A royal decree calling for the Senate selection is expected to take effect by the end of November with the first round of voting likely to be held a month later, according to the Election Commission (EC).
The timeline for the intra-group voting for 200 shortlisted candidates, of which 50 will be selected by the regime, was unveiled on Thursday at a meeting between the EC and senior officials from the Interior Ministry to make preparations for the selection of senators and MP elections.
According to EC chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong, the royal decree is likely to take effect on Nov 30 and candidacy registration should begin in early December.
The voting at the district level is expected to take place on Dec 30 in which about 55,680 candidates, or 60 per district, will be selected. A week later, on Jan 6, provincial level voting will take place and about 6,160 candidates will be selected.
The national selection in which 200 candidates will be shortlisted will proceed within 10 days of the provincial voting and the EC is expected to forward the list to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) by Jan 22.
Mr Itthiporn said he hopes the Senate race, the country's first intra-group voting, will be upbeat and draw as many candidates as possible despite being limited.
"If the contest is well received with candidates and officials have a good understanding, it will set the tone for the general election. I hope we can encourage many people to join," he said.
The 50 senators picked by the NCPO will join the 200 others to create the 250-member upper House.
Of the second batch, 194 will be selected and six seats are reserved for the three armed forces leaders, the supreme commander, the defence permanent secretary, and the national police chief.
On the matter of general election, Mr Itthiporn said the EC has new "tools" to help it organise a free and fair contest including poll inspectors.
Poll inspectors are among new elements introduced in election-related laws. They are tasked with investigating complaints and forwarding them to the EC.
Their investigation can lead to the suspension of an election. They will take over a role previously held by provincial election chiefs.
Mr Itthiporn said the EC office is reviewing complaints involving 616 poll inspectors, and the list is expected to be forwarded to the commission soon.
The selection of 616 poll inspectors by the former EC led by Supachai Somcharoen had upset a group of National Legislative Assembly (NLA) who claimed some of the inspectors lacked experience and may have political affiliations.
The controversy subsided after the new EC took office before their predecessors endorsed the inspectors.
According to the EC chairman, the redrawing of constituencies is expected to be completed on Nov 10, about a month before an organic bill governing the elections of MPs takes effect on Dec 11.
General elections will be held within 150 days of the organic law on MP election coming into effect while the senate selection must be completed no fewer than 15 days before the national polls.
