Survey: Thais link border clashes to scam crackdown
Survey finds most Thais believe recent Thailand-Cambodia border clashes were sparked by crackdown on call-centre scams.
An opinion survey by a private university has found that most Thais believe the recent border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia stemmed from the Thai government’s policy to crack down on call-centre gangs.
The survey was conducted among 1,500 respondents nationwide by the Phayao-based Pacific Institute of Management Science on Friday. The results were released on Monday.
Main cause of ongoing border conflicts
When asked about the main cause of the ongoing border conflicts, respondents answered:
- 37.75% – Thailand’s policy to crack down on call-centre gangs
- 22.4% – History-based boundary conflicts
- 21.8% – Interference by superpowers (US and China)
- 10.7% – Political conflicts in Cambodia
- 7.6% – Conflicts between Thai and Cambodian ruling families
Why Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen started the conflicts
Respondents said:
- 45.6% – To protect his own interests
- 33.5% – To shore up political popularity in Cambodia
- 19.3% – To interfere in Thailand’s affairs
- 0.1% – Because Hun Sen is a smart strategist
- 1.5% – Other reasons
Preferred measures to end the conflicts
When asked which measures they supported to resolve the situation, respondents replied:
- 32.9% – Bilateral negotiations through ASEAN
- 26.4% – Unconditional ceasefire
- 24.1% – Settlement by international courts or the UN
- 16.5% – Settlement by war
- 1.1% – No comment
On the Thaksin Shinawatra conflict theory
When asked whether they believed the theory that personal conflicts between former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian leaders had led to the current disputes, the answers were:
- 58.1% – No; they believe it is merely political rhetoric
- 20.4% – Partially; they believe personal conflicts partially contributed
- 11.4% – Yes; they believe there is evidence to substantiate it
- 10.1% – Don’t know
