In a study of voters’ favourite choice for prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra outranked incumbent PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha – and all other candidates – by a margin of four to one among the 1,100 eligible voters surveyed in the province of Ubon Ratchathani.
In a telephone survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) from March 27 to 30, the Pheu Thai candidate was chosen by 45.55% of respondents in the northeastern province, while Prayut was chosen by only 10.82%.
Former property billionaire Srettha Thavisin, a second Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister, came in fourth in the Nida poll, with 7.45% of the vote.
According to Nida survey findings announced on Sunday, Thailand’s largest political party was also the first choice for both constituency and party-list elections, with more than 60% support. United Thai Nation, the party running Prayut for Prime Minister, received only a few hundred votes.
Pheu Thai has a stronghold in the Northeast. It was also a bastion of Pheu Thai’s predecessor, Thai Rak Thai, which was founded by Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in exile.
Top five PM candidates:
• Paetongtarn (45.55%).
• Pita Limjaroenrat, Move Ahead Party leader, 12.18%
• Prayut: 10.82%
• 7.45%: Srettha Thavisin, Pheu Thai’s second Prime Ministerial candidate
• 7.09%: Sudarat Keyuraphan, leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party
Top five political parties for constituency MPs:
• Pheu Thai (62.27%)
• 12.55%: Progress
• United Thai Nation (7.18%).
Thai Sang Thai (4.09%).
• Democrat: 3.82%
Top 5 parties for MPs on party lists:
• Pheu Thai (61.36%)
• 12.91%: Progress
• United Thai Nation: 8.09%
Thai Sang Thai (4.09%).
• Donegal Democrat: 3.73%
