A survey of Thairath Online readers found that over 56 percent emphasize party stance over individual politicians, clearly indicating that if an incumbent MP switches parties, it’s over for them. Meanwhile, the Prachachon Party commands party-list interest more than twice that of its rivals.
The survey by Thairath Poll, under the topic “Election Trends: Confidence in Individuals and Political Parties among Thais” which began collecting opinions from Thairath Online readers from 29 Dec 2025 to 4 Jan 2026, attracted 1.75 million visits and 11,419 respondents, reflecting a significant snapshot of Thailand’s political direction in 2026.
A key issue shaking the political arena, especially among so-called "turncoat" politicians lacking clear ideology, was the question “If your incumbent MP switches parties in this election, would you still vote for them?”
The results showed that a clear majority—56.47 percent—firmly said they would no longer vote for that MP, because they support the party, and when the MP changes party, it’s effectively over.
Meanwhile, 18.69 percent were undecided, 15.34 percent said they would wait to see new policies, and only 9.49 percent prioritized the individual politician.
This figure serves as a warning to MPs who switch camps or parties for survival or political gain: their original voter base may not follow, because modern voters value the party brand over personal ties.
Drilling down into party-list interest, the Prachachon Party leads significantly with 41.38 percent, more than double the 19.79 percent for Pheu Thai and well ahead of Bhumjaithai’s 13.15 percent.
Next in line are Democrat Party at 10.53 percent, Setthakit Party at 5.57 percent, Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party at 2.06 percent, Thai Sang Thai Party at 1.5 percent, and Thai Kao Mai Party at 1.12 percent.
Demographically, most respondents were working adults and retirees, with the largest age group 46-59 years at 34.34 percent, followed by those 60 and older at 32.10 percent, then 36-45 years at 13.06 percent, 26-35 years at 10.32 percent, and 18-25 years at 10.18 percent.
Most respondents were from Bangkok and its metropolitan area (41.93 percent), followed by Central Thailand (18.72 percent), Northeast (16.90 percent), North (11.91 percent), and South (10.54 percent).
The summary of this poll suggests that the public is seeking politics driven by clear policies and party ideology rather than relying on individual prestige or switching camps for power.
