Thai poll shows over 75 percent of the people support martial law

[webfact]

Poll shows over 75 percent of the people support martial law



More than 75 percent of the people surveyed by Suan Dusit Poll agreed with the martial law.

BANGKOK: -- Suan Dusit Poll of Ratchabhat University’s Suan Dusit campus conducted an opinion survey from a total of 1,264 people during May 20-21. The results of the survey are as follows:

- 50.93 percent said the martial law would help ease the tensioin and the army are capable of controlling the situation and preventing confrontation.

- 25.75 percent believe that martial law is a way out of the conflict and the people will feel more secured.

- 11.49 percent are worried because the martial law may affect their livelihood and render inconvenience to their travelling.

- 7.14 percent are concerned that the martial law will impact on the country’s image and stability.

- 4.66 percent are afraid that the special law may provoke resistance which may lead to more violence.

The poll showed that 75.95 percent agreed with the martial law because it would help prevent violence and people feel more secured whereas 12.34 percent said that with or without martial law the political conflict would not be resolved and protests would continue as normal.

The 11.71 percent who opposed the law said that the martial law was unjustified because there was no riot or serious violence to justify the imposition of the law. Moreover, the law will give a false impression that a coup has taken place.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/poll-shows-75-percent-people-support-martial-law/


-- Thai PBS 2014-05-22

[Dr Bruce]

It is only a coup if they cancel elections and appoint a PM. We have to wait and see.

[smedly]

It is only a coup if they cancel elections and appoint a PM. We have to wait and see.

cancel what election, as far as anyone can tell elections are planned just the date might not be to your liking

as for appointing a PM - if all sides cannot reach agreement then there doesn't seem to be any other option than to remove them all and put someone in place that can bring all this to an end, obviously the players involved will have shown their inability to do so - PTP have done a magnificent job so far - right ? is there any law they haven't broken

Remember that Thaksin buzz word "reconciliation" perhaps you would like to give us all a summary of how that has gone the last 3 years............or maybe not

[EricBerg]

Feeling safe is a basic need of people. Police couldn't provide that feeling, worse, police (CAPO/Chalerm) increased the unsafe feelings.

Most of the 24% that didn't agree with martial law at first probably will agree by now.

[sumtingwong]

Thank god for martial law. The military is protecting Thailand from enemies both foreign and domestic, as they should.

Elected officials do not have a license to break laws and violate the constitution, even if they get 100% of the vote, and PTP got less than 50% of the vote, not even a majority.

[Civil War]

It is only a coup if they cancel elections and appoint a PM. We have to wait and see.

If you want to issue such loose criteria for what you consider a coup, then so be it... it's a coup.... who cares?

When a country is in tatters and most of it at the hands of the current government, and if it takes a coup to get rid of them and save that country from suffering any more, then coups should be the fashion of the day...... globally.

When a government fails to deliver on its mandate to the people on multiple fronts, corruption is openly obvious and they intimidate anyone with an opposing opinion and accuse them of treason, break articles of the constitution, rig lower and upper house votes......then they are no longer democratically legitimate in the principles of democracy and a coup is justifiable as a 'democratic removal'.

[SABloke]

It is only a coup if they cancel elections and appoint a PM. We have to wait and see.

You've said this already-no need to copy and paste to every thread on ThaiVisa.

[GeorgeO]

Thank god for martial law. The military is protecting Thailand from enemies both foreign and domestic, as they should.

Elected officials do not have a license to break laws and violate the constitution, even if they get 100% of the vote, and PTP got less than 50% of the vote, not even a majority.

The military is protecting Thailand from enemies both foreign and domestic, as they should.

...yes indeed, speaking of which, Fryslan Boppe/Amsterdam has gone very quiet recently...!!

[Chris Lawrence]

This poll needed military approval before it could go to print.

[wandasloan]

If you want to issue such loose criteria for what you consider a coup, then so be it... it's a coup.... who cares?

