Suan Dusit's September poll finds 73.55% see unequal justice in Thailand
A September survey of 1,123 people finds 66.87% cite political interference as undermining confidence in Thailand’s justice system.
- A Suan Dusit poll found that 73.55% of respondents believe Thailand's justice system provides unequal treatment to different social groups.
- Political interference (cited by 66.87%) and unequal enforcement of the law (58.86%) were identified as the primary factors eroding public confidence.
- Reflecting this sentiment, a combined 67.49% of those surveyed expressed little to no confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the justice system.
- To rebuild trust, respondents called for equal enforcement of the law, greater independence for justice agencies, and easier public access to legal assistance.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents, or 73.55%, believe different groups in Thailand receive unequal treatment from the justice system, according to a Suan Dusit Poll conducted on September 15–18, 2026.
The Suan Dusit University survey, titled “Thais and confidence in the justice system”, gathered responses from 1,123 people across the country through online and field surveys.
Suan Dusit respondents question fairness and equal treatment
On equal treatment, 38.02% of Suan Dusit Poll respondents said different social groups were not treated equally at all, while 35.53% said treatment was not very equal.
Asked about fairness and impartiality in light of recent political cases, 46.39% of respondents said they were not very confident in Thailand’s justice system and 21.10% had no confidence at all. A further 18.52% expressed fairly strong confidence.
When asked what Thailand’s justice system brought to mind, 63.85% of respondents cited court proceedings and judgments, while 61.09% associated it with protecting rights and freedoms and helping the public.
Political interference and unequal enforcement cited as concerns
Political interference was cited by 66.87% of respondents as a factor reducing confidence in Thailand’s justice system, according to Suan Dusit Poll.
Other concerns in the poll included unequal enforcement of the law, cited by 58.86%, and differing standards in considering or deciding cases, at 56.63%.
Respondents call for legal assistance and institutional independence
Asked what should be addressed urgently to rebuild confidence, 66.52% of Suan Dusit Poll respondents called for easier access to rights and legal assistance.
Equal enforcement of the law was requested by 65.45% of respondents, while 62.24% wanted greater independence for agencies involved in the justice system.
Poll analysts emphasise fairness and access to justice
Pornpan Buathong, chair of Suan Dusit Poll, said the findings reflected a crisis of confidence in the justice system, particularly over fairness and equality.
The analysis accompanying the poll argued that restoring confidence required people to see and experience equal protection under the law, regardless of their economic position or political status, and to be able to access and scrutinise the justice system.
Dr Ngampravan Aesomnuek, dean of the School of Law and Politics at Suan Dusit University, said the findings reflected accumulated concern that the law did not operate equally for everyone, exposing a gap between equality in principle and people’s experiences.
Ngampravan said doubts about the independence of the justice system weakened confidence in the wider process. Restoring trust required transparent, consistent procedures whose decisions could be explained publicly.
Ngampravan argued that justice should not depend on knowledge, wealth or bargaining power. People needed to see that the law protected them regardless of economic or political status, through a system they could access and scrutinise.
