(CTN News) – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin continues to make local and international visits to try to solve problems and promote Thailand, but he has failed to impress most voters, according to a Nida poll. The poll also revealed the declining popularity of Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the rise of the Move Forward Party.

According to a poll released on Sunday, only 12.85% of people supported the prime minister, down from 17.75% in the previous survey. The daughter of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin, currently on parole, saw her popularity drop from 6% to 4.85%.

The National Institute of Development Administration conducts a quarterly survey of the public’s preferred political leaders. The last survey was released at the end of March.

According to the survey, supporters of the prime minister described Mr Srettha as a resolute decision-maker determined to address their problems. Ms Paetongtarn was complimented for her vision, leadership, knowledge, and grasp of the country’s difficulties.

This weekend, the prime minister will be in the northeast region listening to citizens’ concerns. The journey occurred only a few days after he had visited northern provinces earlier in the week.

Despite criticism, he has reduced his abroad trips, citing the need to showcase Thailand to investors and traders.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief advisor of the Move Forward Party, remained the top candidate for prime minister with 45.50% of the vote, up slightly from 42.75% in the previous quarter’s poll.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga was the huge winner. The leader of the United Thai National Party saw his popularity nearly quadruple from 3.55% to 6.85%.

The sampled voters stated they appreciated Mr Pita’s political beliefs and thought he had broad knowledge. They praised Mr Pirapan’s credibility, claiming he was clean and honest.

Two other probable prime minister candidates were Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party and Anutin Chanvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai. However, they were less popular than others.

About 20% of voters still did not believe any candidate was qualified to lead the country, which is the same percentage as in the last survey.

Move Forward Party was the most popular party with 49.20%, up slightly from three months ago, while Pheu Thai fell around five percentage points to 16.85% from 22.10%.

The poll, issued on Sunday, surveyed 2,000 ineligible voters between June 14 and June 18.

More in: Move Forward Party

(CTN News) – Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, has launched a defamation action against Warong Dechgitvigrom, the head of the Thai Pakdee Party, accusing him of paying a bribe to be released on bail in a lese majeste case.

Thaksin’s attorney, Winyat Chartmontree, filed a lawsuit against Warong, seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Warong, a long-time Thaksin Shinawatra critic, gave a public statement and posted on social media, saying that 2 billion baht was paid to judicial officials in exchange for release on bail in the lese majeste case.

Thaksin Shinawatra Granted Release on 500,000 Baht Bond

Thaksin was granted release on a 500,000 baht bond last week and told not to leave the country without court authorization after pleading innocent to charges of defaming King Rama IX in a 2015 interview with South Korean media.

Winyat stated that, while Warong did not identify Thaksin Shinawatra by name in his speech or post, he did include a hashtag with Thaksin’s name as well as the date Thaksin must appear in court, allowing readers to connect Thaksin to the allegations.

Winyat further stated that he was investigating the fact that Warong mentioned the specific aircraft and automobiles utilized by Thaksin Shinawatra to violate the Personal Data Protection Act.

“I have requested Mr Warong to provide proof as to where he received the data. “If it turns out that it came from state officials, there will be legal consequences,” he warned.

The Criminal Court has scheduled the case’s preliminary hearing for September 30.

(CTN News) – For the second time, the Constitutional Court has warned the Move Forward Party not to mention active court matters.

The party was previously questioned when its senior leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, was involved in the iTV share case. The court issued a warning via press release after taking issue with certain remarks made by the party.

In Pita’s case, the court told the party that commenting on cases in various media channels was inappropriate. Expressing thoughts, whether good or negative, on a case before the court has announced its ruling is considered influencing or pushing the judges, which is inappropriate and warrants a warning.

The court is considering a dissolution case against the party in response to the Move Forward Party’s demand to change the lese-majeste legislation, which falls under the offense of attempting to undermine the constitutional monarchy system of government. The Constitutional Court had earlier ruled against the party, ordering it to retract the policy.

In the most recent summons document, released on Wednesday for the hearing scheduled for June 12, the court issued a warning at the end, stating that before the Constitutional Court issues a verdict, the parties should refrain from commenting on cases that may influence public opinion, as this could impact the court’s deliberations.

A political party or individual group receives a warning in practically all politically linked issues decided by the Constitutional Court.

Before the court’s ruling is finalized, high-ranking party officials typically announce the news confidently, claiming that their actions were not illegal and frequently criticizing political structures.

The latest provocation for the Constitutional Court’s warning came from an interview with Move Forward Party leader Chaithawat Tulathon, who stated, “We understand that the verdict to be issued is not solely based on legal grounds.” There are political motivations involved. Everyone knows that political forces significantly influenced the Move Forward Party’s collapse.

His words were interpreted as casting doubt on the court’s credibility, resulting in the warning.

Parit Wacharasindhu, a spokesperson for Move Forward Party, stated that if a court decides to dissolve the party, the organization will reveal its battle plan on June 9. Historically, no political party facing accusations has revealed its lawsuit plan before the court’s decision.

Despite the court’s warning, Move Forward stated that it would continue to announce its legal strategy on June 9, as planned, and clarified that the event was not designed to pressure the court or influence its decision.

Move Forward Party has continually called for structural changes in governance and challenged existing power systems.

Previously, prominent ideological elements in the party, such as Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, proposed dissolving the charter court.

The relationship between the Move Forward Party and the Constitutional Court appears to be one of constant confrontation, with each encounter characterized by strong, pointed attacks.

However, in today’s political context, the Move Forward Party is viewed as the underdog, under continual criticism and pressure, with their political status at stake. As a result, the current situation appears to be a final battle for the party’s existence.

It remains to be seen whether the Move Forward Party will continue to spew strong rhetoric that impacts the judicial process and whether the Constitutional Court will respond if its warning proves futile.