BANGKOK - Almost a quarter of Thais say there is no suitable candidate to become the next prime minister in the upcoming general election, according to an opinion poll.

Of the respondents surveyed in September by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), 24 per cent said they do not have a suitable candidate in mind, up from 19 per cent in June.

Support for Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and Mr Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was suspended from the premier job by a court last month, declined from the last survey.

Ms Paetongtarn, who was the voters' top choice in June, got 22 per cent backing, while Mr Prayut got 10 per cent.

The higher proportion of undecided voters signals uncertainty ahead of the elections, which may be held in May next year.

It may be difficult to find the right person for the job as South-east Asia's second-largest economy is facing problems ranging from high household debt to a weakening currency to a 14-year-high inflation rate.

Mr Prayut has seen his popularity erode for at least four straight quarters as his government struggles to shore up an economy still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic blow.

Backing for Mr Pita Limjaroenrat, a leader of the opposition Move Forward Party, declined to 11 per cent.

Both Ms Paetongtarn, widely tipped to be the prime minister candidate of the nation's largest opposition party Pheu Thai, and Mr Pita are supported by people who want to see the younger generation given a chance to run the country.

Pheu Thai was the top choice of respondents at 34 per cent in the survey. The Move Forward Party came second with 14 per cent, while Palang Pracharath, the largest party in Mr Prayut's coalition government, came fifth with 5.6 per cent of votes.

Still, nearly a quarter of respondents were neutral, or did not support any political party, according to NIDA's nationwide survey of 2,500 people of 18 years of age and above. The poll has a 3 per cent margin of error, NIDA said.

BLOOMBERG