Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party leads other potential candidates for the post of prime minister among voters in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, an opinion poll showed yesterday.
Pita Limjaroenrat, of the Move Forward Party, and Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, of the United Thai Nation Party, trailed far behind in a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted from March 27–30 by telephone among 1,100 eligible voters aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and income in Ubon Ratchathani province, where 11 House seats are up for grabs in the May 14 election.
Asked who they are supporting for prime minister in the election, the answers were:
45.5% for Ms Paetongtarn of the Pheu Thai Party
12.1% for Mr Pita of the Move Forward Party
10.8% for Gen Prayut of the United Thai Nation Party
7.45% for Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party
7% for Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party
4.45% for Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves of the Seri Ruam Thai Party
3% said nobody was suitable.
In the 2019 election when Ubon Ratchathani had 10 House seats, the Pheu Thai Party won seven, the Democrat Party two and Palang Pracharath one.
Meanwhile, Chaikasem Nitisiri, a Pheu Thai candidate for the post of prime minister, who became unwell and was admitted to Nan Hospital while on the campaign trail in the northern province of Nan on Saturday, was yesterday taken by medical flight for treatment in Bangkok.
He is now being treated at Siriraj Hospital, a Pheu Thai source said. Further details on his condition were not available.
Mr Chaikasem, a former attorney-general, has been named a third candidate for the post of prime minister by the Pheu Thai Party. The first two candidates are Ms Paetongtarn and Mr Srettha.
The Pheu Thai Party was holding campaign rallies in the three northern provinces of Nan, Phrae and Lampang over the weekend.