Election-winning Pita Limjaroenrat comfortably led other politicians suitable to be prime minister in a Nida poll that showed the slipping popularity of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
The chief advisor to the Move Forward Party garnered the endorsement of 42.75% from respondents in the quarterly survey released on Sunday, slightly up from 39.40% in the previous poll.
His popularity was due to his enthusiasm, straightforwardness, leadership and representation of the new breed of politicians, according to the poll.
Mr Pita, who won the most recent election but was blocked from becoming prime minister by the junta-appointed Senate, led Mr Srettha by a whopping 24 percentage points. Mr Srettha received 17.75% of the vote, a signifcant fall from the the 22.35% he received in the December poll. Supporters credited him for "his knowledge, abilities and experience in economics," the pollsters said.
Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra lagged far behind in the prime ministerial favourite stakes. Her popularity was virtually unchanged over the past three months, receiving the suppport of a meagre 6% of respondents, compared with 5.75% in the previous edition.
The youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin was seen by her supporters as a candidate who possesses leadership, has positive attitudes and represents a new generation of politicians, according to the survey.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin receives a warm welcome during his visit to Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday. (Photo: Government House)
Other politicians mentioned by the respondents in the survey for best prime ministerial candidate included Pirapan Salirathavibhanga of the United Thai Nation Party, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party, Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party and Gen Prawit Wongsuwon of the Palang Pracharath Party. All received meager support to be the government leader, ranging from 3.55% to 2.45%.
Nida poll, carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration, asks opinions on the popularity of politicians and parties every quarter. Its sample was 2,000 participants eligible to vote representing all generations, careers and regions of Thailand.
Move Forward saw its support rise to 48.45% from 44.05% in the previous survey, while rival Pheu Thai moved in the opposite direction, with 22.10% support compared with 24.05% in the December version.
The main opposition party is battling a legal threat to its existence after the Election Commission asked the Constitutional Court to disband it after the court ruled that its campaign to soften the lese majeste law was equivalent to an intention to undermine the constitutional monarchy. Move Forward's predecessor party, Future Forward, was also disbanded by the courts.
Other parties receiving support in the survey but with no significant percentages were United Thai Nation, Democrat, Palang Pracharath, Bhumjaithai and Thai Sang Thai.