Picture courtesy of Bangkokpost

The People’s Party and its prime ministerial candidate Natthaphong “Teng” Rueangpanyawut remain in a commanding lead ahead of Thailand’s Feb 8 general election, according to the second nationwide Rajabhat Poll released on Jan 29. The survey indicates a shift in rankings behind the frontrunner, with Pheu Thai moving into second place ahead of Bhumjaithai.

The poll surveyed 11,700 respondents nationwide between Jan 19 and 25 and was conducted under the supervision of the Council of Rajabhat University Presidents of Thailand. The results were announced at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, providing one of the largest snapshots of national voter sentiment during the current campaign period.

When asked who they favoured to be prime minister, 39.2% of respondents chose Mr Natthaphong. He was followed by Yodchanan Wongsawat of Pheu Thai on 15.9% and Anutin Charnvirakul of Bhumjaithai on 15.2%, while Democrat Party leader Abhisit was selected by 9.1%.

Support for Mr Natthaphong rose by 6.7 percentage points compared with the previous Rajabhat Poll conducted between Dec 22 and 29. Mr Yodchanan gained 7.5 points, while Mr Anutin’s support declined sharply by 9.2 points over the same period.

In voting intentions for party-list MPs, the People’s Party led with 38.8%, little changed from the earlier survey. Pheu Thai increased its share by 5.4 points to 17.9%, overtaking Bhumjaithai, which fell by 5.7 points to 15.6%.

Despite strong national polling, analysts caution that constituency-level voting remains harder to predict. Many academic forecasts suggest Bhumjaithai could still secure around 150 of the 500 House seats due to its local networks, while the People’s Party may win between 100 and 120 seats, down from 141 previously.

Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable, with seat estimates ranging from 45 to 120. The poll also found that 71.6% of voters intend to choose constituency and party-list MPs from the same party, a factor that could influence final outcomes.

Beyond party preferences, the survey highlighted that voters are increasingly driven by policy rather than personalities. Economic policies related to livelihoods and income were cited by 52.9% of respondents as the most important consideration, reflecting ongoing cost-of-living concerns.

Political awareness was also high, with 70.9% of respondents able to recall their preferred candidate number and party. The poll concluded that Thai politics is shifting towards policy-oriented and outcome-based decision-making.

Bangkokpost reported that Mr Natthaphong said on Facebook on Thursday that voters could trust the People’s Party if it is given a mandate to form a government. “We are ready to translate votes into the formation of a government and deliver a tangible change,” he said.

Key Takeaways

• The People’s Party leads both prime ministerial preference and party-list voting intentions nationwide.

• Pheu Thai has overtaken Bhumjaithai for second place in the latest Rajabhat Poll.

• Economic policy remains the top factor influencing Thai voters ahead of the Feb 8 election.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkokpost 2026-01-30

 

 

Been here before a couple of times I think !

If the results of this survey (of a whopping 11,700 respondents) are to be believed, then one has to wonder whether the same serial complainants re-emerge if reformists win again?

Surely, everyone must remember that Pita won the most seats in 2023, but was blocked by the courts after a legal complaint by Ruangkrai Leekitwattana (the serial complainer who has made a career out of filing technical challenges against reformist politicians).

It would seem that especially younger voters, who backed reform then, haven’t forgotten how their choice was overridden by elite manoeuvring, and this polling suggests that resentment is justifiably still there.

Should Pita win, it will be interesting to see if, this time, Thailand’s political system is prepared to respect the outcome, or will voters again see that winning doesn't guarantee victory.

The best that could happen for Thailand.. The last decades it is very clear that with no changes , the conservative old guard has brought the country down..time to start to enter the 21st century although it will be tough if they can't have the majority of seats...

Vote for me! Vote for ME! I need the money.

10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable

Picture courtesy of Bangkokpost

The People’s Party and its prime ministerial candidate Natthaphong “Teng” Rueangpanyawut remain in a commanding lead ahead of Thailand’s Feb 8 general election, according to the second nationwide Rajabhat Poll released on Jan 29. The survey indicates a shift in rankings behind the frontrunner, with Pheu Thai moving into second place ahead of Bhumjaithai.

The poll surveyed 11,700 respondents nationwide between Jan 19 and 25 and was conducted under the supervision of the Council of Rajabhat University Presidents of Thailand. The results were announced at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, providing one of the largest snapshots of national voter sentiment during the current campaign period.

When asked who they favoured to be prime minister, 39.2% of respondents chose Mr Natthaphong. He was followed by Yodchanan Wongsawat of Pheu Thai on 15.9% and Anutin Charnvirakul of Bhumjaithai on 15.2%, while Democrat Party leader Abhisit was selected by 9.1%.

