On Monday, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released its first public opinion survey, revealing public perception and expectations of the Anutin Charnvirakul administration.
The survey shows that 31% of its 5,000 respondents nationwide have high confidence in the government, 52.6% moderate confidence, 13.3% less confidence, and 3.1% little confidence.
The survey also shows what people expect the government to deliver: 40.3% expect the government to reduce the cost of living, 31.5% to improve economic conditions, 30.8% to tackle the Thai-Cambodian border conflict, and 19.4% to improve farm commodity prices.
Such an opinion poll might not be a surprise amid the plethora of public surveys by academic institutes, nor does it offer any significant data. The highlight of this opinion poll is that it is the first time the NSO has conducted one in its 110 years of service. The poll is the first under the “Quick Survey” project, initiated by Ekapong Rimcharone, the newly appointed NSO director-general. The project took three months, from October to December. Interestingly, the project’s title seems to align with the Anutin government’s “Quick Big Win” policy.
NSO surveyors are currently conducting a number of public surveys to find out how citizens think about the government’s policies, such as Khon La Khrueng Plus, public welfare and projects people want the government to deliver. For example, next month the office will conduct a survey to find out what the public wants the government to give them in the New Year.
The NSO has a grand new vision: to be the collector of all government data, and this is good news. It is no secret that public data is scattered across various government agencies and ministries. This makes it harder for the public, businesses and researchers to access public data. With the NSO’s professional handling, we hope the government and civil servants will use accurate, professional data to improve public service.
It is a positive move that the NSO is stepping down from its ivory tower and engaging with society. Despite being staffed by professional statisticians and having a network in every district, the NSO only serves central governments, provincial administrations, and ministries.
NSO surveys have been highly credited for accuracy. While the institute pollster uses a telephone to conduct a survey, the NSO sends out staff to conduct in-person interviews. With solid resources, the NSO also often conducts large-sample surveys. Their surveys are conducted in accordance with professional standards and safeguards to protect respondents’ personal data.
However, there are some concerns. The biggest being how to prevent political intervention. The concern is that politicians could use the state census service to promote their political campaigns, projecting only good news and lopsided information. Look no further than the Quick Survey project. All topic surveys in the project revolve around the current government’s policy and performance. The challenge is how the NSO can maintain its professionalism and neutrality while surveying opinions that accurately reflect public needs and concerns.
But the NSO’s new initiative is a good step. Countries and institutions have used public surveys and statistical analysis to understand public opinion and to improve services and public policies. It is hoped that official statisticians can help turn Thailand into a data-driven public administration rather than a top-down governance model.
