Pollsters say they're working to make better predictions

Suan Dusit Poll chief Sukhum Chaloeysub has released a letter publicly apologising for the incorrect predictions for the governor's election.

Pollsters said they were sorry they released wrong projections for both pre-election and exit polls over who would win the race. They explained there were several factors affecting the accuracy of the poll.

The letter said the Dusit Poll team met on Monday to find out why its survey had come up with the wrong results.

The meeting resolved to change the "process of survey" in the future, by getting pollsters to plan better and train their staff; double-checking all data storage, including mapping and telephones; keep a better control on variables in data analysis, such as popularity flow, base vote of each side and behaviour of the respondents; and having all 27 key researchers to consider staff quality control.

Some lacked caution in the control of variables and some did not understand the political process, he said, adding that the poll findings of the research team did not reflect the real opinion of Bangkok residents.

Staff members of Suan Dusit Poll are working to improve and restructure their polling methods.

Abac Poll chief Noppadon Kannikar said in his article "That day… the Lost Truth", that Abac did not take an exit or entry poll but only a pre-election poll between last Thursday and Saturday. The survey showed projected voter turnout at 66.4 with a poll point aberration of between 5 and 7 per cent.

In reality, the voter turnout was 63.9 and the media did not present the aberration, which made the public believe the poll was wrong.

Some groups called on pollsters to stop focusing on certain issues which, Noppadon said, would not be possible as it would mean not reflecting "the truth of all the classes [in society]" in a democratic system.