A Rangsit University poll of 8,000 people nationwide has found Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has the most support for the job of prime minister after the general election, with Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Pheu Thai Party a distant second.
Sangsit Piriyarangsan, dean of the university's college of social innovation, had the pollsters on Saturday questioned 8,000 people spread through all 350 potential constituencies.
He said 27.06% of respondents favoured Gen Prayut, 18.16% were for Khunying Sudarat, 15.55% for Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, and 9.68% for Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the newly established Future Forward Party.
The survey also found that Gen Prayut was more popular than Khunying Sudarat in all regions. He was way ahead of her in Bangkok (31.33% - 21.23%), the Central Plains (29.08% - 15.98%), the Northeast (25.76% - 17.65%), and the South (24.44% - 16.70%).
In the North, 26.63% of respondents favoured Gen Prayut and 21.85% Khunying Sudarat.
The survey showed that Gen Prayut and Mr Abhisit were very close in Bangkok (31.33% - 31.03%) and the South (24.44% - 24.17%).
Elsewhere, Mr Abhisit received support from 13.88% in the Central Plains, 13.17% in the North, and 10.42% in the Northeast.
Mr Thanathorn's popularity peaked in the South with 11.82% of respondents supporting him, followed by 10.79% in the Northeast, 9.36% in the North, 8.98% in the Central Plains, and 4.53% in Bangkok.
Rangsit University had conducted four polls on the topic of the people's favourite candidate for prime minister. The most favoured was Gen Prayut in May, Mr Abhisit in June, and Gen Prayut again in October. Khunying Sudarat was in the second and third positions.
Recently the National Institute of Development Administration announced the result of a similar poll which saw Khunying Sudarat the most popular candidate, followed closely by Gen Prayut.
