Wan Muhamad Noor Matha (PCC) Pichet Chuamuangphan (PTP) Paradorn Prissanananthakul (BTP) Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (PP)

The Constitutional Court later invalidated the House of Representatives election results and ordered a new round of voting.

Although TRT easily won the election in terms of both votes and seats, the results were seen by Thaksin's opponents and media critics as a rejection of his call for an overwhelming mandate.

In parts of Bangkok and in southern Thailand, most TRT candidates were elected on minority votes after the majority of voters used the "abstain" option on their ballot papers.

Thaksin's decision to call early elections followed a mounting campaign of criticism of his personal financial dealings.

Thaksin also cited the impact on the economy of the political situation, pointing to the questions it had raised about the future of megaprojects and the ups and downs on the stock market.

On 25 February the Post reported Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as saying he was "ready to become a prime minister who adheres to the principles of good governance and ethics, not authoritarianism."

On 27 February the three opposition parties announced a boycott of the election after Thaksin reportedly refused to sign a pledge to implement constitutional reforms.

In many constituencies in these areas voters used the "abstain" option on their ballot papers to reject TRT candidates, even when they were running unopposed.

The EC claimed the new arrangement was designed to prevent various forms of poll fraud including the use of cameras by voters to take photographs of their ballots.

After the 2005 election, cameras and cameraphones had been banned from voting stations due to fears that canvassers would demand ballot photographs in return for money.

[6] The elections were finally declared invalid by Thailand's Constitutional Court, which found that the positioning of the voting booths violated voter privacy.

The Court was unsuccessful in pressuring the EC head to resign; however, it did prevent the Senate from appointing a replacement for commissioner Jaral Buranapansri who had died.