Despite the general election, Thais think that the political division still persists and it can threaten overall economic performance and their income, according to latest survey carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration, or NIDA Poll.

The survey results showed that a majority of 44.85 percent of them thought that the political tension had escalated after the election in March, 36.71 percent viewed the situation remained status quo, while 14.53 percent said the domestic political tension was eased somewhat.

Asked about the outlook, Thais are not quite optimistic either. The survey showed that a majority of 35.44 percent of respondents believed the political sentiment would be grimmer, while 31.36 percent said the situation would be unchanged. Meanwhile, 23.94 percent believed the domestic political situation would be improved, and 7.18 percent said the political conflicts would disappear. The other 2.08 percent said they were not interested in politics and had no comment.

The survey was carried out in October 24-25 among people aged at least 18 through the simple random sampling nationwide.

When asked about their concerns, 21.43 percent of respondents said they were worried that the political situations could affect the country’s economy, worsening people’s well-being. They also said that the ongoing political situation might discourage foreign investors from investing in Thailand.

About the sources of political conflicts, a majority of 48.34 percent views that the conflict was stemmed from the competitions among the politicians, 42.19 percent attributed the tension to the economic interest and 32.64 percent, ideological differences.

Thai consumer confidence has not significantly improved even after the general election, dampening domestic consumption. Thai households are worried about both domestic and international factors.

Earlier, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce reported that the Thailand’s consumer confidence slipped to a four-year low of 72.2 in September 2019 from 73.6 in the previous month, amid concerns over factors including the pace of economic recovery and the escalating trade war.