A majority of Thais feel the United States does not understand the political situation in Thailand, according to the result of Suan Dusit Poll published Thursday.
The poll, carried out Jan 27-29, asked 1,219 people nationwide on their opinion after US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel expressed concerns about freedom of expression in Thailand and called for the country to lift martial law.
Asked their opinion on the US stand, 83.2% of the respondents said other countries might not have a proper understanding of Thailand's situation, as it was an internal matter. Also, 74.6% thought the US had expressed concern for Thailand, especially its economy; and, 69.1% of those answering said they wanted to see Thailand become democratic and acceptable to other nations.
To the question whether they thought it was now time for the martial law to be lifted, 46% said it was still necessary and, without it, chaos could return. About a third, said they were not certained about martial law and 21.5% said it was time to end it to restore the country's image.