Former national police chief Priewpan Damapong is suitable to serve as a deputy prime minister, according to a survey released on Saturday by Suan Dusit Poll.
The pollsters conducted the survey about Pol Gen Priewpan's political future from Oct 17-19, seeking opinions from 1,218 people in Bangkok and nearby provinces.
Pol Gen Priewpan recently applied for a membership of the ruling Pheu Thai Party but has said he does not want to be its leader.
The party is currently being led by Viroj Pao-in on an interim basis. It will choose a permanent leader on Oct 30 to succeed Yongyuth Wichaidit, who resigned last month to help distance the party from the decade-old Alpine land scandal.
Suan Dusit Poll of Suan Dusit Rajabaht University reported that 30.51% of the respondents thought Pol Gen Priewpan was suitable to become a deputy prime minister as he could help ease workload of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Meanwhile, 28.23% said the former police chief should take up the post of interior minister because it is a big and important ministry, and 27.94% supported him for the post of Pheu Thai leader.
Those who favour Pol Gen Priewpan as leader point out that he would be able to push through policies because of his family connections. He is the brother of Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, the ex-wife of Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former prime minister.
Asked whether his entering into politics would help strengthen Pheu Thai, 59.63% of the respondents were unsure, given that they did not know what position Pol Gen Priewpan would take, and because there is no certainty in politics.
However, 29.48% of them believed the ex-police chief could strengthen the party as he is a capable person, but 10.89% disagreed, saying one person alone can do little in such a big political organisation.