Public support rate drops sharply Thai Prime Minister Petantan falls into crisis

On June 28th, Thai citizens held up signs that read "The Prime Minister is an enemy of the country" during anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok, demanding the resignation of Patton Tan. Image from social media Facebook

The second quarter poll results released by the National Institute of Development Management (NIDA) of Thailand on Sunday (June 29) showed that compared to the first quarter of this year, Paytontan's approval rating has dropped significantly from 30.9% to 9.2%, even ranking behind former military government Prime Minister Prayut Prayut and former Interior Minister Anutin. The support rate of the Thai Party has dropped from 28.05% to 11.52%.

According to the results of this public opinion survey conducted from the 19th to the 25th of this month, the opposition People's Party still has the highest support rate, rising from 37.1% in the first quarter to 46.08%. The support rate of the leader of the People's Party, Natapong, has also risen from 25.8% to 31.48%, becoming the most popular candidate for Prime Minister.

The director of NIDA Public Opinion Research Center, Su Weicha, pointed out that the leaked recording of a phone call between Patten Tan and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was the key to the decline in support for her and the Phet Thai Party, and benefited the Thai Pride Party and its leader Anutin, who withdrew from the ruling coalition as a result.

He said that the sharp decline in support rates for Patton Tan and the Phet Thai Party is not only due to public dissatisfaction with the government's performance. If it were just disappointment with the governance, the approval rating would not have dropped so quickly

He believes that the current nationalist sentiment in Thailand is high, and it will be difficult to regain the hearts of the people unless Patton can win back against Cambodia and Hun Sen.

Su Weicha also said that those who are disappointed with Petongtan and the Thai Rakyat Party may turn to support the Thai Rakyat Party. If there is a general election now, the Thai Rakyat Party has a chance to win up to 100 seats in the lower house.

According to the latest poll, respondents who chose Najib as their preferred prime minister believe that Najib represents the younger generation, is brave enough to express opinions and political positions, and can propose clear and innovative ideas. As many as 19.88% of the respondents believe that there is currently no suitable candidate, ranking second in terms of the number of people who choose this answer.

This survey sampled 2500 voters aged 18 and above in Thailand, covering various regions, education levels, occupations, and incomes.

Although he has abdicated, Prayut has regained public support

The third highest support rate is for Prayut. 12.72% of respondents believe that Prayut Prayut keeps his promises, is honest and straightforward, can restore national order, and bring peace and stability to the country. In the previous season's polls, Prayut did not appear on the list of prime minister candidates.

Prayut served as Prime Minister for nine years and stepped down in August 2023. He is currently a member of the Thai Privy Council.

Ranked fourth is Anutin, with a support rate of 9.64%. The interviewee believes that he acts decisively and has experience in national governance.

Petongtan ranks fifth with a 9.2% approval rating. The interviewee believes that she has a positive work attitude and although she has limited experience, she still hopes to be given the opportunity to demonstrate her governance skills. However, last week, a recorded conversation between Payton and Hun Sen was leaked, which led to her being criticized by multiple parties and facing the crisis of stepping down.

In addition, the survey shows that the four most popular political parties are the People's Party (46.08%), the Thai Unity and Founding Party (13.24%), the Thai Party (11.52%), and the Thai Pride Party (9.76%). In addition, 7.72% of the respondents answered 'no suitable political party found'.