Abac Social Innovation in Management and Business Analysis director Noppadol Kannika said his office surveyed 4,114 people in 20 provinces across the country from May 26 to June 9.

More than half (54.3 per cent) said the country was facing an extreme political crisis, 21.5 per cent said the crisis was moderate, 9.4 per cent felt it was not serious and 3.5 per cent said the situation had not yet reached crisis point. The remainder, 11.3 per cent, offered no comment.

More than three quarters (75.6 per cent) said the movement to oust the government and the Council for National Security would solve the political problems, reasoning that the protests would plunge the country deeper into crisis, 12.8 per cent felt that the protests were the solution, and 11.6 per cent gave no comment.

Asked if they thought the enactment of the new constitution would end the political turbulence, 64.8 per cent said yes, and that the holding of elections would help as well, 21.9 per cent said they do not think so because the constitution was not cause of the crisis, while 13.3 per cent gave no comment.

However, 22.8 per cent said the general election would not help as long as politicians continued to buy votes. Asked if they would vote in the referendum, 63.7 per cent said they would, 16.9 per cent said no, while 19.4 per cent said they were undecided.

The majority of respondents who planned to vote were from the South. Of these, 69.4 per cent said they would vote in favour of the constitution and 30.6 per cent said they would reject it. Respondents from the South also formed the majority of those who said they would accept the referendum.

Two-thirds of the respondents believed that  Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters would not be able to form the next government.