Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has dismissed the findings of an opinion poll that placed him behind the opposition's Paetongtarn Shinawatra, saying his actions spoke louder than any pollster's political survey.
"A poll is just a poll," Gen Prayut told reporters on Monday, after a deep sigh.
He was questioned about a Nida poll released on Sunday which showed him in third place as peferred prime minister. The youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra topped the poll for the first time. Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was second.
The prime minister said his work spoke for itself. He was working for the majority and he questioned the credibility of all opinion polls.
Gen Prayut inturn hit out at those media outlets he said had nothing worth reading and reported without regard to fairness.
The Pheu Thai Party was jubilant over the result of the poll by the National Institute of Development Administration.
Senator Wanchai Sornsiri commented that more time was needed to groom her for such a position, and warned that her political ambitions could end up like her predecessors'.
Both Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck were removed from the prime ministership by army coups. Yingluck's government was overthrown in 2014 by Gen Prayut when he was the army commander-in-chief.