NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Many people headed to their home provinces on Saturday to exercise their voting rights, signalling a high turnout for Sunday’s general election.
People formed long queues to buy tickets at Nakhon Ratchasima bus terminal 2 on Saturday afternoon. Most had travelled from the Mor Chit terminal in Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the Northeast, to take interprovincial buses, mini-buses or vans to other northeastern provinces such as Khon Kaen, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Udon Thani. All vehicles were filled with passengers.
Sor Lekprakhon, 51, the operator of mini-bus No 30 on the Nakhon Ratchasima-Surin route, said he had seen a high number of passengers during the past two days. On Saturday, he had already made two trips and all seats were booked. Most passengers said they wanted to go home so they could cast their ballots on Sunday, said Mr Sor.
People were more enthusiastic about Sunday’s election than the last general election in 2019, he added.
Many people were also waiting for passenger vans to their home provinces in the Northeast. Many had travelled from Bangkok as long-haul interprovincial buses from Mor Chit to the Northeast were fully booked.
Panida Uppachanthor, 27, a native of Khon Kaen, said she and her younger sister had taken a bus from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, where they would take a van to their home province to cast their ballots on Sunday. She had missed the registration for advance voting so she had to go home, she said.
She also observed that many voters were very active this weekend. Many passengers had to wait for buses and vans for almost 3 hours, said Ms Panida.
Passengers wait for buses at Nakhon Ratchasima bus terminal 2 on Saturday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)
At the van terminal in Korat, many passengers wait for rides to their provinces in the Northeast. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)
Panida Uppachanthor, 27, a native of Khon Kaen, says she and her sister are looking forward to exercising their voting rights on Sunday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)