Early voting
Early voting for those unable to vote on 2 February began on 26 January. There are an estimated 2 million registered early voters. In the southern provinces and in parts of Bangkok, demonstrators blocked access to polling places and prevented early voting from taking place. There were violent altercations at some polling places between demonstrators and people wishing to vote. One protest leader, Suthin Tharatin, was shot dead at a polling place in Bangkok during a confrontation with voters. Early voting took place without incident in the north, north-eastern and central regions (outside Bangkok) of Thailand. "This is the day when Thailand and the rest of the world saw the true face of the protest movement," said Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch. "They are using thuggery to disrupt the voting process."