Thailand’s political index falls to 4.7 in May: Suan Dusit Poll

Thailand’s political index dropped to 4.70 out of 10 in May, which may reflect growing public disillusionment with politics, Suan Dusit Poll reported on Sunday.

The poll, conducted by Suan Dusit University, revealed that the index — based on 25 indicators — declined from 4.82 in April, with all indicators showing a decrease.

Suan Dusit Poll chairwoman Pornphan Buathong said the decline suggested that Thais are losing hope and growing weary of politics.

She noted that public sentiment may have been influenced by allegations of collusion in the Senate voting process, tensions between coalition partners — Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai — and concerns over transparency and efficiency in the budgeting process.

The survey was conducted from 26 to 30 May and included 2,168 respondents.

Among the 25 indicators, the ten highest-scoring were:

• Opposition performance: 5.29 points
• People’s rights and liberties: 5.13
• Educational development: 5.02
• Public inclusion: 4.98
• Overall performance of political parties: 4.88
• National security: 4.85
• Prime Minister’s performance: 4.84
• Political stability: 4.82
• Policy enforcement: 4.80
• Government performance: 4.78

Top three government achievements according to respondents:

• 37.55%: Addressing tourism issues and restoring tourist confidence
• 33.62%: Tackling economic problems and trade negotiations
• 28.83%: Upgrading the disaster warning system

Top three performing government politicians:

• 40.87%: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra
• 35.07%: Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul
• 24.06%: Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga