BANGKOK – Most Thais disagree with the leading plan for a coalition government that includes military-backed groups, an opinion poll showed on Sunday, two days ahead of a parliamentary vote aiming to end a three-month political stalemate.

About 64 per cent of 1,310 respondents disagreed or totally disagreed with the idea of the Pheu Thai party forming a “special government” with military-backed rivals, according to the survey by the National Institute of Development Administration.

Thailand has been under a caretaker government for five months and faces prolonged uncertainty after the winner of the May election, Move Forward, was blocked from forming a government by conservative legislators allied with the royalist military.

The second-place Pheu Thai, founded by the family of self-exiled billionaire former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in August took over efforts to form a government.

Pheu Thai, set to nominate real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin as prime minister on Tuesday, needs the support of more than half the bicameral legislature, including the military-appointed Senate.

Also on Tuesday, Thaksin is set to return to Thailand despite facing a jail sentence, his daughter, Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, said on Saturday.

Pheu Thai governments were ousted by military coups in 2006 and 2014 – which ousted Thaksin and his sister, Ms Yingluck Shinawatra, respectively - when the party’s interests clashed with the country’s powerful old money elites and royalist military.

Sunday’s poll found prime ministerial candidate Ms Paetongtarn as the preferred prime minister, with 38.6 per cent support, followed by Srettha at 36.6 per cent.

Pheu Thai last Thursday gained support from the military-backed rival United Thai Nation Party. A lawmaker from another pro-military party, Palang Pracharat, said in August the party would back Pheu Thai in trying to the protracted deadlock. REUTERS