APRIL 2: Bangkok turns against election

Poll finds only 15% will certainly vote; most fear 'something terrifying' could happen

With society torn by the political crisis, more than 40 per cent of Greater Bangkok residents may not turn out for the April 2 election, while barely a sixth say they will certainly cast their ballots, a survey has found.

A total of 41.4 per cent of the respondents said they intended to ignore the snap election, while 15 per cent said they would cast their votes.

Another 43.6 per cent said they were not sure, the poll revealed, as 46 per cent of those going to vote said they would vote for a party, while one fourth would tick the "no-vote" box.

"If the election was held now, no political party would receive over 50 per cent of the vote in Greater Bangkok," the head of Assumption University's Abac Poll Centre Noppadol Kannika said yesterday, citing an Abac poll on Friday and Saturday covering 1,494 Greater Bangkok residents aged over 18.

City residents were affected by "something terrifying [that is] boiling underneath what seems to be a peaceful perception [of the situation]", said Noppadol, citing 97.3 per cent of respondents who said they realised the importance of the problems. Just over 90 per cent wanted all sides to talk peacefully and end the demonstrations. About 75 per cent said they had become concerned. Half of them said they were stressed and slightly less than half called it "a crisis".