Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, won the hearts of most of the respondents of the Reader's Digest Trust Survey 2010. The other most trusted individuals were Phra Ajarn Alongkot Dikkapanyo, abbot of Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu or the Aids temple; Dr Sumet Tantivechakul, secretary general of the Chaipattana Foundation; Phra Promkunaporn or Prayut Payutto, the winner of a Unesco award for Peace Education; and popular TV host Panya Nirunkul in that order.

The top five most trusted professions were doctors, teachers or professors, pilots, judges and dentists.

Kaidsuda Suriyayos, managing director of Reader's Digest Asia (Thailand) announced the survey results yesterday at the magazine's office in Bangkok.

According to her, similar polls were also conducted in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

In Hong Kong, a philanthropist was ranked first, while respondents in Taiwan chose a religious leader as the most trusted person. A squash world champion won top ranking in Malaysia; a high court chief justice named the most trusted individual in Singapore, while Philippine respondents found an actress who is also a philanthropist the most trustworthy.

The Thai online survey, conducted last October, covered 750 respondents, aged between 20 and 50, in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, as well as Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Chon Buri.

They were asked to rate 80 renowned individuals and 40 professions in Thailand on a scale of 1 to 10, in which 1 indicated "no trust at all" and 10 meant "trust completely".

The full version of the results and comments from three experts in different fields will be included in the latest issue of the Reader's Digest magazine, which will hit the shelves on Sunday.

What else did the trust survey reveal?

- Politicians were at the bottom of the list, one rank lower than psychics and astrologers.

- Security guards were ranked 27, a step above police officers.

- TV news anchors were ranked 19, well above journalists or reporters, who were ranked 26.

- Taxi drivers and motorcycle taxis were found more trustworthy than insurance agents.