Thailand’s reformist Natthaphong is frontrunner ahead of February vote, polls show

BANGKOK, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Thailand’s progressive People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut continued to lead opinion polls on Friday, highlighting the stiff challenge facing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s bid to stay in power ahead of elections on February 8.

February’s vote has settled into a three-way race between Anutin’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party, the former ruling Pheu Thai Party and the reformist People’s Party.

A poll by Suan Dusit University published on Friday said Natthaphong was backed by 35.1% of respondents, with Anutin coming in third with 16.1%, behind Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister Yoshanan Wongsawat at 21.5%. 

The poll surveyed 26,621 people from the January 16 to 28 period.  

The People’s Party is the successor to Move Forward, which won the 2023 elections but was subsequently blocked by conservative lawmakers from forming a government and was later dissolved by court order. 

Anutin called a snap election on December 12 after less than 100 days as premier during a chaotic parliamentary session that could have led to a no-confidence vote and the collapse of his fragile minority government.

It also came during Thailand’s fierce three-week border conflict with Cambodia.      

Another poll by the National Institute of Development Administration also showed Natthaphong in front with support from 29% of respondents, up from 24.7% earlier in the month, with Anutin up modestly at 22.2%. 

Anutin faces pressure to consolidate conservative-leaning voters and present a post-election governing path in what are expected to be tight coalition negotiations after the vote. 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Editing by David Stanway)