More than half of people questioned think no one is suitable to take over the prime minister's post from Yingluck Shinawatra in the event of a "political accident", a Nida Poll said on Thursday.
The poll from the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) surveyed 1,252 people nationwide on the topic on April 4 and April 5.
Asked who they thought would be the most suitable person to replace Prime Minister Yingluck in the event she was disqualified by a "political accident", 53.51% of the respondents said no one, while 8.87% pointed to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung.
Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana was considered the next most suitable, with support from 4.71% of people surveyed, followed by a younger sister of fugitive former premier Thaksin and wife of ex-prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, Mrs Yaowapa (4.23%), Defence Minister ACM Sukumpol Suwanatat (3.67%) and Interior Minister Jarupong Ruangsuwan (1.68%).
Only 1.68% chose the option "anyone in the Pheu Thai Party who can make the country better", while the remaining 22.20% were unsure or had no idea.
Banjerd Singkaneti, a law lecturer at Nida, said the survey results showed that Thai politics cannot be called a real democracy.
The person who becomes the country’s leader must be the owner of a political party, not someone growing up under the party system. For this reason, most respondents saw no one as being suitable to take over as leader the country, Mr Banjerd said.