Attitude of People in Bangkok towards the Homeless and Their Perceptions of the Department of Social Development and Welfare in Providing Assistance (for the Homeless) during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

            This research aims to study: (1) attitudes of people in Bangkok towards the homeless and the participation in providing assistances for the homeless, including the media exposure to the roles of the Department of Social Development and Welfare in providing assistances for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic of people in Bangkok; (2) the differences of population characteristics of people in Bangkok towards media exposure to providing assistances for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) the differences of population characteristics of people’s attitude in Bangkok towards the homeless; (4) the relation between attitude of people in Bangkok towards the homeless and the media exposure to providing assistances for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic of people in Bangkok; (5) the relation between the media exposure to providing assistance for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic of people in Bangkok and the perceptions of the roles of the Department of Social Development and Welfare in providing assistances (for theHomeless); (6) The relation between the perceptions of the roles of the Department of Social Development and Welfare in providing assistances (for the Homeless) and the participation in providing assistances for the homeless during the COVID-19pandemic; (7) the relation between the attitude of people in Bangkok towards the homeless and the participation in providing assistances for the homeless during the COVID-19.
             This study is quantitative research by conducting the survey research. Online questionnaire was used as a research tool to collect data. The samples consist of 400 people in the Bangkok Metropolitan area, between 18 and 60 years old. The result of this study reveals that the majority of the samples are female, aged between 26-35 years, having bachelor’s degree, working as government officers and government employees, with a monthly income in the range of Baht 15,001-30,000. Most of the samples shows a moderate attitude with 3.26 in average. In terms of the highest needs of the Homeless to receive basic welfare. However, they think the Homeless have mental illness and the Homeless are abandoned because of family problems, the average is interpreted as a poor attitude respectively. Besides, there is a moderate level of the participation in providing assistances for the homeless which mostly they make donations such as stuff and money individually. People who are able to openly access to media and expose to various media contents will have more positive attitude than negative attitude towards the Homeless. Nevertheless, the relation between the perceptions of the roles of the Department of Social Development and Welfare in providing assistance (for the Homeless) and the participation in providing assistance for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic is at low level , as well as, the relation between media exposure channel during the COVID-19 pandemic and the perceptions of the roles of the Department of Social Development and Welfare in providing assistance (for the Homeless) is at moderate level.