Prachachart Party leader Wan Muhamad Noor Matha cast his vote in Yala in the deep South, where polling stations were guarded by security officials.

Bhumjaithai heavyweight Jongchai Thiangtham cast his ballot in Suphan Buri’s Sri Prachan district, while long-time Democrat Siriwan Prasjaksattru, better known as Mae Liang Tik, travelled to her home district of Rong Kwang in Phrae province. Her political rival, Pheu Thai-turned Thai Raksa Chart politician, Worawat Eua-apinyakul, also travelled to Phrae’s Long district.

Meanwhile, celebrities such as likay (Thai opera) actor and singer Chaiya Mitrachai and movie star Yaya went their hometowns of Ang Thong and Pattaya respectively.

People living in other provinces, including hilltribe minorities from Doi Pui in Chiang Mai also travelled from their homes early to cast their votes, with officials providing them support in their local dialects.

Mayuree Janthima, 58, from Doi Pui said she had come out to vote as it was her duty as a Thai citizen, adding that the winning politician should help steer the country towards a better quality of life and development so it can be prosperous.

The EC, meanwhile, reported 50 cases of poll fraud.

She arrived at the station in Lat Phrao Soi 10 in a van with her husband and children. However, only Sudarat cast her ballot at that station while her family voted at a different polling station.

An army of local and international media waited for her at the polling station. Sudarat is among Pheu Thai’s three candidates for prime minister, the others being Chatchart Sitthiphan and Chaikasem Nitisiri.

Pheu Thai has proposed slashing the military budget among other poll promises.

She herself turned out to vote at her polling station in Prawet where she found “enthusiastic” voters since morning.

He said officials at polling stations had already tested the pens being used after rumours were spread on social media.

However, if the voters still lacked confidence, they could bring their own pens to the polling stations, he said.

There were rumours on social media networks that the pens at Bangkok’s polling stations had ink that would disappear within 15 minutes.

Last week, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration permanent secretary Silapasuay Raweesaensoon had warned Facebook users not to share false information about the use of pens with disappearing ink.

Silapasuay said the pens that would be used at 6,149 polling stations in Bangkok are normal ballpoint pens whose ink cannot vanish.

Prominent politicians and entertainment celebrities joined local residents in exercising their voting rights for the first time since the last completed general election in July 2011.

One of the early voters, Tawanchai Harinsawat, from Samut Songkhram, said he arrived at his polling station one hour before voting started. “I have some business later in the day. I was worried I may be too late for voting if I waited until I completed my business,” he said.

Elderly voters also showed up along with younger ones. Samut Songkhram resident Lek Namthong, 72, arrived at her polling station with a cane. “I have a problem walking after an illness. But as a Thai voter, I have to exercise my democratic right,” she said.

The couple arrived at the 33rd polling station of Bangkok’s Constituency 20 at 7.45am.

They checked their names on the list before the polling station opened at 8am. Thanathorn was 484th on the list and his wife 499th.

Thanathorn and his wife were the first of 9,727 eligible voters to cast their ballots at the station.

Thanathorn raised his fist and said he was excited to vote after the 2014 coup. He said he would have lunch with his mother Somporn Juangroongruangkit and family, and would head to his party office at 6pm to monitor the election results.

TopTrendThai reported that the hashtag “Tor Laew Luak Aeng Dai” (We’ve grown up, we can choose on our own) was the most used hashtag by Thai twitteratti from 11:30pm on Saturday until 6am on Sunday.

It has been reported that many first-time voters are at odds with their parents on the choice of political parties.

In a Dos and Don’ts statement on the EC website, the watchdog said taking photos of marked ballots would be a violation of the election law and punishable with a year in jail.

The EC vowed to take action against a voter who took a photo of a marked ballot during advance voting by Thai expats.

The statement also warned against any action that would damage the ballots.

In past elections, several voters were arrested for damaging their ballots, as they misunderstood that they had to tear the number to mark it.