When a country is in tatters and most of it at the hands of the current government, and if it takes a coup to get rid of them and save that country from suffering any more, then coups should be the fashion of the day...... globally.

When a government fails to deliver on its mandate to the people on multiple fronts, corruption is openly obvious and they intimidate anyone with an opposing opinion and accuse them of treason, break articles of the constitution, rig lower and upper house votes......then they are no longer democratically legitimate in the principles of democracy and a coup is justifiable as a 'democratic removal'.

Booyah!

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

This man claims he stepped in, with 28 dead, all at the hands of thugs and hooligans with no actual rally or mob involved — he stepped in with 28 dead to stop the bloodshed. So that is his marker. Everything up to 28, there's no blood on his hands. Everything after 28, every drop of blood even to paper cuts in the martial law office, that's on his hands.

Let's hope for a unique, never-before-seen occasion when the Thai army doesn't start killing Thai citizens. That would be fabulous. George Santayana and I, though, we don't believe we'll see it.

Sorry. Forgot this. In 2006, the approval rate for a real, full-out, tanks-on-the-street coup was way over 75%. Remember how that turned out so well? Remember the approval rating when the army finally agreed for the 11th time to get its tanks off the street. Yes, again, neither do I. I remember the blood though, and always will.

.

Edited May 22, 2014 by wandasloan

[Yann55]

Well... it seems that 75% is a roughly accurate estimate for what is known as the silent majority.

Silent majority, aka normal people who just want to go on with their lives, jobs, projects, weddings, divorces, holidays, whatever, people who do not think that Khun T.S's or Khun S.T.'s faces are actually their problem and worth turning this beautiful country into a battlefield for.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Yann55

[AleG]

If you want to issue such loose criteria for what you consider a coup, then so be it... it's a coup.... who cares?

When a country is in tatters and most of it at the hands of the current government, and if it takes a coup to get rid of them and save that country from suffering any more, then coups should be the fashion of the day...... globally.

When a government fails to deliver on its mandate to the people on multiple fronts, corruption is openly obvious and they intimidate anyone with an opposing opinion and accuse them of treason, break articles of the constitution, rig lower and upper house votes......then they are no longer democratically legitimate in the principles of democracy and a coup is justifiable as a 'democratic removal'.

Booyah!

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

This man claims he stepped in, with 28 dead, all at the hands of thugs and hooligans with no actual rally or mob involved — he stepped in with 28 dead to stop the bloodshed. So that is his marker. Everything up to 28, there's no blood on his hands. Everything after 28, every drop of blood even to paper cuts in the martial law office, that's on his hands.

Let's hope for a unique, never-before-seen occasion when the Thai army doesn't start killing Thai citizens. That would be fabulous. George Santayana and I, though, we don't believe we'll see it.

Sorry. Forgot this. In 2006, the approval rate for a real, full-out, tanks-on-the-street coup was way over 75%. Remember how that turned out so well? Remember the approval rating when the army finally agreed for the 11th time to get its tanks off the street. Yes, again, neither do I. I remember the blood though, and always will.

.

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

Short or selective memory? The 2006 coup was bloodless.

[NanLaew]

They support it because the poor dears really don't know any better. They are so used to having fatherly figures come along and slap wrists and men in green assume control, they think it's all a good thing.

Meanwhile, nothing will change. For now.

[sumtingwong]

If you want to issue such loose criteria for what you consider a coup, then so be it... it's a coup.... who cares?

When a country is in tatters and most of it at the hands of the current government, and if it takes a coup to get rid of them and save that country from suffering any more, then coups should be the fashion of the day...... globally.

When a government fails to deliver on its mandate to the people on multiple fronts, corruption is openly obvious and they intimidate anyone with an opposing opinion and accuse them of treason, break articles of the constitution, rig lower and upper house votes......then they are no longer democratically legitimate in the principles of democracy and a coup is justifiable as a 'democratic removal'.

