Anutin Support Falls to 13.8% as Bhumjaithai Drops to 12.1%: NIDA Poll

Anutin Support Falls to 13.8% as Bhumjaithai Drops to 12.1%: NIDA Poll

BANGKOK, Sept. 29, 2026 — Support for Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Bhumjaithai Party declined sharply between June and September, according to the latest nationwide survey by Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).

The quarterly NIDA Political Popularity Survey, conducted by telephone among 2,500 people nationwide from Sept. 18–23, found that 13.76% of respondents named Anutin as their preferred prime minister, down from 21.70% in June.

Support for Bhumjaithai also fell, from 17% in June to 12.08% in September, placing the ruling party behind the People’s Party and coalition partner Pheu Thai in party preferences.

The People’s Party received 35.40% support, up slightly from 34.80% in June, while Pheu Thai rose to 18.44% from 16.80%. Support for the Democrat Party declined to 9.80% from 12.70%.

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut remained the most frequently named choice for prime minister, receiving 24.72% of responses. However, his figure also declined from 26.10% in June.

Another notable change was the increase in respondents who said there was “no suitable candidate”, rising to 19.80% from 10.20% in the previous survey.

Among other named candidates, Pheu Thai’s Yodchanan Wongsawat received 11.28%, while former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva received 9.60%, according to the NIDA results.

Energy prices add pressure

The survey comes as Thailand’s government has been dealing with higher global energy costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Anutin told Parliament in August that the conflict had disrupted energy production, infrastructure and transportation routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to tighter global oil supplies and higher energy prices. The government has authorized borrowing of up to 400 billion baht to address the impact of the energy crisis and support the country’s energy transition.

The government has also extended cost-of-living measures as households and businesses face higher energy-related costs.

Bangkok floods hit after survey period

The NIDA survey was conducted before the most severe flooding hit Bangkok.

Beginning Sept. 24, nearly 300 millimetres of rain fell across parts of the capital over about 48 hours, overwhelming canals and drainage systems. Authorities subsequently designated all 50 Bangkok districts as disaster-affected areas.

Prime Minister Anutin cut short a trip to London as the flooding worsened and returned to Thailand to oversee the response. By Sept. 26, flooding had affected around 52,000 households in Bangkok, with about 4,200 people moved to temporary shelters, according to Bangkok authorities.

The flooding subsequently spread beyond Bangkok, with Reuters reporting that severe flooding across Thailand had affected more than 580,000 homes and forced thousands of people into shelters.

Because the NIDA interviews ended on Sept. 23, the survey does not measure public reaction to the Bangkok flooding. Any effect the disaster may have on political sentiment would therefore need to be assessed through later polling.

For now, the September survey records a substantial shift in reported political preferences compared with June, against a backdrop of higher energy costs and economic concerns, while the country has since faced a major flooding emergency.