Support for Mr Natthaphong rose by 6.7 percentage points compared with the previous Rajabhat Poll conducted between Dec 22 and 29. Mr Yodchanan gained 7.5 points, while Mr Anutin’s support declined sharply by 9.2 points over the same period.

In voting intentions for party-list MPs, the People’s Party led with 38.8%, little changed from the earlier survey. Pheu Thai increased its share by 5.4 points to 17.9%, overtaking Bhumjaithai, which fell by 5.7 points to 15.6%.

Despite strong national polling, analysts caution that constituency-level voting remains harder to predict. Many academic forecasts suggest Bhumjaithai could still secure around 150 of the 500 House seats due to its local networks, while the People’s Party may win between 100 and 120 seats, down from 141 previously.

Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable, with seat estimates ranging from 45 to 120. The poll also found that 71.6% of voters intend to choose constituency and party-list MPs from the same party, a factor that could influence final outcomes.

Beyond party preferences, the survey highlighted that voters are increasingly driven by policy rather than personalities. Economic policies related to livelihoods and income were cited by 52.9% of respondents as the most important consideration, reflecting ongoing cost-of-living concerns.

Political awareness was also high, with 70.9% of respondents able to recall their preferred candidate number and party. The poll concluded that Thai politics is shifting towards policy-oriented and outcome-based decision-making.

Bangkokpost reported that Mr Natthaphong said on Facebook on Thursday that voters could trust the People’s Party if it is given a mandate to form a government. “We are ready to translate votes into the formation of a government and deliver a tangible change,” he said.

Key Takeaways

• The People’s Party leads both prime ministerial preference and party-list voting intentions nationwide.

• Pheu Thai has overtaken Bhumjaithai for second place in the latest Rajabhat Poll.

• Economic policy remains the top factor influencing Thai voters ahead of the Feb 8 election.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkokpost 2026-01-30

 

 

'Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable...." and most unethical... again they promise big money handouts rather than policies which will develop Thailand, and I rather doubt that voters with any common sense will forget that Pheu Thai offered all Thais 10,000Baht but 90% of that has never been delivered and that policy has now been totally abandoned. They can't be trusted ever, don't forget who their leader is and his past scaly record.

Just now, scorecard said:

'Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable...." and most unethical... again they promise big money handouts rather than policies which will develop Thailand, and I rather doubt that voters with any common sense will forget that Pheu Thai offered all Thais 10,000Baht if they won the last election but 90% of that has never been delivered and that policy has now been totally abandoned.

They can't be trusted ever, and don't forget who their leader is and his past scaly record.

Hope everyone here will convince their loved ones to vote the entire People's Party ticket. Look for the inverted orange triangle on the ballot.

I don't disagree with your choice of party, but what makes you think that this time around the old guard will allow the people's choice to form a government?

2 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

I don't disagree with your choice of party, but what makes you think that this time around the old guard will allow the people's choice to form a government?

Unfortunately you're probably right, but people have to at least try.

The alternative - one day - will be armed uprising. Many young men here in Isaan have done their military training as willy-nilly conscripts.

4 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Unfortunately you're probably right, but people have to at last try.

The alternative - one day - will be armed uprising. Many young men here in Isaan have done their military training as willy-nilly conscripts.

Elections in Thailand are totally groundhog day, and the upcoming elections will be either cancelled, or the people's choice will be nullified on some lame technicality.

What amazes me is the apparent lack of anger, especially in the younger generation. Sure, the educational system in Thailand is doing a sterling job producing graduates taught to listen and obey, but you'd think that in 2026 they would find out by themselves that they're being fed BS.

6 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Vote for me! Vote for ME! I need the money.

I'll vote for you! Please PM me your best and final offer for said vote by 5pm on February 7th. Brown envelope with full payment must be received by 10pm of February 7th. Thanks in advance.

33 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

I don't disagree with your choice of party, but what makes you think that this time around the old guard will allow the people's choice to form a government?

I too have doubts that the party getting the most votes will be allowed to form a gov't.

I understand there's been changes to the senate, but I'm not up to date with that. Can the senate still impose their will and 'block' changes to forming a gov't, regardless of the popular vote?

I'm guessing the answer is YES they can. But it seems to me that they can't continue to do that forever, surely the day will come when the popular choice party will win the day. But that's not tomorrow and sadly perhaps another 1 or 2 elections before that happens.

58 minutes ago, scorecard said:

'Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable...." and most unethical... again they promise big money handouts rather than policies which will develop Thailand, and I rather doubt that voters with any common sense will forget that Pheu Thai offered all Thais 10,000Baht as part of their policy at the last election, but 90% of that has never been delivered and that policy has now been totally abandoned. They can't be trusted ever, don't forget who their leader is and his past scaly record and note another family member has been stood up as the leader.

