Poll finds Prayut preferred PM choice

A Rangsit University poll of 8,000 people nationwide has found Gen Prayut Chano-cha has the most support for the job of prime minister after the general election, with Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Pheu Thai Party a distant second.

The poll results were released three days after the National Institute of Development Administration announced the results of a similar poll which saw Khunying Sudarat named the most popular candidate, followed closely by Gen Prayut.

Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, dean of the university’s college of social innovation, had the pollsters on Saturday question 8,000 people in all 350 potential constituencies.

He said 27% of respondents favoured Gen Prayut, 18% were for Khunying Sudarat, 15.5% for Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, and nearly 10% for Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the newly established Future Forward Party.

The survey also found that Gen Prayut was more popular than Khunying Sudarat in all regions.

He was way ahead of her in Bangkok (31% to 21%), the Central Plains (29% to 16%), the Northeast (26% to 18%), and the South (24% to 17%).

In the North, just under 27% of respondents favoured Gen Prayut and nearly 22% Khunying Sudarat.

The survey showed Gen Prayut and Mr Abhisit were almost neck and neck in Bangkok (31.3% to 31%) and the South (24.4% to 24.2%).

Mr Abhisit received support from almost 14% in the Central Plains, 13% in the North, and 10% in the Northeast.

Mr Thanathorn’s popularity peaked in the South with nearly 12% of respondents supporting him, followed by 11% in the Northeast, 9% in the North, 9% in the Central Plains, and 4.5% in Bangkok.

Rangsit University has held four polls on this topic but the results do not show a consistent trend in favour of a particular candidate.

Gen Prayut came out on top in May, Mr Abhisit in June, and Gen Prayut again in October. Khunying Sudarat placed second and third.