Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chairs a meeting about economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic at Government House on July 10. (Government House photo)
Hanoi (VNA) - A majority of Thai people said it is time for a cabinet reshuffle, according an opinion survey by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University or Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was conducted on July 8-11 on 1,269 people throughout the country after a cabinet reshuffle became a hot topic for discussion among the public after the government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha completed its first year in office on July 10.
Asked whether it was now time for a cabinet reshuffle, 67 percent said "yes", reasoning that the overall economy was not in good shape, the cost of living - particularly the price of electricity - was high, many people were jobless and debt-ridden, and professionals should be given the opportunity to solve the country's problems.
Another 23.40 percent were ambivalent about a reshuffle, saying it was up to the prime minister. Meanwhile, 8.75 percent said it was not yet time for a reshuffle as there are still other important issues to be resolved.
Thailand's economy is said to fall into recession after its GDP fell by 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020, the sharpest decline since the fourth quarter of 2011.
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has cut the country’s economic growth to a record contraction of 8.1 percent in 2020. Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has forecasted that Thailand's economy will fall by 6.5 percent this year, the sharpest decline among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)./.
VNA