Thailand's public approval rating has dropped below 10%, and Pethongtan is facing the crisis of stepping down

(Bangkok) The latest poll in Thailand shows that Prime Minister Pethongtan's approval rating has plummeted to 9.2%, and the Pheu Thai Party she leads also ranks behind the opposition party in terms of approval rating. A large number of anti-government demonstrators gathered in the capital Bangkok, demanding the resignation of Pethongtan.

The second-quarter poll results released by the National Institute of Development Management (NIDA) of Thailand on Sunday (June 29) show that compared with the first quarter of this year, Pethongtan's approval rating has dropped sharply from 30.9% to 9.2%, even ranking behind former military government Prime Minister Prayuth and former Home Minister Anutin. The approval rating of the Pheu Thai Party dropped from 28.05% to 11.52%.

According to the results of this public opinion poll conducted from the 19th to the 25th of this month, the opposition People's Party still has the highest support rate, rising from 37.1% in the first quarter to 46.08%. The approval rating of the leader of the People's Party, Natapon, has also risen from 25.8% to 31.48%, making him the most popular candidate for prime minister.

The director of the NIDA Public Opinion Survey Center, Suweichai, pointed out that the leakage of the phone call recording between Pethongtan and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was the key reason for the decline in her and Pheu Thai Party's approval ratings, and it also benefited the Thai Pride Party and its leader Anutin, who withdrew from the ruling coalition as a result.

He said that the sharp decline in the approval ratings of Pethongtan and Pheu Thai parties was not merely due to the public's dissatisfaction with the government's performance. If it were just disappointment with governance, the approval rating wouldn't have dropped so rapidly.

He believes that currently, the nationalist sentiment in Thailand is on the rise. Unless Pethongtan can turn the tide against Cambodia and Hun Sen, it will be difficult for him to regain the support of the people.

Suweichai also said that those who are disappointed with Pethongtan and the Pheu Thai Party might turn to support the Thai Pride Party. If the general election is held now, the Thai Pride Party has a chance to win as many as 100 seats in the House of Commons.

According to the latest poll, respondents who chose Netanyahu as their first prime minister believe that Netanyahu represents the younger generation, is courageous in expressing opinions and political positions, and can put forward clear and novel ideas. As many as 19.88% of the respondents believed that there was no suitable candidate at present, and the number of people choosing this answer ranked second.

This poll sampled 2,500 voters aged 18 and above in Thailand, covering various regions, educational backgrounds, occupations and incomes.

Although he has abdicated, Prayuth has regained public support

The person with the third-highest support rate is Prayuth. 12.72% of the respondents believe that Prayuth keeps his word, is honest and straightforward, and can restore national order and bring peace and stability to the country. In the last season's poll, Prayuth did not appear on the list of prime ministerial candidates.

Prayuth Chan-o-cha served as prime minister for nine years and stepped down in August 2023. Currently, he is a member of the Privy Council of Thailand.

The fourth place goes to Anutin, with a support rate of 9.64%. The respondents believe that he acts decisively and has experience in national governance.

Petontan ranked fifth with a support rate of 9.2%. The respondents believe that she has a positive working attitude. Although she has limited experience, they still hope to give her the opportunity to demonstrate her governance ability. However, last week, a recording of a phone call between Pethongtan and Hun Sen was leaked, which led to her being criticized from all sides and putting her at risk of stepping down.

In addition, regarding the question of "Which political party would you most support if you voted today?", the survey shows that the top four most popular political parties in order are the People's Party (46.08%), the United Thai Party (13.24%), the Pheu Thai Party (11.52%), and the Thai Pride Party (9.76%). Furthermore, 7.72% of the respondents answered that "no suitable political party was found".