Thailand legislative election, October 2006

After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006. Due to delays in the nomination of a new election committee the election were likely to be moved to November, but then cancelled indefinitely after the military's overthrow of the Thai government.

The April elections were boycotted by the major opposition parties (the Democrat Party, the Mahachon Party, and Chart Thai Party). The results of the April elections, in which the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party won by a landslide, were disqualified by the Constitutional Court due to the placement of voting booths.

On 30 May, the Cabinet endorsed an Election Commission proposal to hold a new round of elections on 15 October 2006. The new election date allowed politicians 9 days time (by 8 June) to switch parties. The Thai constitution requires politicians to maintain their party membership for 90 days before being eligible to register as election candidates. The election date was affirmed by the signing of the royal decree by King Bhumibol Adulyadej on July 20, 2006.

The Constitutional Court and Opposition parties pressured the Election Commission to resign due to the disqualification of the April election. However, Commission head Vasana Puemlarp and the two other remaining commissioners refused to resign. The Criminal Court later jailed the three Commissioners who refused to resign, forcing the appointment of a new set of Commissioners.

Rumors were rampant prior to the election that many MPs from the ruling Thai Rak Thai would defect. Former TRT party-list MPs Likhit Dhiravegin and Sarit Santimethanedol left to establish the Phalang Phaendin party ("Strength of the Land"), claiming that 40 TRT Wang Nam Yen defectors would follow them. However, as of 5 June, no other MPs defected. Wang Nam Yom faction member Banyin Tangpakorn was quoted as saying that no more than 5 members wanted to defect.

Sanoh Thienthong, head of the TRT's powerful rebel Wang Nam Yen faction, had resigned from the TRT in February, along with his wife, Uraiwan (then Culture Minister). He later established the Pracharaj Party. Joining Sanoh in resigning from the TRT was party-list MP Winai Sompong.Sora-at Klinpratoom, another influential Wang Nam Yen member, resigned from the ICT Ministry, but did not resign from the TRT party. Outspoken businessman and founder of Thai Petrochemical Industry (TPI) Prachai Leophai-ratana also joined the Pracharaj Party as its secretary-general.Pramual Rujanasseri, Boonthueng Pholphanit and Chucheep Harnsawat were appointed as deputy party leaders.

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