After the public was led to believe for a few months that the general election will be held on Feb 24, the Election Commission has refused to confirm the date amid rumours the poll could be delayed by a month.
Thai media reported on Friday the poll, the first in seven years, could be delayed to March 24 because the EC might not be able to finish printing the ballots in time.
EC secretary-general Pol Col Charoongvit Poomma said on Saturday the EC had the sole authority to set the date, which would be officially announced five days after a royal decree on the election takes effect.
Constitutionally, the election must be held in 150 days after election-related organic laws took effect on Dec 11, or by early May.
"It's entirely up to us to take into consideration all related factors, including ballot printing, before announcing the date, which we'll decide later," he said.
He said the EC had not set the date, yet rumours spread that the poll would be put off because of the ballot issues.
"How could a date which has not been set in the first place be delayed? The fact is Feb 24 is the date we are ready to hold the election but setting it is at the discretion of the EC, which will take into consideration other factors," he said.
Asked why the EC had said earlier it could finish printing the ballots in time, Pol Col Charoongvit said the EC was ready and would finish the job in time but other factors also came into play in setting the date.
Meanwhile, the government made clear on the same day it didn't have anything to do with the possible delay.
"We're still adhering to the roadmap, which set the date on Feb 24. If there are factors delaying it, the EC must explain them to the people because the government has no reason to put it off. The government's key figures have also shown no signs," said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punnakanta.
The ballot format had been an issue of debate earlier after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggested to a joint meeting with political parties it should not have party logos. Political parties protested and the EC finally agreed to put all the information on the ballots — candidate numbers and names, as well as their party names and logos.
As a result, the ballots will be different for each of 350 constituencies but the EC had said it could print the ballots in this format in time.