Thais divided over who to blame for collapse of Parliament meetings: poll

Meanwhile 30 per cent of respondents said MPs who missed meetings without good reason should be penalised with a pay cut.

This month alone has seen three House meetings collapse – on February 2, 4, and 10 – after failing to achieve a quorum as MPs stayed away.

The survey was conducted from February 8-10 on 1,310 people aged 18 and over, with various levels of education and occupations throughout Thailand.

The results were as follows:

Asked who was to blame for the repeated collapse of House meetings:

– 43.44 per cent said government coalition MPs

– 42.37 per cent said the government

– 37.94 per cent said opposition MPs

– 32.60 per cent said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

– 14.66 per cent said Parliament President Chuan Leekpai

– 12.60 per cent said government coalition chief Niroth Soonthornleka

– 11.83 per cent said opposition chief Suthin Khlangsaeng

– 2.29 per cent said no one was responsible

– 7.10 per cent did not answer

Asked what caused the problem:

– 49.85 per cent said it was a political game to overthrow the government

– 31.98 per cent said some MPs were neglecting their duties in Parliament

– 16.03 per cent said the government coalition whip was ineffective

– 11.91 per cent said some MPs are lazy

– 8.17 per cent said the government wants to delay the consideration of the laws

– 4.89 per cent said the meeting is not attractive

– 4.35 per cent said the opposition whip is ineffective

– 2.82 per cent said the Parliament meeting collapse is just an accident

– 2.29 per cent said some MPs have other important duties to do

Asked for ways to solve this problem:

– 30.15 per cent said a salary cut for MPs absent without good reasons

– 22.82 per cent said the absent MPs should have political rights reduced

– 22.29 per cent said they should be fired

– 17.71 per cent said they should be fined

– 16.03 per cent said they should be named publicly

– 14.20 per cent said political parties of absent MPs should be dissolved

– 12.60 per cent said there was no way to solve this issue

– 2.98 per cent did not answer