A majority of people said that four years after the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) took over the country's administration in the May 22, 2014 coup, their level of happiness is the same or less than before, according to the result of a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted on May 15-16 on 1,253 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country to evaluate the performance of the NCPO and its vow to "return happiness to the people".
Asked about the degree of happiness they feel after four years of the NCPO in power, 46.85% of respondents said they have seen no change in terms of happiness as the country's economy is still poor and cost of living still as high as before; 27.69% said they feel happier because the country has seen no political gatherings and less corruption; and 25.46% said they have less happy than before because of the poor economy, low prices of farm produce, lax law enforcement, and restrictions on rights and freedoms, including democracy .
In a May 2017 survey, after three years of the NCPO running the country, 42% of the respondents saw no change in terms of happiness, 32.64% said they were happier and 21.76% were less happy than before the coup.
Asked what had made them happier during the four years under the NCPO, 52.99% mentioned law and order without political chaos; 16.76% said nothing at all; 9.66% cited the government's anti-corruption measures; 6.15% rearrangements of social order; 4.95% the government's efforts to address the cost of living; 3.11% the overall effort to solve economic problems; 2.23% the government's crime-fighting measures; 1.04% greater freedom; 1.04% government actions to tackle poverty, the environment and drugs; and 0.08% had no comment.
On factors which have limited their happiness, 30.81% mentioned the overall economic situation; 15.08% farmers' poor livelihood; 11.89% the cost of living; 11.49% corruption; 10.22% having an unelected government; 3.11% crime; 2.63% lack of freedom of the media; and the rest on problems in public order, law enforcement and reform.
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