Thailand votes to elect parliament, change Constitution

People in Thailand are voting Sunday in a snap election and a constitutional referendum across the country.

Polling stations opened at 8 am (0100 GMT).

More than 50 million eligible voters will choose 500 lawmakers from 5,000 candidates in the election for the House of Representatives, which is widely seen as a test of Thailand's political direction.

The elections were called after the lower house of parliament was dissolved Dec. 12, a year before the end of its four-year term.

Of the 500 seats, 400 lawmakers are elected through constituency contests, while the remaining 100 are allocated proportionally based on nationwide party votes.

The result will decide who forms the next government and whether caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul can retain power.

Voters will also take part in a constitutional referendum, deciding whether to begin the process of rewriting the military-era Constitution.

Voters can choose "approve," "disapprove," or "no opinion" on the referendum ballot.

The referendum passes only if "approve" gets more votes than the other options.

The polls will close at 5 pm (1000GMT) and counting will begin shortly afterward.