Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the current course’s overseas trip would not happen by May and would not take place in Europe despite earlier reports to the contrary. The yet-to-be-dated trips will only take place in either Asean countries, China, South Korea or Japan, he said.

The trips will last for only five or seven days and should be related to elections, preferably countries with ongoing elections, he said. 

Students are also expected to join the trips only after being trained and they must make reports and suggestions after returning, he said.

The EC decided to directly regulate the trips, normally overseen by its underling Political and Electoral Development Institute, after a series of reports on their appropriateness.

The course, participated in by various figures from political parties, appears to be subsidised with a Bt18-million budget through the EC’s political party development fund, although the EC said the whole course was covered and not just the trip.