Booyah!

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

This man claims he stepped in, with 28 dead, all at the hands of thugs and hooligans with no actual rally or mob involved — he stepped in with 28 dead to stop the bloodshed. So that is his marker. Everything up to 28, there's no blood on his hands. Everything after 28, every drop of blood even to paper cuts in the martial law office, that's on his hands.

Let's hope for a unique, never-before-seen occasion when the Thai army doesn't start killing Thai citizens. That would be fabulous. George Santayana and I, though, we don't believe we'll see it.

Sorry. Forgot this. In 2006, the approval rate for a real, full-out, tanks-on-the-street coup was way over 75%. Remember how that turned out so well? Remember the approval rating when the army finally agreed for the 11th time to get its tanks off the street. Yes, again, neither do I. I remember the blood though, and always will.

.

Hmm before martial law shootings and explosions. Since martial law the following has been reported:

"Last night there were no shootings or explosions in #Bangkok. It was probably the quietest night for weeks. Hopefully the peace will last."

"Another quiet night here in #Bangkok with no reports so far of shootings or explosions. I hope this peace & security continues."

[BlueNoseCodger]

Lets go through these:

- 50.93 percent of 1264 = 643.76 people (644 people would be 50.95) Impossible

- 25.75 percent of 1264 = 325.48 people (325 people = 25.71%) Impossible

- 11.49 percent of 1264 = 145.23 people (145 people out of 1264 = 11.47%) Impossible

- 7.14 percent of 1264 = 90.25% ( 90 people = 7.12%) Impossible

- 4.66 percent of 1264 = 58.9 people (59 people = 4.67%) Impossible

So these numbers don't work, it represents more a message they want to portray rather than an actual poll. So what's the message they want to portray?

The poll showed that 75.95 percent agreed with the martial law because it would help prevent violence and people feel more secured whereas 12.34 percent said that with or without martial law the political conflict would not be resolved and protests would continue as normal.

i.e. that martial law is very popular, and where it isn't popular, it would do no harm. Clearly false, the soldiers were already on the streets before martial law, so it doesn't increase security. It just increases the military powers plus permits censorship.

The 11.71 percent who opposed the law said that the martial law was unjustified because there was no riot or serious violence to justify the imposition of the law. Moreover, the law will give a false impression that a coup has taken place.

Aww, those wacky academics and lawyers pointing out it's illegal to declare martial law across the country using a Section 4, and its also illegal when there is no insurghency/riots to quell. Thankfully they are a tiny minority, according to this fictional poll we just made up.

Edited May 22, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[belg]

75% also agree with CORRUPTION, if they can benefit from it

[wandasloan]

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

Short or selective memory? The 2006 coup was bloodless.

55555 good one. All coups and military intervention have begun bloodlessly or nearly so.

Would you like to try to answer the question again? I'll repeat it, and my comment, only this time with emphasis for the hard-of-reading:

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

To put it in shorter, blunter (if less inclusive) questions. Do you remember 1973? Do you remember 1981? Do you remember 1976? Do you remember 1992? Do you remember 1985? Do you remember 2010?

So do I. And to be clear, I remember the coups/intervention that preceded them, in all their bloodless glory, some of which certainly had more than 75% approval, although polls weren't around for most of them.

Something I found interesting and probably pertinent. On Tuesday night and Wednesday night the crowds at the two main rallies in Bangkok and Thon Buri got noticeably bigger. I think those folks are quite willing to wait for a while, but even more of them are interested and invested in the outcome now. And when (not if) the outcome is not the one that one rally or both rallies want, that will start the REALLY dangerous time.

Answer me this: If a yellow or a red rally or both rallies just stand up and start marching and defy the army, what do YOU think the army will do when 10 to 50 thousand people do that defying? I'm not saying this will happen, but the mood is there. Just like it was there over and over and over again when the green-clad know-nothing humourless witless military twits got involved over the people's interests.

