A year-end poll reflects the voice of over 59 percent of the population united in wanting corruption eradicated from Thai politics, while issues of coups and politician betrayal closely follow.
According to a survey conducted by Thairath Online on the topic “What do Thais want from the new government?” conducted during the transition from the old year to 2026, with nearly 7,200 respondents participating from 25 to 28 December 2025, revealing the public's frustration and expectations regarding the country’s political and economic direction.
The most notable finding from this survey is what the public wishes to see eliminated from Thai politics. The unanimous top concern is corruption, identified as the cancer people most want to eradicate, with 59.03 percent.
However, looking at the next highest issues, structural and ethical political problems rank closely. Second is coups and extra-constitutional power at 17.26 percent, followed by political betrayal and broken promises at 15.19 percent.
These three figures show that while corruption remains a classic problem, modern Thais increasingly value the dignity of democracy and political integrity, viewing both power grabs and broken promises as equally unacceptable behaviors that must be removed from the political cycle.
Regarding the problem of scammers, readers ranked it fourth with 8.52 percent.
When asked about urgent priorities, the public clearly indicated that the cost of living crisis and threats from scammers must be addressed immediately. The top priority is reducing living expenses (electricity, fuel, BTS fares) at 31.94 percent.
Second is cracking down on scammers, closely following at 30.45 percent, far ahead of other policies such as drug suppression at 13.33 percent, raising wages at 12.15 percent, or direct cash injections at 12.13 percent. This shows that online fraud is seen as a national threat causing severe distress comparable to economic problems.
Regarding confidence in Thailand’s economy under the new government, the majority of respondents—48.97 percent—believe the situation will remain stable.
Meanwhile, 42.07 percent are confident it will improve, and only 8.96 percent worry it will worsen.
Background data shows most respondents are working-age to retired individuals, with ages 46–59 (36.78 percent) and 60+ (28.69 percent) being the largest groups, mainly based in Bangkok and its metropolitan area (43.92 percent).
The conclusion of this survey may be seen as a direct warning to the new government that the public does not only want better economic figures but is calling for "politicians with integrity" and a political system that is "democratic."
