A large majority of Thai people are worried by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying it would have a considerable impact, particularly on fuel prices and the cost of living, according to an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was conducted online between March 7-10 on 1,143 people throughout the country.
Of the respondents, 52.40% were fairly interested in and follow the news on the Russia-Ukraine war. A further 30.71% said they paid a great deal of attention to the news, while 13.04% had little interest in it and 3.85% no interest at all.
Asked on which media they followed the Russia-Ukraine war news, 84/89% mentioned social media such as LINE, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; 59.40% watched television news programmes; and 34.36% read news agency websites.
A large majority, 75.15%, were worried by the news - 53.81% moderately and 21.34% highly. Of the rest, 19.95% weren't particularly worried and 4.90% not worried at all.
Asked how the Russia-Ukraine war would affect Thailand, with each respondent allowed to give more than one answer, 88.32% said fuel prices would rise; 63.39% said the cost of living and goods prices would go up; and 51.19% said gold prices would fluctuate.
On Thailand's stance in this situation, 75.40% said the country should be prepared for the impact; 66.78% said it should express sympathy for people suffering in the war; and 56.33% said it should place itself in a neutral position.
Asked about possible ways out of the war, 57.46% said leaders of the two countries should hold talks; 53.93% said both countries should take a step backward, for the sake of their peoples; and 52.69% said they should resort to peaceful means, not violence.
Asked what they thought about Thailand joining 140 other countries to vote for a United Nations resolution demanding the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, 56.59% said Thailand wanted to see a quick end to the war; 51.46% said the move was appropriate, based on humanitarian principles; and 50.40% said Thailand had played an appropriate role in the world forum.
