Thai consumers are growing increasingly cautious as political and financial corruption emerged as the country’s top concern, according to an Ipsos survey conducted in the first half of 2026. The findings showed Thailand’s consumer confidence index suffered the steepest monthly decline in the world, while most respondents believed the country was heading in the wrong direction.
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Ipsos surveyed 500 respondents in Thailand aged 16-74 as part of its “What Worries Thailand?” research, which has been conducted continuously from 2022 to 2026. The research was also carried out across 31 countries worldwide, covering 24,032 respondents.
The survey found 49% of Thais identified political and financial corruption as their main concern, followed by poverty and social inequality at 41%, military conflict between nations at 27%, inflation at 27%, and crime and violence at 24%. This contrasted with the global trend, where inflation ranked as the leading concern at 33%, while corruption placed fifth globally at 26%.
Pimtai Suwannasuk, senior client officer at Ipsos Thailand, said Thais believed the country could develop further without political and financial corruption. She noted that livelihood concerns and inequality had risen sharply since the start of the year, while frustration had grown over the government’s failure to introduce clear economic policies.
The survey also showed 56% of respondents believed Thailand was moving in the wrong direction due to rising living costs, including energy prices, fuel costs and electricity bills. Ipsos said optimism had increased at the end of 2025 following the dissolution of parliament and hopes linked to a new election, but confidence faded after the new government failed to deliver tangible policy measures during its first months in office.
Economic concerns also intensified sharply in April, with 71% of respondents describing the Thai economy as being in poor condition, the highest level recorded in four years. Ipsos linked this to global tensions involving Iran, which added pressure on energy prices and increased concerns over household expenses.
The survey found consumers across all income levels were reducing spending. High-income households earning THB180,000 per month were identified as cutting costs the most, which Ipsos described as an unusual trend compared with previous economic downturns. Overall, 62% of respondents were reluctant to buy major items such as houses or cars, while 51% were uncomfortable purchasing household goods or luxury products.
Thailand’s Ipsos Global Consumer Confidence Index for April 2026 stood at 45.5 points, down 10.9 points from the previous month, marking the steepest fall among the 31 countries surveyed. Other confidence measures also declined, including the Expectations Index, Investment Confidence Index and Employment Confidence Index.
The Nation reported that only 36% of respondents expected their personal finances to improve in the second half of 2026, down from 50% in March. Meanwhile, 49% expressed concerns about job security, while ongoing military tensions in the Middle East continued to fuel fears over rising energy prices and the long-term cost of living.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 20 May 2026
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