Thailand floods hit PM Anutin's popularity ahead of snap polls

BANGKOK, Dec 1 - Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is facing mounting criticism over his government’s slow response to deadly floods in the south, threatening to derail his party’s ambitions ahead of a snap election.

At least 176 people have been killed by some of the heaviest flooding in decades that swept through eight provinces in southern Thailand last month, with most of the fatalities in and around the regional commercial hub of Hat Yai.

The disaster, triggered by the heaviest day of rains to hit Hat Yai in three centuries, was the first major test for the 59-year-old power broker who took office in September, after his predecessor was removed by a court order.

Voters in flood-hit provinces and analysts are now questioning whether his Bhumjaithai Party can deliver on promises as the country heads toward elections expected in March or April.

"This flood has greatly affected the popularity of Anutin and the government because it appears that, in emergencies, Anutin is relatively unsystematic in his management," Sukhum Nuansakul, a political analyst told Reuters.

"His popularity has dropped."

Floods and landslides across Southeast Asia have killed close to 700 people, most of them in Indonesia, where over 500 people are still missing.

POLLS SHOW SUPPORT SLIPPING

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Anutin said he wasn't thinking about losing support in the south, adding: "I am only thinking about how to help the people."

A poll by Suan Dusit University conducted last week, during the peak of the flooding, found that Anutin's standing had slipped from 48% of respondents backing him down to 23%.

"The flooding not only caused damage to the people but also significantly impacted the government's popularity," said the survey, which polled 2,208 respondents, released on Sunday.

Three days of heavy downpours, starting on November 19, dumped 630 mm (25 inches) of rain onto Hat Yai and the surrounding area, but the government's response was initially slow, with relief efforts accelerating after the military was put in charge nearly a week later.

Another poll by the National Institute of Development Administration released on Sunday, which surveyed 2,000 people in 14 southern provinces before the flooding, showed Anutin stood only third in the list of leading prime ministerial choices, with 15.4% of the support.

PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY SOUTHERN OBJECTIVES

Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party, which currently holds only 70 seats in the 493-member lower house of parliament, has its stronghold in the country's lower-northeast, but has set its sights on winning at least 30 seats in the southern provinces.

The prime minister, as part of a deal with the opposition to take power, has vowed to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with a general election expected to follow in late March.

In Hat Yai, Thailand's fifth-largest city, residents said they had not received clear warnings from local authorities as the incessant rains swelled water levels, trapping many inside their homes for days.

"There is a tremendous amount of anger," said Kiranee Tammapiban-udom, a voter from Hat Yai who works in the capital Bangkok.

"It will very hard for Bhumjaithai to get the 30 seats they are targeting."

After a visit to the Hat Yai area, Anutin on Saturday apologised for his government's performance and promised to speed up the recovery process.

"The government is flawed, I accept it," he said. 

"When there is death, when there are losses, when people cannot live in their homes... it is only the prime minister's fault."

Bhumjaithai's strength will also depend on how its regional ally, the Klatham Party led by Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao, performs in the next polls. 

"Thammanat's visits to the affected areas did not help improve the government's popularity," Sukhum said.

"If the government introduces relief and compensation measures that satisfy the people, their popularity may improve somewhat." REUTERS