On the first day that questions were being accepted yesterday, only four people turned up at the Service Centre across from Government House in Bangkok to respond to the questions.

All four gave similar responses, saying that poliฌtics should involve new politicians and political parties, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had a right to support a political party and the NCPO’s work should be credited for the counฌtry’s bright future prospects.

However, a food vendor said the government should focus on tackling economic issues to “return happiness” to the people.

“I don’t think I will take part in this. It won’t matฌter anyway,” Nyaya Kuamsap said. “I’d prefer the government take care of people’s wellbeing. For instance, they should take care of the prices of agriฌcultural products. Then people could be happy.”

A tuktuk driver, Sakchai Kritsanasukon, also said the questions did not really help people who had to work, adding that participating would be a waste of time.

“We don’t have time to do this. We have work to do,” he said. “The government should hold an elecฌtion to allow the people to choose their own leader.”

The reactions came as Damrongtham Complaint Centres and district offices across the country yesterday opened for people who want to respond to the six questions concerning politics and the next election.

While some people indicated that participating would be inconvenient, others showed enthusiasm to participate in politics.

For instance, Sunanta Chiranbamrung, 70, from Phasi Charoen district, registered to answer the questions.

“I believe that these questions were tossed out by the PM for people who have a limited underฌstanding of politics to give them some alternatives. ,” she said. “If General Prayut contests in an elecฌtion, I will choose him.”

Another food vendor, Pichiy Hongto, who works at  near the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, also said he would register and express his thoughts. He wanted new faces to run the country who could possibly bring new ideas that would move the country forward, he said.

“I still believe in the PM’s capability to run this country,” he added.

In Chiang Mai, Songkhla and Yala, some people showed up at Damrongtham Complaint Centres to respond to the questions.

The public can also still answer the four quesฌtions posed by Prayut at the end of May in addition to the six new ones.

In order to officially respond, people have to provide personal information such as their ID card numbers, names, addresses, telephone numbers, occupations and education levels.

Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesฌterday that such formalities would bar some peoฌple from expressing their thoughts, which was in addition to the fact that the questions were leadฌing. “Will people who think differently have the guts to answer these questions? If they really do express their minds, they could be taken for attiฌtudeadjustment sessions,” Abhisit said.