Prayut top choice as next PM for Songkhla voters, survey shows

The National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) conducted the survey by calling some 1,100 residents of Songkhla from February 17 to 23. The respondents were at least 18 years old.

As per the survey, up to 26% prefer Prayut as their next PM, followed by 18.46% for Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is a tentative PM candidate for Pheu Thai, and Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat (11.36%).

Though Prayut won support from most respondents, his United Thai Nation Party (UTNP) came third in the survey for both constituency and party-list elections. The Democrat Party, which is the long-time champion of the South, came top for both constituency and party-list ratings.

This is the fourth Nida Poll to find Prayut more popular than Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and head of the Pheu Thai Family project.

Prayut beat Paetongtarn in three earlier surveys, one covering the entire South, one in Nakhon Si Thammarat and another covering the deep South provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

However, Paetongtarn topped most national polls last year, as well as a recent poll conducted in Chonburi province.

Here are some of the results of the latest Nida Poll.

Who would you pick as next PM? The top 10 answers were:

• 26%: Prayut

• 18.46%: Paetongtarn

• 11.36%: Pita

• 10.36%: Undecided

• 7.18%: Korn Chatikavanij (Chart Pattana Kla leader)

• 6.73%: Jurin Laksanawisit (Democrat leader)

• 4.64%: Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (Bhumjaithai Party leader)

• 4.18%: Pol General Seri Temeeyaves (Seri Ruam Thai Party leader)

• 3.18%: Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan (Thai Sang Thai Party leader)

• 1.91%: No comment

When asked which party they would choose for constituency-based candidates, the top 10 responses were:

• 23.46%: Democrat

• 19%: Pheu Thai

• 15.91%: United Thai Nation

• 13.45%: Move Forward

• 7.55%: Bhumjaithai

• 4.73%: Undecided

• 4.64%: Chart Pattana Kla

• 3.18%: Palang Pracharath

• 2.45%: Seri Ruam Thai

• 1.45%: Thai Sang Thai

When asked which party they would pick for party-list candidates, the top 10 answers were:

• 22.91%: Democrat

• 20.09%: Pheu Thai

• 17.18%: United Thai Nation

• 13.18%: Move Forward

• 7.09%: Bhumjaithai

• 5.18%: Chart Pattana Kla

• 4.09%: Undecided

• 3%: Seri Ruam Thai

• 2.46%: Palang Pracharath

• 1.55%: Thai Sang Thai

Previous report:

Paetongtarn, Pheu Thai take huge lead in Northeast poll as election looms