Poll: Almost half support PM Samak; 37% fear new coup

A new survey has found that almost half of the respondents — 47.6 per cent — still supported Samak Sundaravej as Thailand’s prime minister while over one-third — 36.7 per cent — believe there is another coup on the way.

Noppadol Kannikar, director of Assumption University’s ABAC Poll, said the survey was made of 2,625 people aged above 18 living in Bangkok and the surrounding areas between April 2-14 on the current political disputes in Thailand.

While a plurality of respondents supported Mr. Samak — slightly over one in four, 26.3 per cent did not favour him.

Those supporting Mr. Samak were of the opinion that he was a straightforward man, sincere and enough time should be given to him to do his work.

Asked which political party they would vote for if a new general election was held, half of the respondents said the People Power Party, headed by Mr. Samak, while 46.9 per cent would vote for the opposition Democrat Party and the rest opted for other parties.

The survey was conducted as three political parties in the coalition government, including PPP, are facing a possible dissolution if found guilty for frauds in the last December general election.

Respondents also expressed concern over the likelihood of domestic political trouble in the next six months. Almost two-thirds — 63.8 per cent of the respondents said they expected a “severe confrontation” between people favouring the government and those opposing it.

36.7 per cent of those polled said they believed there would be a new coup in Thailand.

The military last engineered a coup in September 2006 and toppled the elected government of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

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