The poll was conducted between December 17-21 on 1,082 people throughout the country to gauge their opinions after the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and the Royal Thai Police Office issued a warning for people not to believe news stories without questioning them, saying they could be fake news.
Asked to cite the latest rumours they have heard, with each respondent allowed to choose more than one answer, 64.34% picked a rise in excise tax on female sanitary napkins; 29.25% the dissolution of the Future Forward Party (FFP); 24.34% an increase in land and buildings tax; 17.74% looming anti-government rallies; and 14.72% a cabinet reshuffle and House dissolution.
Asked which rumours they think are probably true, 38.40% chose FFP dissolution; 26.80% an increase in land and buildings tax; 18.79% a cabinet reshuffle; 16.18% an increase in tax on sanitary napkins; and 12.58% anti-government demonstrations.
Asked what people can do to avoid being misled by fake news, 56.21% suggested that they should exercise discretion; 28.97% said people should cross-check reports with different sources; and 21.56% said people should not share or forward false stories.
Asked what the government should do to reduce the prevalence of fake news, 42.09% of respondents suggested that it set up an agency to handle the matter; 38.90% said the government should conduct checks and quickly clarify stories classified as rumours; and 24.66% said rumour-mongers should be seriously punished.