Attitudes Toward the Peaceful Resolution of the Thai - Cambodian Border Dispute: A Case Study of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province

Abstract

          This research article aimed to 1) study public attitudes toward resolving the Thai-Cambodian border dispute through peaceful means in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, 2) compare these attitudes based on personal factors. This quantitative research employed a survey method. The sample consisted of 400 residents aged 18 and above in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, selected through accidental sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire with an Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) index ranging from 0.80 to 1.00 and an overall reliability coefficient of 0.873. Statistical analyses included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and One-way ANOVA. Regarding the first objective, the findings revealed that the overall attitude of the public in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province toward the peaceful resolution of the border dispute was at a moderate level (𝑥̅ = 3.12). When considering individual dimensions, the border dimension received the highest priority, with a mean score at a high level (𝑥̅ = 3.54). This was followed by the attitude cultivation dimension at a moderate level (𝑥̅ = 3.09), while the socio-economic dimension scored the lowest, also at a moderate level (𝑥̅ = 2.58). As for the second objective concerning the comparative analysis of personal factors, the results indicated that differences in gender and age did not lead to statistically significant differences in overall attitudes toward the peaceful resolution, thereby rejecting the research hypothesis. Conversely, differences in educational attainment, occupation, and monthly income resulted in statistically significant differences in overall attitudes at the .05 level, which supported the research hypothesis.