ISTANBUL

Counting began after voting concluded for Thailand's snap general elections and a nationwide constitutional referendum, a first in the country’s political history.

Polling stations that opened at 8 am local time (0100GMT) were closed at 5 pm (0800GMT), state broadcaster Thai PBS World reported.

Unofficial results are expected before midnight.

More than 50 million eligible voters are choosing 500 lawmakers from about 5,000 candidates in elections for the House of Representatives. The vote follows the dissolution of the lower house on Dec. 12, a year before the end of its four-year term.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cast his vote in Buri Ram province, the home base of his Bhumjaithai Party, while most other party leaders voted in Bangkok.

Of the 500 seats, 400 are being filled through constituency races, while the remaining 100 will be allocated to political parties on a proportional basis according to nationwide party-list votes.

The outcome will determine who forms the next government and whether Charnvirakul can retain power.

The election is seen as a contest among three major political forces: the Bhumjaithai Party, the People’s Party, and the Pheu Thai Party.

Opinion polls indicate that no single party is likely to win enough seats to govern alone, making coalition-building necessary to form the next government.

The Election Commission expected a 75% turnout on voting day, with a high number of voters in the morning. EC Chairman Narong Klanwarin told reporters that turnout could be 80% or even 90%.