Thai People Want the Government to Tackle Five Urgent Issues as New Year Gift for Them

(19/12/2012)

A survey shows that Thai people want the Government to tackle five urgent issues as a New Year gift for them in 2013. The five urgent issues involve drug trafficking and abuse (28.6 percent), flooding (20.9 percent), debt burden (18.5 percent), safety of life and property (16.8 percent), and traffic congestion (15.4 percent). The survey was conducted by the National Statistical Office between 1 and 12 October 2012 among 23,120 people aged 18 and over in all provinces nationwide. Of this number 47.5 percent are male and 52.5 percent are female. The Cabinet, during its meeting on 18 December 2012 acknowledged the results of the survey on the people’s demands for 2013, submitted by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, which supervises the National Statistical Office. Divided by region, residents in the central region and Bangkok want the Government to urgently help them ease the drug problem most, at 34 percent and 28.2 percent respectively. What the people in the Northeast and the North want most from the Government is debt reduction, at 32.9 percent and 32.1 percent respectively. As for those in the South, they want the Government to urgently help them tackle the falling prices of agricultural products most, at 39.2 percent. Most respondents to the survey also indicated that they want the Government to cope with higher costs of consumer goods and to eradicate poverty. Around 70 percent of surveyed northeastern residents stated that they were confident in the Government’s efforts to ease their difficulties and develop the country, followed by those in the North, at 62.5 percent, in the central region, at 58.6 percent, Bangkok, at 49.1 percent, and the South, at 40.5 percent. At the same meeting, the Cabinet also acknowledged a road accident reduction and prevention plan during the 2013 New Year festive season. The plan calls for a campaign for road safety from 27 December 2012 to 2 January 2013 in order to reduce road accidents, which have become one of the biggest killers in Thailand. The preparatory period has been set from 1 to 26 December for all responsible agencies to delegate work. The objective of the campaign is to bring down the number of road accidents and the death toll by 5 percent against the figures during the 2012 New Year celebration. The campaign for road safety focuses on six measures, comprising management, law enforcement, social affairs, traffic engineering, public relations, and emergency medical and rescue services. The campaign for road safety also seeks to control speed limits and alcohol consumption while driving, promote the use of safety helmets among motorcyclists, and upgrade the safety standards for vehicles, especially motorcycles, trucks, and public transport.