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Published on December 12, 2007

His remark follows alleged "opinion polls" by dubious organisations and groups that have flooded the mass media in recent weeks in the lead-up to the election.

"The public must look into people behind the poll and who funded it and see if they are related to any political group," said Noppadol. He spoke during a symposium on the election and Thai politics at Chulalong-korn University yesterday.

Noppadol, who heads one of the country's top polling bodies, said false or doctored results may be used to manipulate the public into supporting or not supporting certain political parties or groups.

He said that findings by state organisations such as the Special Branch Police or Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc), which were recently presented to and by the media "as a poll" were not from a genuine survey, but speculation by members of these organisations.

The head of another leading pollster, Sukhum Chaleisab of Suan Dusit Poll, said "foreigners must be laughing at us upon hearing that we have real and fake polls" adding that the media had a duty to try to verify that some polls were authentic.

Noppadol said he opposed the Election Commission ban on presenting the results of polls in the seven days leading up to December 23 ballot.

But Sukhum thought the ban was okay for the next five years, feeling it would give time for the public to become acquainted with findings from public surveys. "We need five years for people to learn about polling."

Noppadol, however, thought the ban would only delay people having to mature and face such issues. "Society won't grow," he said.

His view was supported by leading election observer Somchai Srisutiyakorn, from the People's Network for Elections (P-Net), who said: "We should not restrict people. Don't we want a society that can think for itself? So why should we restrict them?"

The Election Commission's Somchart Jaesrichai defended the ban, saying a poll by the EC had revealed the majority of Thais were influenced by the results of opinion polls and the ban was needed to ensure the public was not manipulated.

Somchai advocated a different approach of self scrutiny and careful reading of polls by the public. "We should believe only part of it, as polling [in Thailand] is limited by budget constraints and the methodological rigourousness, as well as sampling groups," he said.

Somchai felt people should be more concerned about understanding poll results and make use of the findings for future improvement, rather than merely wanting to know the result of surveys.

Other speakers like Mati-chon newspapers group senior editor Prasong Lertratanawisut cast doubt on the legality of the EC's one-week ban on poll results before the election.

Prasong said someone should petition the Constitution Court to determine if the regulation was against the Constitution or not.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

 The Nation