A majority of people say the government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will not be able to solve the corruption problem as it is so deep-rooted in society, according to a survey carried out by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was conducted on March 13-17 on 1,157 people throughout the country to compile their opinions on corruption cases involving several government agencies currently in the news.
Asked what causes corruption and how it can be eradicated, most of the respondents -- 44.22% -- said corruption in the bureaucracy is deep-rooted and has long caused considerable damage to the country; 28.67% said the bureaucracy should undergo a major overhaul; 19.00% said it has damaged the government's image and reputation; 12.67% said the laws are full of loopholes, conducive to corrupt practices; and 8.00% said the media should keep reporting on corruption cases in a straightforward manner.
Asked to comment on whether corruption has affected people's confidence in the Prayut government, 40.97% said it has considerably affected the government's credibility; 22.13% said it has indicated inefficiency on the part of the government in tackling the problem; 21.26% said it has a small negative effect on perceptions of the government and 15.64% believed it has not affected the people's confidence in the government at all.
Asked whether they think the government will be able to solve the problem, 56.61% said "no", 23.42% said they are uncertain, and 19.97% said they think the government can use its extraordinary powers to get rid of it.
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