Prayut has slight edge in Deep South, poll finds
Voters in three southern border provinces have a slight preference for Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as the next premier, the latest opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration found.
The results of the poll, announced on Sunday, found that 19.82% of respondents in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat preferred Prayut as the next prime minister.
He did not, however, have a commanding lead.
Second and third choices – Prachachart Party leader Wan Mohammad Noor Matha and Pheu Thai Party’s PM candidate Paetongtarn Shinwatra – had the support of 17.55% and 16.73% of respondents, respectively, the poll found.
The poll interviewed 1,100 eligible voters by telephone from February 10 to 20.
It was the third Nida poll to find Prayut was slightly more popular than Paetongtarn. Previously, he beat Paetongtarn in a regional survey in the South and in a provincial survey in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Paetongtarn topped most national and regional polls last year, as well as a recent poll in Chonburi province.
When asked who they would pick as the next PM, the top 10 responses were:
- 19.82%: Prayut
- 17.55%: Wan Noor
- 16.73%: Paetongtarn
- 10.45%: Undecided
- 9.82%: Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat
- 5.91%: Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit
- 4.18%: Seri Ruam Thai Party leader Pol General Seri Temeeyaves
- 3.64%: Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan
- 2.91%: Bhumjaithai Party leader and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul
- 2.27%: Chart Pattanakla Party leader Korn Chatikavanij
Pheu Thai topped the survey for party-list candidates and Prachachart was the first choice for constituency candidates.
When asked which party they would pick for constituency-based candidates, the top 10 responses were:
- 22.64%: Prachachart
- 19.64%: Pheu Thai
- 15.27%: Democrat
- 12.91%: United Thai Nation
- 10.73%: Move Forward
- 4.91%: Palang Pracharath
- 3.82%: Bhumjaithai
- 3.18%: Undecided
- 2.36%: Seri Ruam Thai
- 1.45%: Chart Pattanakla/ Thai Sang Thai (tied)
When asked which party they would pick for party-list candidates, the top 10 responses were:
- 20.64%: Pheu Thai
- 19.91%: Prachachart
- 14.73%: Democrat
- 13.55%: United Thai Nation
- 10.73%: Move Forward
- 4.91%: Palang Pracharath
- 4.73%: Undecided
- 4.36%: Bhumjaithai
- 2.36%: Seri Ruam Thai
- 1.55%: Thai Sang Thai
