Prayut beats Paetongtarn for PM in poll of Nakhon Si Thammarat voters
Most voters in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat prefer Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as the next premier, the latest poll by the National Institute of Development Administration found.
Prayut was preferred by 29.08% of the 1,310 eligible voters in the province the institute surveyed by telephone from February 3 to 8.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, however, was not far behind. The likely prime minister candidate for the Phue Thai party came second with support from 21.07% of the respondents.
The poll released on Sunday listed the top 10 picks by eligible voters in the province for the next premier. After Prayut and Paetongtarn respondents said:
- 10.53%: Still undecided
- 8.93%: Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat
- 7.33%: Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit
- 5.27%: Seri Ruam Thai Party leader Pol General Seri Temeeyaves
- 4.66%: Chart Pattanakla Party leader Korn Chatikavanij
- 3.44%: Bhumjaithai Party leader and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul
- 3.36%: Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan
- 1.15%: Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew.
This poll was only the second conducted by the institute this year and last year in which Prayut, who will become the prime ministerial candidate of the United Thai Nation Party, beat Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Surveys by the institute last year found Paetongtarn was the most popular choice for premier nationwide. Most regional surveys also put her on top. However, Prayut was more popular than her in a survey of voters in the South, while Pita was the top choice in a survey of Bangkok voters.
When asked which party they would select in constituency-based voting, those surveyed in Nakhon Si Thammarat replied:
- 22.29%: Democrat
- 21.68%: Pheu Thai
- 21.22%: United Thai Nation
- 9.16%: Move Forward
- 6.41%: Undecided
- 4.50%: Bhumjaithai
- 3.82%: Seri Ruam Thai
- 3.36%: Chart Pattanakla
- 3.13%: Palang Pracharath
- 1.45%: Thai Sang Thai
For party-list voting, Pheu Thai became the most popular choice, followed by the Democrats:
- 22.44%: Pheu Thai
- 21.68%: Democrat
- 20.69%: United Thai Nation
- 10%: Move Forward
- 6.72%: Undecided
- 4.27%: Bhumjaithai
- 3.82%: Seri Ruam Thai
- 3.28%: Chart Pattanakla
- 2.67%: Palang Pracharath
- 1.53%: Thai Sang Thai
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