The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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Poll: Many Support Talks with UDD

 

Published: 21/03/2010

 

74.78 per cent of the respondents in Suan Dusit Poll's survey on the red-shirt demonstration agreed with the government's move to hold talks with the anti-government protesters to end the continuing political turmoil.

 

The survey was conducted between March 18 and 20, involving 1,468 respondents in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.

 

14.79 per cent of the polled said they were unsure whether such negotiations would be successful as it would depend on the decisions of key members from both sides. 10.43 per cent believed negotiations would be useless due to both sides' totally different political stances.

 

On the respondents' views on the mass red-shirt rally of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) in Bangkok, 31.52 per cent viewed that the government was patient and capable of dealing with the red-shirts. 26.23 per cent believed the demonstration was held in an orderly manner and it could gain more support and people's acceptance if no violence took place.

 

17.72 per cent believed the UDD rally could gain interest from international media. 14.90 per cent said they were apathetic to politics and were not happy with traffic problems caused by the protesters. 9.63 per cent believed the red-shirt leaders were cooperative with authorities.

The survey was conducted between March 18 and 20, involving 1,468 respondents in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.

Am I the only one suspicious of the results of polls which involve only 1,468 respondents? I am sure the University was pretty methodical in the selection of those it polled. I am also aware that the major polling agencies around the world often use smallish groups in determining what the 'people' want. Personally, I would be far more convinced if the numbers were in the tens of thousands and I knew something about the hopefully random way these were selected.