai Publica, he confirmed that the election date would remain the same, citing political pressure as a reason and commanding NIETS to “find a solution.” However, it is unlikely that NIETS has deliberately stifled youth participation. An Education Ministry statement said that the examinations are held during February 23 to 26 of every year. [FRONT PAGE ENDS HERE] The assistant director of NIETS clarified that the institute has submitted an inquiry to the Election Commission of Thailand and has learned that the announced election date is only the soonest possible date on which the election can be held and could be subject to future changes. He assured the public that the entrance exam period could also be adjusted, stressing the importance of youth democratic participation.

During a visit to the White House, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha pledged to President Trump that the country would hold an election in 2018. However, the date has been moved several times, due to uncertainty about the royal coronation ceremony. According to BBC, the election was originally supposed to be held in 2014, but legislative delays have caused the government to fall back on the election promise three times since 2014.

If held, the general election in 2019 will be the first valid election of representatives in eight years. Approximately 6.5 million new voters will be able to elect over 12 percent of the house of representatives. According to the National Statistic Office of Thailand, about 77,000 of the new voters are in their last year of high school. Should the issue remain unresolved, over 12 percent of the 6.5 million voters will be at risk of having some political rights forever compromised. According to Section 35 of the Constitutional Act on the Election of Representatives, voters who fail to participate in an election may lose the right to run for representative positions in the future.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, the military will remain present in Thai politics through the country’s 20-year National Strategy Committee, which is currently headed by the deputy PM, one of the 2014 coup leaders.