Chadchart Sittipunt, a former prime ministerial candidate of the opposition Pheu Thai Party in the past general election, still leads other potential candidates for the post of Bangkok governor in the next gubernatorial election while Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang, the current governor, is a distant runner up, according to the result of a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted via telephone interviews with 1,320 eligible voters aged 18 and over of various levels of education and occupations in Bangkok between Nov 1-3.
This was the 7th survey by Nida Poll on the popularity of the potential candidates. The result of the survey is reported in the first week of every month, during the lead-up to the election, of which the date has yet to be fixed by the Election Commission.
Asked who they would vote for in the next Bangkok governor election, the answers varied as follows:
- 33.18% for Chadchart Sittipunt;
- 16.59% for Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang;
- 14.09% were still undecided;
- 6.74% for a candidate from the Progressive Movement or Move Forward Party;
- 5.99% for a candidate from the Pheu Thai Party;
- 5.91% for Rossana Tositrakul, a former senator;
- 4.09% for Suchatchavee Suwansawas, rector of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang;
- 3.03% for a candidate from the Democrat Party;
- 2.42% for a candidate from the Palang Pracharath Party;
- 2.35% to tick the "no vote" box;
- 1.82% for Sakolthi Pattayakul, the current deputy Bangkok governor;
- 1.59% for a candidate from the Kla Party;
- 1.06% would not go to the poll;
- 1.14% combined for candidates from the Thai Pakdee and Thai Sang Thai parties.
Compared to the 6th survey in October, Mr Chadchart's popularity rose from 29.74% to 33.18% and Pol Gen Aswin's from 13.66% to 16.59% while the percentage of undecided dropped from 27.92% to 14.09%.
