Daughter of Thailand's exiled ex-PM Thaksin leads opinion poll

FILE PHOTO: Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a bloodless 2006 coup, poses with his daughter Paetongtarn during her graduation day at a Bangkok university July 10, 2008. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom (THAILAND)/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The daughter of Thailand's ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and lives in self-imposed exile, has emerged as a leading candidate for premier in a preliminary opinion poll ahead of elections due next year.

The poll signals challenges for the current military-aligned government, with potential voters listing the two main opposition parties as their top two preferences, although many remained undecided.