The army lost its one chance to break up those rallies and send people home and I think that was one of 357 stupid things that happened Tuesday. There is no chance to disperse them now, not bloodlessly.

i.e. that martial law is very popular, and where it isn't popular, it would do no harm. Clearly false, the soldiers were already on the streets before martial law, so it doesn't increase security. It just increases the military powers plus permits censorship.

Respectfully, and as one of the 11.71%, the poll did not ask IF martial law increased security, a fact no one even you and me cannot know for some time to come. The poll asked if the respondents believed it would. And if you have been in Thailand and not cooped up in a room for the last two days, there is no doubt that a huge percentage of people believe just that. I find 75% entirely credible. There always are 11.71% of us troublemakers of course.

No poll EVER tests a fact. It asks for opinions. If you don't think somewhere around 75% of Thais basically approve of this martial law declaration... well, you don't but you're wrong.

..

Edited May 22, 2014 by wandasloan

[wandasloan]

Hmm before martial law shootings and explosions. Since martial law the following has been reported:

"Last night there were no shootings or explosions in #Bangkok. It was probably the quietest night for weeks. Hopefully the peace will last."

"Another quiet night here in #Bangkok with no reports so far of shootings or explosions. I hope this peace & security continues."

I'm not sure what you're saying, but if you are saying the army has had a fabulous 48 hours and it's time for all the military to return to the barracks and revoke martial law, I'm with you - and I will certainly join in congratulating the general on an achievement of two days without a political murder. Good job! Thanks, and see you never again. Does "never" work for you, general, for the next military intervention? Great.

If you're saying that, I'm with you. If you are trying to make some prediction that 48 hours is the same as 48 days is the same as 48 weeks, please rub a lamp. I hope, pray that this incompetent bunch can muddle through without bloodshed. But I'm realistic and I fear very much they can't.

.

[aripengu]

Sounds credible people are starting to get tired, they could also conduct a poll asking how many people feel represented by any of the colored parts in conflict.
It's always helpful to state how the poll was conducted, what system was used etc.

Edited May 22, 2014 by aripengu

[BlueNoseCodger]

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

Short or selective memory? The 2006 coup was bloodless.

55555 good one. All coups and military intervention have begun bloodlessly or nearly so.

Would you like to try to answer the question again? I'll repeat it, and my comment, only this time with emphasis for the hard-of-reading:

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

To put it in shorter, blunter (if less inclusive) questions. Do you remember 1973? Do you remember 1981? Do you remember 1976? Do you remember 1992? Do you remember 1985? Do you remember 2010?

So do I. And to be clear, I remember the coups/intervention that preceded them, in all their bloodless glory, some of which certainly had more than 75% approval, although polls weren't around for most of them.

i.e. that martial law is very popular, and where it isn't popular, it would do no harm. Clearly false, the soldiers were already on the streets before martial law, so it doesn't increase security. It just increases the military powers plus permits censorship.

Respectfully, and as one of the 11.71%, the poll did not ask IF martial law increased security, a fact no one even you and me cannot know for some time to come. The poll asked if the respondents believed it would. And if you have been in Thailand and not cooped up in a room for the last two days, there is no doubt that a huge percentage of people believe just that. I find 75% entirely credible. There always are 11.71% of us troublemakers of course.

No poll EVER tests a fact. It asks for opinions. If you don't think somewhere around 75% of Thais basically approve of this martial law declaration... well, you don't but you're wrong.

..

Yet the numbers are impossible, fractions of people. If the poll result could be achieved by valid means it would be done by valid means. So the impossible numbers are a clue that its fiction*.

I also don't believe the 75% feel it makes them safer. The army gives advance notice of troop movements specifically because people fear the army, and history says they are right to fear them. The reason they put an armoured vehicle loaded with machine guns at an intersection that has had no protests or violence isn't to make people feel safer, it's intimidation to enforce martial law.

