Govt’s approval ratings are dubious

It was reported that the prime minister has a 78-per-cent approval rating. But if people can get arrested for merely clicking “like” on a website, wouldn’t people be afraid of getting arrested if they tell a polltaker they don’t approve of the government?
Also, since most people get their news from television and they only hear the government’s position, they may not know there could be better alternative approaches to consider.
I don’t deny the government might be popular. But how can we know for sure under the current circumstances?
Eric Bahrt
Chiang Mai