BANGKOK, Nov 6 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Voters in the North have joined Thais in the Northeast in picking former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter as their preferred next prime minister, according to a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) survey.
The October 28-November 2 survey was conducted among 2,000 voters from various occupations, education backgrounds and income levels living across the North.
Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who leads the Pheu Thai Family Programme, topped the choices for next PM with 31.70%. That figure is slightly lower than the 36.45% of Northeasterners who favoured Paetongtarn.
Northerners were less keen on Prayut Chan-o-cha serving a third term as PM since coming to power in the 2014 coup, with only 12.5% giving him the nod.
Asked who they wanted to become the next PM, Northern respondents answered as follows:
• 31.70% said Paetongtarn Shinawatra
• 15% said Pita Limjaroenrat (Move Forward Party leader)
• 12.65% said they were undecided
• 12.50% said PM Prayut Chan-o-cha
• 6.55% said Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan (Thai Sang Thai Party leader)
• 6.20% said Sereepisuth Temeeyaves (Thai Liberal Party leader)
• 3.85% said Cholnan Srikaew (Pheu Thai Party leader)
• 2.5% said Korn Chatikavanij (Chart Pattana Kla Party leader)
• 2% said Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (Bhumjaithai Party leader)
• 1.85% gave no answer or did not care
• 1.10% said Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit (Democrat Party leader)
• 1.05% said Somkid Jatusripitak (Sang Anakhot Thai Party’s tentative PM candidate)
• 3.05% said others, including Deputy PM and Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan and Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt
Pheu Thai topped the list of parties to vote for in both the constituency and party-list ballots at the next general election with 48.7% and 48.75% respectively. Northeasteners also favoured Pheu Thai, but by even bigger margins of 54.35% and 51.40% respectively.
Asked which party they would vote for in constituency elections, Northerners answered as follows:
• 48.70% said Pheu Thai
• 16.40% said Move Forward
• 10.40% were undecided
• 8.05% said Palang Pracharath
• 5.45% said the Democrats
• 2.50% said Thai Liberal Party
• 2.20% Bhumjaithai
• 2.05% Thai Sang Thai
• 4.25% said other parties including Chart Pattana Kla, Chart Thai Pattana and Sang Anakhot Thai
Asked which party they would vote for in party-list elections:
• 48.75% said Pheu Thai
• 16.15% said Move Forward
• 11.55% were undecided
• 7.20% said Palang Pracharath
• 4.75% said the Democrats
• 2.85% said Thai Liberal
• 2.25% said Bhumjaithai
• 1.90% said Thai Sang Thai Party
• 4.60% said other parties, including Chart Pattana Kla, Chart Thai Pattana and Sang Anakhot Thai. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
