Survey finds Thais growing weary of prolonged Thai–Cambodian tensions

The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) surveyed 1,310 Thais aged 18 and above between October 14–16, covering all regions, education levels, and occupations. The survey — titled “Are Thais still patient?” — sought to gauge public sentiment on the current border tensions.

The results paint a striking picture of public mood during the crisis, particularly regarding “tolerance” and “confidence” in various institutions.

When asked about their tolerance for the Thai–Cambodian conflict, 40.53% said they still had “moderate patience”, but 24.43% said they had “lost patience”, and 19.69% said they were “beginning to lose patience”. 

Combined, these two groups represent 44.12% of respondents showing signs of growing frustration. Only 14.74% said they remained “highly patient”.

Among respondents living along the Thai–Cambodian border (210 samples), the trend was similar — 24.29% said they had lost patience, and 22.38% said their patience was waning, totalling 46.67%.

Government vs military: a clear divide

The survey also revealed starkly contrasting public views on how key institutions are handling the conflict.

• The military earned overwhelming trust, with 53.67% “very satisfied” and 34.20% “fairly satisfied” — a combined satisfaction rate of 87.87%. Only 9.54% were “somewhat dissatisfied” and 2.44% “very dissatisfied.”
   
• The Thai government, however, scored poorly: 38.32% said they were “somewhat dissatisfied” and 26.03% “very dissatisfied” (totalling 64.35% dissatisfaction). Only 25.80% were “fairly satisfied” and 9.62% “very satisfied.”
   
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs saw mixed results, with 34.66% “fairly satisfied” but 31.83% “somewhat dissatisfied” and 16.95% “very dissatisfied” (a combined 48.78% dissatisfaction).

Thais fear prolonged conflict and economic fallout

Asked about their biggest concerns, Thais ranked the following as their top three:

• The conflict will drag on indefinitely (44.05%)
• The livelihood of people in border areas (41.76%)
• The welfare of state officials, volunteers, and soldiers along the border (31.15%)

Other concerns included renewed fighting (21.15%) and the fear that Thailand could lose territory (18.24%). Among border residents, the top worry was again the prolonged conflict (46.19%), followed by border livelihoods (44.76%).

Divided opinions on the path forward

When asked what Thailand should do next, respondents nationwide gave three leading answers:

• Apply economic pressure — such as closing border checkpoints or halting trade (35.19%)
• Protect sovereignty — “Whatever happens, Thailand must not lose territory or face disadvantage” (33.97%)
• Pursue serious diplomatic talks between the two countries (24.81%)

Among respondents living in border provinces, the priorities differed slightly: the most popular stance was “protect sovereignty at all costs” (39.05%), followed by economic pressure (32.86%) and calls for government compensation and support for affected locals and businesses (22.38%).