NIDA Poll finds Bangkok governor race struggling to excite voters
Most Bangkok voters surveyed say the June 28 gubernatorial election is not exciting, with many believing the winner is already predictable.
A new NIDA Poll suggests that Bangkok’s 2026 gubernatorial election may be less politically electrifying than expected, with many eligible voters saying the race is either predictable or unlikely to bring meaningful change.
'The NIDA Poll Centre of the National Institute of Development Administration released the survey, titled “How exciting is the 2026 Bangkok Gubernatorial Election?”, after interviewing 1,310 eligible voters aged 18 and above across all 50 districts of Bangkok from May 5–6, 2026. The poll used telephone interviews and multi-stage sampling from the NIDA Poll Master Sample, with a 97% confidence level and a margin of error within 0.05.
The survey focused on factors shaping voter decisions ahead of the Bangkok gubernatorial election scheduled for June 28, 2026.
Voters see a predictable contest
The poll found that the largest share of respondents did not view the upcoming election as exciting, mainly because they believed the result could already be anticipated.
When asked whether the June 28 election would be an exciting contest, respondents answered:
- 32.59%: Not exciting, because the winner is already predictable.
- 29.24%: Not exciting, because no matter who is elected, the result remains the same.
- 22.06%: Exciting, but only among the two to four leading contenders who have a real chance of winning.
- 16.11%: Exciting, because every candidate has a chance to be elected.
National politics has limited pull
The findings also suggest that national-level politics may not be the dominant factor for many Bangkok voters, although a sizeable group still sees it as influential.
When asked whether national politics would influence their decision in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, respondents answered:
- 33.97%: Not at all influential.
- 22.98%: Fairly influential.
- 21.91%: Highly influential.
- 20.99%: Not very influential.
- 0.15%: No answer / Not interested.
Deputy governor teams split opinion
The names and backgrounds of potential deputy governor candidates also appear to divide opinion, with the largest group saying they would not affect their vote at all.
When asked whether the names and backgrounds of prospective deputy governors would influence their decision, respondents answered:
- 30.61%: Not at all influential.
- 24.20%: Fairly influential.
- 23.59%: Highly influential.
- 21.60%: Not very influential.
Demographic profile of respondents
All respondents were registered residents of Bangkok.
Gender
- Male: 45.50%
- Female: 54.50%
Age
- 18–25 years: 10.92%
- 26–35 years: 17.09%
- 36–45 years: 18.17%
- 46–59 years: 25.73%
- 60 years and above: 28.09%
