Winning an uncontested Thai election is far from easy, according to the requirements of the nation's democratic constitution.
Failure to meet the requirements mean the April 2 election may have to be postponed, election officials warned this week. April 24 is the last possible day for an election to be held - 60 days after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra dissolved parliament.
In short, the charter demands that 500 seats of parliament's lower house be filled for a prime minister to be elected and a government formed.
A candidate needs 20 per cent of the eligible vote to win an uncontested seat - a tough call for Mr Thaksin in the troubled south, where he is deeply unpopular.
One hundred of the seats come from a 'party list' form of proportional representation. A resignation this week leaves Mr Thaksin with 99 names on his list - and not enough time to legally find another name for the list.