* A deliberate clue too. These polling people are prefectly capable of making fake numbers that pass basic tests, yet they don't. NIDA polls will round everything down, then return a total >=100%, Dusit do it much more blantantly, but they all give you clues to the fakeness of the poll they've been asked to put out.

Edited May 22, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[ggt]

The other 25%...are either dead...or wounded...

[rebelplatoon]

It figures. Its a good thing. And wandasloan would ve liked all the arms reach the red militia. That surely would ve been bloody.

[rebelplatoon]

Hmm before martial law shootings and explosions. Since martial law the following has been reported:

"Last night there were no shootings or explosions in #Bangkok. It was probably the quietest night for weeks. Hopefully the peace will last."

"Another quiet night here in #Bangkok with no reports so far of shootings or explosions. I hope this peace & security continues."

I'm not sure what you're saying, but if you are saying the army has had a fabulous 48 hours and it's time for all the military to return to the barracks and revoke martial law, I'm with you - and I will certainly join in congratulating the general on an achievement of two days without a political murder. Good job! Thanks, and see you never again. Does "never" work for you, general, for the next military intervention? Great.

If you're saying that, I'm with you. If you are trying to make some prediction that 48 hours is the same as 48 days is the same as 48 weeks, please rub a lamp. I hope, pray that this incompetent bunch can muddle through without bloodshed. But I'm realistic and I fear very much they can't.

.

Yes the government was way more competent. Thats why they were supplying weapons to the reds.

[focus27]

Lets go through these:

- 50.93 percent of 1264 = 643.76 people (644 people would be 50.95) Impossible

- 25.75 percent of 1264 = 325.48 people (325 people = 25.71%) Impossible

- 11.49 percent of 1264 = 145.23 people (145 people out of 1264 = 11.47%) Impossible

- 7.14 percent of 1264 = 90.25% ( 90 people = 7.12%) Impossible

- 4.66 percent of 1264 = 58.9 people (59 people = 4.67%) Impossible

So these numbers don't work, it represents more a message they want to portray rather than an actual poll. So what's the message they want to portray?

The poll showed that 75.95 percent agreed with the martial law because it would help prevent violence and people feel more secured whereas 12.34 percent said that with or without martial law the political conflict would not be resolved and protests would continue as normal.

i.e. that martial law is very popular, and where it isn't popular, it would do no harm. Clearly false, the soldiers were already on the streets before martial law, so it doesn't increase security. It just increases the military powers plus permits censorship.

The 11.71 percent who opposed the law said that the martial law was unjustified because there was no riot or serious violence to justify the imposition of the law. Moreover, the law will give a false impression that a coup has taken place.

Aww, those wacky academics and lawyers pointing out it's illegal to declare martial law across the country using a Section 4, and its also illegal when there is no insurghency/riots to quell. Thankfully they are a tiny minority, according to this fictional poll we just made up.

It is standard practice to quote the total number of respondents in an opinion poll, and it is also normal that not every respondent answers every question. So long as every question published has enough respondents to qualify for the predetermined level of confidence, that too is fine. All that data should be available in any published report but is rarely, if ever, published by newspapers.

This doesn't mean the poll wasn't massaged or biased, it just means one can't tell from the simple arithmetic of the published percentages.

[GeorgeO]

If you want to issue such loose criteria for what you consider a coup, then so be it... it's a coup.... who cares?

When a country is in tatters and most of it at the hands of the current government, and if it takes a coup to get rid of them and save that country from suffering any more, then coups should be the fashion of the day...... globally.

When a government fails to deliver on its mandate to the people on multiple fronts, corruption is openly obvious and they intimidate anyone with an opposing opinion and accuse them of treason, break articles of the constitution, rig lower and upper house votes......then they are no longer democratically legitimate in the principles of democracy and a coup is justifiable as a 'democratic removal'.

Booyah!

