Thai PM Srettha’s popularity slides as opposition keeps climbing
THE popularity of Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin and his Pheu Thai Party continued to decline in the latest opinion poll amid mounting legal and economic challenges, while the opposition gained ground.
Srettha’s approval rating hit a fresh low of 12.85 per cent in a quarterly survey by the National Institute of Development Administration published on Sunday (Jun 30). His rating fell from 17.75 per cent in the first quarter and 22.35 per cent late last year. The poll was conducted Jun 14 to 18 among some 2,000 Thai adults and had a so-called confidence level of 97 per cent.
The former property mogul, who took power in September after a messy general election, heads an 11-party coalition led by Pheu Thai and military-aligned conservative groups. A poll earlier this month showed most Thais are unhappy with the government’s performance, and it has struggled to address issues such as a rising cost of living, highest household debt in South-east Asia and sluggish economic growth.
Srettha’s tenure is also threatened by a legal challenge, with the Constitutional Court scrutinising a petition to disqualify him. A group of senators alleges that Srettha’s decision to appoint former lawyer Pichit Chuenban as a minister in April violated ethical standards. Pichit was once convicted and sentenced to jail for an attempt to bribe court officials while representing former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during a corruption trial.
Pita Limjaroenrat of the opposition Move Forward Party extended his lead as the top choice for prime minister in the new poll with a 45.5 per cent rating. The option of a yet-to-be-identified appropriate person reached a 20.55 per cent score, Nida said.
Pita’s upstart party won last year’s election but he was blocked from taking the top office. Lawmakers from the pro-military royalist establishment who opposed his progressive agenda – including proposals to reform the military and crack down on business monopolies – instead joined the runner-up Pheu Thai to form a government and endorsed Srettha’s premiership.
In the latest survey, Pheu Thai’s approval dropped to 16.85 per cent from 22.1 per cent in the previous poll. Move Forward ranked first with 49.2 per cent, up from 48.45 per cent.
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