First:

Thai people, particularly in the rural areas, believe in democracy.

Second:

Thai people are not too

concerned about military

coups.

Third:

The feeling of unity and an absence of conflict are highly valued.

Fourth:

Thais are willing to accept a certain level of "bad personal background" if the politician gets the job done.

Fifth:

Thais trust the military way ahead of most institutions.

They trust political parties the least. This trust is partially based on the good behaviour of military leaders and the military's strong loyalty to the Monarchy.

Sixth:

If unity is threatened by democracy, Thais believe the military is somewhat justified to resolve the situation.

Seventh:

About 30 per cent of Thais believe that helping one's family or friends into job positions, even though they are less qualified, is okay.

Eighth:

A "father knows best" philosophy still applies to families, work, government and the military. The patron-client relationship is still strong in Thailand.

Ninth:

Expression of views that cause disunity are not well accepted - and full freedom of speech is not desirable.

Tenth:

Economics is much more important and concrete to Thais than democracy.

The Citigroup Global Markets based its research on two studies. The first was "Democratic Level and Behaviours in the Election of Members of the House of Representatives", conducted before and after the 2001 election by the Office of Research and Development, King Prajadhipok's Institute.

The second study was "A Comparative Survey of Democracy, Governance and Development: Support for Democracy in Thailand", by Robert B Albritton and Thawilwadee Bureekul (King Prajadhipok's Institute), which conducted the survey during November and December of 2001.

Political Desk

The Nation