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

This man claims he stepped in, with 28 dead, all at the hands of thugs and hooligans with no actual rally or mob involved — he stepped in with 28 dead to stop the bloodshed. So that is his marker. Everything up to 28, there's no blood on his hands. Everything after 28, every drop of blood even to paper cuts in the martial law office, that's on his hands.

Let's hope for a unique, never-before-seen occasion when the Thai army doesn't start killing Thai citizens. That would be fabulous. George Santayana and I, though, we don't believe we'll see it.

Sorry. Forgot this. In 2006, the approval rate for a real, full-out, tanks-on-the-street coup was way over 75%. Remember how that turned out so well? Remember the approval rating when the army finally agreed for the 11th time to get its tanks off the street. Yes, again, neither do I. I remember the blood though, and always will.

Sorry to spoil your day, but the Army will not be killing any Thai citizens at all. There may be blood spilt if the Army comes under attack from the Red Shirt separatists, but by their calls for secession from the state, they have already indicated that they do not consider themselves Thai citizens, in which case, please refer back to my first sentence...!!

[Artisi]

It is only a coup if they cancel elections and appoint a PM. We have to wait and see.

You've said this already-no need to copy and paste to every thread on ThaiVisa.

Well let's face it, he doesn't really have anything of substance to say so allow him a bit of slack.

[noitom]

And who knows what the questions were? One of these questions has a but and whereas in it. That's not intelligent survey construction. What was the question here?

[BlueNoseCodger]

If you want to issue such loose criteria for what you consider a coup, then so be it... it's a coup.... who cares?

When a country is in tatters and most of it at the hands of the current government, and if it takes a coup to get rid of them and save that country from suffering any more, then coups should be the fashion of the day...... globally.

When a government fails to deliver on its mandate to the people on multiple fronts, corruption is openly obvious and they intimidate anyone with an opposing opinion and accuse them of treason, break articles of the constitution, rig lower and upper house votes......then they are no longer democratically legitimate in the principles of democracy and a coup is justifiable as a 'democratic removal'.

Booyah!

Remember all those times an army takeover by any name ended peacefully with no blood spilt? Neither do I.

This man claims he stepped in, with 28 dead, all at the hands of thugs and hooligans with no actual rally or mob involved — he stepped in with 28 dead to stop the bloodshed. So that is his marker. Everything up to 28, there's no blood on his hands. Everything after 28, every drop of blood even to paper cuts in the martial law office, that's on his hands.

Let's hope for a unique, never-before-seen occasion when the Thai army doesn't start killing Thai citizens. That would be fabulous. George Santayana and I, though, we don't believe we'll see it.

Sorry. Forgot this. In 2006, the approval rate for a real, full-out, tanks-on-the-street coup was way over 75%. Remember how that turned out so well? Remember the approval rating when the army finally agreed for the 11th time to get its tanks off the street. Yes, again, neither do I. I remember the blood though, and always will.

Sorry to spoil your day, but the Army will not be killing any Thai citizens at all. There may be blood spilt if the Army comes under attack from the Red Shirt separatists, but by their calls for secession from the state, they have already indicated that they do not consider themselves Thai citizens, in which case, please refer back to my first sentence...!!

I'm sure that's the narrative the PR person will write, just as its always been written. Trouble is, in the youtube generation, they're one click away from being found out.

[MW72]

Where was the poll held? Bangkok only? How do we know it is representative of the nation as a whole? I am sure most people are happy that someone has stepped in to stop the madness, it is just a shame it has to be the army. The politicians need to realise that they are voted for by the people and paid by the people and that they should have sorted this out without the need of the army intervention. They are all a bunch of self serving *******.

[focus27]

The press release of the poll can be found here: http://dusitpoll.dusit.ac.th/polldata/2557/25571400661805.pdf

It is all in Thai.

Re, the problem with the percentages, take the first question, calculate the actual number of respondents, round it to the nearest whole number, then recalculate the percentages from that total, and... the published numbers are within +/- 0.02 %. Foul play or not?