Poll Reveals Low Public Confidence in Government Flood Response
Recent polls show that while flood relief workers and volunteers are highly praised, the Thai government and Prime Minister receive low approval ratings for their flood response. Respondents criticized delayed warnings, ineffective drainage and uneven aid distribution, warning the problems are systemic. The public demands faster, fairer relief and stresses that confidence will only return with visible results.
The Suan Dusit and Nida polls conducted around the same time send a direct signal to the Anutin-led government that the current flood crisis is damaging not only homes and property but also public confidence. While field workers receive praise, the government and Prime Minister trail behind in ratings. In the Suan Dusit poll, troops in the field scored 6.37 out of 10 for handling and solving flood problems, the government got 3.34 and the Prime Minister only 3.08, indicating that people value frontline efforts more than national leadership. The Nida poll of Bangkok residents showed a similar pattern: foundations, rescue units and volunteers received the highest praise at 45.95%, whereas approval for the Prime Minister and government stood at just 1.76% each. Both polls agree that the public appreciates those who actually help on the ground, while the central administration has failed to inspire confidence. The Suan Dusit poll found that 74.80% saw warning alerts as late, 68.58% viewed drainage as ineffective, and 63.96% said assistance was not comprehensive, pointing to problems with warning systems, coordination and state readiness for emergencies. Concerningly, the Nida poll showed 38.55% of Bangkok residents believe agencies may learn from the floods but still cannot prevent or solve future problems, reflecting worries that floods will recur without bureaucratic change. Criticism also focused on the Prime Minister and ministers appearing at a birthday party for a prominent politician in Buri Ram while flood response remained unsatisfactory. The public urgently wants swift, fair and comprehensive relief, urging the government to align aid with actual damage and reduce bureaucratic delays. An important lesson from the 2024 floods is that confidence comes from tangible results, not announcements; if the government remains slow and uneven in assistance, dissatisfaction will continue to grow. While waters may recede naturally, the restoration of public approval will depend on how quickly the government can relieve suffering with visible results. Authorities must measure success not by the number of site visits or photo ops, but by the speed of warnings, drainage, reaching victims and post‑flood recovery.
