Thais most pleased with King's public appearance

BANGKOK, December 21 (TNA) - His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's departure from Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital and public appearance on his 86th birthday on December 5 at the Klai Kangwong Palace in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province in the upper Thai South have become most pleasant news reports for Thai people this year. A latest survey on superlatives, conducted by the Bangkok Poll center of Bangkok University from December 9-15, found 64.5 per cent of a total of 1,283 respondents rated the two royal news reports their most pleasant in 2013. The worst news reports, rated by the majority of the respondents, or 49.2 per cent, were those on a fatal clash between pro-government demonstrators and students of Ramkhamhaeng University who were protesting against the government and the government’s use of teargas against anti-government demonstrators. According to the survey, the most honorable person of this year is Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was chosen by 22.4 per cent of the respondents, followed by Thailand’s female national volleyball team, chosen by 20.5 per cent of the respondents, and anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, chosen by 14.7 per cent of the respondents. The Bangkok Poll also found that the most interesting news reports were those on anti-government protests, rated by the majority, or 58.7 per cent, of the respondents, followed by the recent House dissolution, rated by 57.8 per cent of the respondents, and proposed amnesty bills, rated by 52.9 per cent of respondents. Most of the respondents, or 53.5 per cent, viewed the most impressive innovation in political demonstrations was the use of whistles, followed by anti-amnesty bill logos, chosen by 34.8 per cent of the respondents, and hand-shaped and foot-shaped clappers, chosen by 24.6 per cent of the respondents.(TNA)