Pita tops list of PM favourites in Bangkok again

The survey, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) from March 15 to 21, included telephone interviews with some 2,500 people from Bangkok’s 50 districts. The results were announced on Sunday.

Pita, who is expected to be named Move Forward’s PM candidate, beat Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, by a mere 0.88%.

However, he was well ahead of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who will be fielded by United Thai Nation Party.

Pita won the highest support from Bangkok voters with 25.08%, compared to Paetongtarn’s 24.20% and Prayut’s 18.24%.

In the first Nida Poll conducted among Bangkok voters in October last year, Pita won 20.40% of support, followed by Prayut (15.20%) and Paetongtarn (14.10%).

In the latest poll, the top 10 choices for PM were:

• 25.08%: Pita

• 24.20%: Paetongtarn

• 18.24%: Prayut

• 5.976%: Sudarat Keyuraphan, Thai Sang Thai Party leader

• 5.68%: Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, Seree Ruam Thai Party leader

• 5.20%: Undecided

• 4.84%: Korn Chatikavanij, Chart Pattana Kla Party leader

• 2.40%: Srettha Thavisin, Pheu Thai’s second PM candidate

• 2%: Cholnan Srikaew, Pheu Thai Party leader

• 1.64%: Anutin Charnvirakul, Bhumjaithai Party leader

However, these survey results appear to be a bit misleading, especially since voters cannot directly elect the PM, but only support the party fielding their favourite candidate.

Parties will later put their PM candidates forward in a race in Parliament, where MPs and senators get to jointly vote on who gets the top executive post.

Though Pita led the poll as the favourite PM candidate, his Move Forward Party came second after Pheu Thai in both constituency and party-list MP battles.

The top 10 parties chosen for constituency MPs are:

• 34.92%: Pheu Thai

• 27.72%: Move Forward

• 14.32%: United Thai Nation

• 6.76%: Democrat

• 3.32%: Chart Pattana Kla

• 2.96%: Thai Sang Thai

• 2.48%: Seree Ruam Thai

• 2.16%: Palang Pracharath

• 1.68%: Undecided

• 1.48%: Bhumjaithai

The top 10 parties chosen for party-list MPs are:

• 34.40%: Pheu Thai

• 28.76%: Move Forward

• 14.68%: United Thai Nation

• 6.08%: Democrat

• 3.48%: Chart Pattana Kla

• 3.04%: Seree Ruam Thai

• 2.60%: Thai Sang Thai

• 1.44%: Palang Pracharath

• 2.55%: Bhumjaithai

• 1.28%: Undecided.