Pheu Thai's Paetongtarn Leads Poll For Preferred PM Candiate Among Thai Northerners

Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the main opposition Pheu Thai party tops the list of prime ministerial candidates among residents of Thailand's northern provinces, according to a survey by the National Institute for Development Administration (NIDA).

• The daughter of ex-Prime Minister Thaksin (31.70%) was followed by Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party (15.00%), with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha (12.50%) and establishment candidates lagging well behind.
• Almost half of respondents said they would vote for Pheu Thai in both single-seat and party-list ballots, while just over 16% would pick Move Forward. The ruling Palang Pracharath Party was chosen by just 7-8%, depending on the component of Thailand's mixed electoral system.
• Note that a separate NIDA poll conducted three weeks ago showed that Prayuth was the top choice for Prime Minister among southerners, albeit his advantage over Paetongtarn was thinner than her lead in the North. Prayuth topped the list with 23.94% of support, with Paetongtarn on 13.24%.