BANGKOK, April 29 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The opposition Pheu Thai Party has a 22-point lead over its nearest rival in a recent nationwide survey of more than 160,000 eligible voters by Suan Dusit Poll.
Pheu Thai had the support of 41.37% of the 162,454 respondents surveyed from April 10 to 20, according to the results of the poll released on Saturday.
Fellow opposition party Move Forward followed with the support of 19.32% of respondents.
All other political parties failed to attain double-digit support. The election will be held on May 14.
The Bhumjaithai Party, a member of the governing coalition, was third, with the support of 9.55% of respondents.
The United Thai Nation Party of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha fared even worse, with only 8.48% of respondents selecting it as their preferred party.
Support for the ruling Palang Pracharath Party was 7.49.
The Democrat Party ranked sixth, with 7.30% of respondents expressing support for Thailand’s oldest political party.
Only 2.41% of respondents favoured the Thai Sang Thai Party, while the opposition Seri Ruam Thai )Thai Liberal Party) fared worse with 1.74% of respondents expressing support for the party.
The Chart Thai Pattana was the only other party to surpass the 1% support level, with 1.25% of respondents selecting it as their preferred party.
Other parties gained a combined 1.09% of support from the survey’s respondents.
Pheu Thai’s popularity declined slightly from surveys conducted before the House of Representatives was dissolved on March 20, according to Suan Dusit Poll.
The Move Forward has seen an increase in popularity in all regions of the country, the pollsters said on Saturday.
Move Forward’s popularity peaks among those between 18 and 30 years of age (50.20%).
Pheu Thai is the most popular party among those aged 31-50, (44.59%) as well as those aged 51 or older (44.92%).
Pheu Thai has been urging voters to deliver a landslide victory to ensure it can return to power after an eight-year hiatus.
This ambitious goal has put the party on a collision course with Move Forward, which is also wooing liberal voters and those who reject parties in the current coalition government, observers say.
The main reason respondents picked Pheu Thai as their preferred party is its election promise to transfer 10,000 baht into the digital wallets of every Thai citizen aged 16 and over, the poll found.
It said Move Forward’s support was primarily based on the charisma of party leader Pita Limjaroenrat and its MP candidates.
Bhumjaithai supporters liked its policy platform, especially its three-year debt moratorium, the poll found.
Supporters of the United Thai Nation said its integrity and platform drew them to the party, the poll found.
Palang Pracharath supporters cited its promise to reduce political conflict and increase social-welfare benefits as reasons for supporting it, the poll found.
