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Abstract

This research discusses the political competition and activities in Roi Et Province during

Thailand’s 2019 general election, including changes in voting behavior particularly, regarding
relevant actors and groups in electoral politics. The study finds that the number of
outstanding candidates in each constituency produced multiple levels of competition.

Moreover, various forms of campaign activities were more impactful than in previous
elections due to the large number of candidates and political parties. Furthermore, this was

the first election to occur since the 2014 military coup.

In terms of political campaigns, vote canvassing and vote buying still exist in various
forms, but they are much less influential on the voters’ decisions than they have been

in the past. 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 at both national and local levels, and the popularity
of the government in regard to the political situation at the time. Furthermore, various
campaign methods, both traditional and modern, were widely utilized during this election. It

was found that many social media applications became popular tools for communication,
increasing access to information and providing various channels for people to interact, both

with each other and with political parties and candidates. Moreover, the online platform was
an excellent opportunity to create space in the election campaign, reducing costs and other
limitations for candidates. 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 they received fewer votes than they had in previous elections. This phenomenon
shows that the political landscape of Roi Et Province is characterized by open area politics

rather than the monopolization of popularity by a dominant party. This change will
significantly impact the adjustment of various political parties in the province. In particular,
the coming local elections will play an essential role in recruiting and supporting local

political candidates.

Concerning the improvement of elections, this study recommends creating local
election committees in various constituencies and encouraging proactive mechanisms for

detecting offenses. Additionally, electoral system reform should include effective ways to
allow people to make independent choices and to embolden fair competition.

การศึกษาความเคลื่อนไหวทางการเมืองและพฤติกรรมการเลือกตั้งสมาชิกสภาผู้แทนราษฎร 2562 จังหวัดร้อยเอ็ด