Chadchart Sittipunt, running run as an independent for the post of Bangkok governor in the forthcoming election, is still the overwhelming favourite, an opinion poll showed Sunday.
The former Pheu Thai heavyweight is followed far behind by current governor Aswin Kwanmuang in the 11th monthly survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted between Feb 28-March 2 by telephone interviews with 1,313 eligible voters aged 18 and over of all levels of education, occupations and incomes in Bangkok to sound out who they wanted to be Bangkok governor. The gubernatorial election is expected to be held by the end of June.
Asked whom they would vote for in the election, the answers were as follows:
- 38.01% for Mr Chadchart (up from 37.24% in the February survey);
- 11.73% for Pol Gen Aswin (down from 12.09%);
- 8.83 % for Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a candidate from the Move Forward Party (up from 8.08%);
- 8.61% for Suchatvee Suwansawat, a Democrat Party candidate (down from 11.03%);
- 4.27% for a candidate from the Pheu Thai Party (down from 8.31%);
- 3.37% for Rossana Tositrakul, an independent (down from 3.55%);
- 1.29% for a candidate from the Palang Pracharath Party (up from 1.28%); and
- 2.74% combined for Sakoltee Phattiyakul, a Bangkok deputy governor, and Prayoon Krongyos, of the Thai Civilised Party (it was unclear why Nida reported the "combined" figure)
Of the rest, 13.40% were still undecided whom to vote for (up from 5.59%); 5.56% would tick the "no vote" box; and 1.83% would not go to the polls.