Nearly one quarter of people polled recently would vote for incumbent Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra in next month's election, Nida Poll reported on Saturday.

However, 40% of voters remain undecided, the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) said.

The pollsters based the results on a survey taken between Dec 25 and Jan 4. It interviewed 3,356 eligible voters of all education levels and occupations, aged 18 years and up, in all 50 districts of Bangkok.

Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

A total of 95.35% of the respondents said they would cast ballots, 3.07% were unsure and only 1.58% said they would not vote, according to the pollster.

The figures were surprising given that voter turnout in Bangkok governor elections is typically very low, at 40-50% or even less.

Asked about the candidate they would choose, 24.08% of the respondents said they would choose the Democrat MR Sukhumbhand. Second with 17.52% was Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, who has the backing of the Pheu Thai Party.

Only 9.48% said they supported former national police chief Pol Gen Seripisut Temeeyaves, while 40.5% had not yet made a decision.

MR Sukhumbhand's first term ends officially on Thursday and the election will take place on Feb 17.

Nida poll said MR Sukhumbhand was popular in almost all areas of Bangkok, with 25.78% of voters in central Bangkok supporting him, 26.82% in southern Bangkok, 23.74% in western Bangkok, 22.22% in northern Thon Buri, and 24.83% in southern Thon Buri.

Northern Bangkok was only the area where Pol Gen Pongsapat led, with 21.72% support compared with 21.36% for MR Sukhumbhand.