Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (pic), Progressive People’s Party leader, continued to lead opinion polls, highlighting the stiff challenge facing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s bid to stay in power ahead of elections. The vote on Feb 8 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 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 Jan 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.

Source: The Star January 31, 2026 02:03 UTC