A majority of people do not believe the problem of vote-buying prevalent throughout the Thai electoral system can be solved and disagree with a proposal that vote-buying be legalised, an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, reveals.
The poll was conducted between March 15-18 by telephone interviews with 1,329 people aged 18 and over of all levels of education and occupations throughout the country to compile their opinions about vote-buying.
Asked whether they believed vote-buying was common in both local and national elections, 76.75% said it was very common and another 16.33% fairly common. On the other hand, 3.46% did not believe such a practice existed at all; 3.31% were sceptical that it existed; and 0.15% did not know or were not interested.
Asked whether they believed the vote-buying problem could be solved, 81.68% said "no"; 18.08% said "yes"; and 0.24% did not know or were not interested.
On a proposal that vote-buying be legalised, 80.43% disagreed; 19.04% agreed; and 0.53% did not know or were not interested.
To the question whether organising of feasts by election candidates should be legalised, 71.33% said "no"; 27.54% said "yes"; and 1.13% did not know or were not interested.
Asked whether organising of entertainment by election candidates should be legalised, 73.36% said "no"; 25.81% said "yes"; and 0.83% did not know or were not interested.
Asked whether opinion poll results should be prohibited from publication seven days before the election began, 53.05% disagreed; 44.77% agreed; and 2.18% did not know or were not interested.
