As Thailand approaches its general election on February eighth, recent opinion polls indicate that the liberal opposition People’s Party has gained a clear lead in voter support, presenting a significant challenge to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s bid for re-election.

Surveys conducted in early January show the People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, at the forefront, with approximately thirty-four point two per cent backing in a Suan Dusit poll and around thirty point five per cent in a National Institute for Development Administration survey, well ahead of Anutin’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party and the formerly dominant Pheu Thai Party.

Natthaphong was also identified as the most preferred candidate for prime minister in both polls, underscoring his appeal among voters at a time of political volatility and yearning for change.

The upcoming election follows a snap poll called by Anutin in December amid parliamentary instability and a recent border conflict with Cambodia, with political commentators suggesting that public priorities are shifting toward reformist agendas.

The People’s Party’s rise builds on the momentum of its predecessor, which won the most votes in the 2023 election but was prevented from forming a government and later dissolved in a series of dramatic legal and political developments.

Meanwhile, support for traditional political powerhouses such as Pheu Thai has waned, in part due to legal challenges facing its leaders and the collapse of its government in late 2025. As Thailand’s electorate prepares to vote, the latest figures reflect a dynamic contest between reform-minded liberal forces and established conservative interests, with implications for the country’s political direction and governance in the years ahead.