I do wish the People's Party would hire good lawyers to look into themselves and spot any potential issues that could cause a lawsuit. Basic things like holding shares in a media company. It seems every time I am flabbergasted and think, why hadn't they checked this issue in advance? They need to be better prepared to fight legal cases.

55 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I do wish the People's Party would hire good lawyers to look into themselves and spot any potential issues that could cause a lawsuit. Basic things like holding shares in a media company. It seems every time I am flabbergasted and think, why hadn't they checked this issue in advance? They need to be better prepared to fight legal cases.

The old guard doesn't play by the rules. If they want some party gone, they'll find a way. Remember the PM that had to resign because he appeared on a cooking show once a week?

1 hour ago, BLMFem said:

The old guard doesn't play by the rules. If they want some party gone, they'll find a way. Remember the PM that had to resign because he appeared on a cooking show once a week?

Not a good exampls, that guy was breaking several rules, Bottom line he should have been totally focused on the affairs of state. He wasn't he was spending a lot of time at food markets, and getting the TV recording equipment etc ready and bottom line, the dishes he was cooking were very basic Thai dishes, not complicated.

At the time my Thai son mentioned several times he was many times highly criticised for his abuse to gov't house staff and the staff on the ccooking show.

Just now, scorecard said:

Not a good example, that guy was breaking several rules / laws /regulations. Bottom line he should have been totally focused on the affairs of state. He wasn't he was spending a lot of time at food markets with numerous gov't employees in tow, and getting the TV recording equipment etc., ready and the dishes he was cooking were very basic Thai dishes, not complicated / not special.

At the time my Thai son mentioned several times he was often highly criticised for his abuse to gov't house staff, security staff and the staff on the ccooking show.

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

'Pheu Thai is seen as the most unpredictable...." and most unethical... again they promise big money handouts rather than policies which will develop Thailand, and I rather doubt that voters with any common sense will forget that Pheu Thai offered all Thais 10,000Baht as part of their policy at the last election, but 90% of that has never been delivered and that policy has now been totally abandoned. They can't be trusted ever, don't forget who their leader is and his past scaly record and note another family member has been stood up as the leader.

PT have been caught many times, including the very last election in vote buying. They will do it again and the Thai election comission doesn't seem to ever be fully fcused on this point

My wife has not voted for many years, actually think she has never voted but she is going to vote for the peoples party next month, she has finally seen what has been happening in Thailand and how it has effected her work(all the bribes/corruption), hopefully many others will be of the same mind.

On 1/30/2026 at 8:02 AM, mfd101 said:

Vote for me! Vote for ME! I need the money.

Hey, Thaksin is that you?

23 hours ago, seajae said:

My wife has not voted for many years, actually think she has never voted

My wife always get 500 baht to vote, from each

On 1/30/2026 at 4:23 PM, BLMFem said:

The old guard doesn't play by the rules. If they want some party gone, they'll find a way. Remember the PM that had to resign because he appeared on a cooking show once a week?

That was pretty funny about the cooking show..Every single one of Tony's crew that he has put up for the PM job has been kicked out of office or forced to resign...

Unfortunately about 80% of the senate is current or retired military officers and the rest are sympathetic to what the military wants and are too afraid to rock the boat. And by Thai law the senate can and does use the power to very strongly influence election outcomes. Largest total number of votes or seats won is pushed aside by the senate and by the law they can do this.

The Thai military strongly believes it has the right and it's their duty to strongly influence selection of PM's and more.

PP will never become the government or be in any government coalition even if they win the most seats. Check back here after the elections result.

On 1/30/2026 at 4:23 PM, BLMFem said:

The old guard doesn't play by the rules. If they want some party gone, they'll find a way. Remember the PM that had to resign because he appeared on a cooking show once a week?

And don't forget that 44 MP have signed a petition to change section 112 and the Constitutional Court will rule as soon as it is clear that the People's Party has won Sunday to prevent they will come in power.... Everything is ready already as the elite, army and corrupted government people will never give of their power and wealth

On 1/29/2026 at 6:08 PM, ikke1959 said:

The best that could happen for Thailand.. The last decades it is very clear that with no changes , the conservative old guard has brought the country down..time to start to enter the 21st century although it will be tough if they can't have the majority of seats...

This is a nice thought, but any new party will likely fleece the economy to get its share.

32 minutes ago, NedR69 said:

This is a nice thought, but any new party will likely fleece the economy to get its share.

Nice points, however the very urgent reality id that the country needs numerous new smart clever business / economc ventures to generate and inject big cash into the economy.

Right now the Thai economy is in sleeping mode.

The policies handed down 2 or 3 days ago by Thaksins mob don't do anything at all to build the economy. And most of the other parties the same.

We need a government which is quickly cleverly focused on business development or Thailand slips further down the ASEAN success chart.