Bangkok, Thailand (CNN)Choltanutkun Tun-Atiruj wasn't old enough to vote in the last official elections held in Thailand in 2011.
Like many of the 7 million other first time voters, she came of age during half a decade of military rule that has governed the country since former general turned Prime Minister Prayut-chan-o-cha seized power in a 2014 coup.
"We have had our voice taken away for over five years," she says.

On Sunday, Thais will finally be able to make their voice heard as they go to the polls for the first time in eight years, in what is widely considered to be a contest between parties aligned with the military, and the pro-democracy camp, many of which are loyal to exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his political dynasty that has dominated domestic politics since 2001.
With 18- to 25-year-olds making up about 15% of the nearly 52 million Thais eligible to vote, the youth ballot could prove decisive. Parties will be vying to win a majority in the 500-seat lower house of parliament on Sunday.

The Election Commission has until May 9 to announce the official results.

BANGKOK — A military-linked party took an unexpected lead in elections in Thailand on Sunday, most likely cementing the army’s status as the country’s dominant political force.

With more than 90 percent of the ballots counted, Palang Pracharat, the military’s proxy party, had 7.5 million votes, according to a preliminary count by the Election Commission.
Pheu Thai, the populist party that had been expected to finish first according to most polls, was in second place with seven million votes, the Election Commission reported.

Pheu Thai is the latest incarnation of a populist force that was toppled in the last two coups. The party is a political vehicle of Thaksin Shinawatra, a polarizing former prime minister whose aligned parties have won every election since 2001.

Bangkok (AFP) - Results of Thailand's first election since the 2014 coup were expected to trickle out Monday, with the junta primed to retain its grip on power after a vote that saw its main rival diminished, but vaulted a new pro-democracy force into the kingdom's politics.

The Election Commission delayed without explanation a full announcement of preliminary results on Sunday night as a blizzard of complaints mounted over apparent mistakes in the count and possible irregularities at the polls.

Nearly 1.9 million votes had been invalidated with 93 percent of votes tallied, the EC said late Sunday. Earlier counts showed that in a handful of provinces more than half the ballots cast were invalidated.

the Palang Pracha Rath Party has gained 7.6m of the popular vote - half a million more than Pheu Thai.

Pheu Thai is linked to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, whose loyalists have won every election since 2001.
There are growing complaints about irregularities and reports suggest the electoral commission may issue a correction to its figures later on.

However it is looking likely that the Palang Pracha Rath Party (PPRP) will be in a position to form a government under the current leader, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the coup that ousted Mr Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2014.

Parties need to secure 376 seats for a majority so it is possible for Palang Pracharat to form a government with only 126 seats in the lower house, assuming they have the support of the 250-seat upper house which is appointed by the military.

"This is a step along the way," cautioned Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "There's a long road ahead and we have to be mindful and sober. It's not a genuine democracy. It's a democratic transition under military custody."

The Election Commission (EC) president Ittiporn Boonpracong concluded on Sunday that 65.96 per cent of eligible voters had turned up to exercise their right, and postponed the announcement of initial election results to Monday after 90 per cent of the votes had been counted.

According to data provided by the EC’s Rapid Report system, the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party appeared to have won the election with over 7.5 million votes, while Pheu Thai came in a close second with 7.1 million votes after counting progressed to 93 per cent on Sunday night.

New player Future Forward outdid Thailand’s oldest Democrat Party with 5.2 million votes. The Democrats won 3.2 million votes nationwide at 93 per cent of vote counting, leading to its leader Abhisit Vejjajiva stepping down.

Medium-sized Bhumjaithai Party had won 3.2 million votes as of 10.30pm Sunday night and was comfortably at fifth place.

Ittiporn told the press on Sunday night that of the 90 per cent votes counted, 5.6 per cent were spoiled, while 1.5 per cent were no votes.

The Election Commission has just announced the official tally for constituency MPs, showing that Pheu Thai Party has won 138 of the 350 seats on offer.

Phalang Pracharat, meanwhile, came in second with 96 seats, trailed by Bhumjaithai with 39. The Democrats only won 33 seats, while Future Forward snared 30.

The rest of the seats were shared between Chartthaipattana (7), Prachachart (6) and Action Coalition for Thailand (1)

Secretary-general Ittiporn Boonprakong said the EC would announce the unofficial results of 350 constituency seats later on Monday, but unofficial full vote counts – which are needed to determine the allocation of 150 other seats in parliament – would not be available until Friday (Mar 29). He reiterated that official results from at least 95% of House seats would not be finalised until May 9.

The Pheu Thai party, which was ousted from government in the coup, said it won the most constituency seats in Sunday’s election and will try to form a government with similar-minded parties. But the unofficial results released thus far show the military-backed Palang Pracharat party won the popular vote.