7m Thais at risk of severe stress: health chief

By The Nation

 

Photo from: www.gous-furniture.com

 

Over 7 million Thais worked more than 50 hours per week and were at risk of severe stress that can affect their work quality and health if they do not learn how to manage the stress properly, a senior doctor warned on Thursday.

 

Nakhon Ratchasima Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital director Dr Kitkawee Pono cited the National Statistics Office's report in March that 37.7 million people were employed and about 70 per cent were working outside the agricultural sector. 

 

As people in the working-age group were already prone to stress due to other responsibilities, he said the risk was high among over 7 million people who worked over 50 hours a week.

 

Although the body's stress hormone cortisol can keep people alert to threats and solve problems, chronically high levels of cortisol could endanger health and induce high-blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, he warned. 

 

Kitkawee said warning signs of chronic high stress were unexplained physical ailments, exhaustion, headaches, loss of appetite, insomnia, flatulence and muscle pain. Stress created mental issues such as memory and concentration impairment, anxiety, boredom and sadness. 

 

There were also behavioural issues such as nagging, becoming introverted, heavy smoking, drinking or drug use or becoming dependent on sleeping pills. 

 

He urged people to manage stress properly by adopting positive thinking in stressful situations and "be mindful of the present time”. 

 

Adults should seek solutions together within their family or among colleagues by exchanging ideas and experiences and boosting each other's morale. 

 

People should practise relaxation techniques such as deep breathing for 10 minutes, meditating, exercising, listening to music, or doing hobbies. 

 

Professional counselling was available on the 24-hour Mental Health Department's hotline 1323, he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30368752

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-02

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I believe it. It's somewhat out of step with the repeated reports of Thai workers being the happiest in the world!

Yup, puat hua, happens every time they try to count without a calculator. Stress levels through the roof.

And all those loans doesn't make things better.

I'd settle for safer streets, my stress level would certainly decrease if they did something about it.

Without an ounce of responsibility in the world I find this hard to believe.maybe it's just the thought of work that causes them stress.if I ask my wife what's 7x7 she says stop giving her a headache and making her stress.

Considering the quite and pleasant surroundings with little to no disturbance, considerate & selfless fellow country folk as neighbours, hard to believe they are stressed! ????

They should do a study to determine what percentage of expats get stressed over immigrations lack of consistancy...

3 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

They should do a study to determine what percentage of expats get stressed over immigrations lack of consistancy...

Immigration stress only last a few days a year, the stress from driving the worlds deadliest roads is an every day event.

Stress is caused by wondering where the next loan is coming from.

Arrange to let them have better mobile phone connections- problem solved.

I put this down to being unable to come to terms with their driving mistakes and how they managed to pile up so much debt.

It will be more like 70 million if Prayut gets back in power. Whats the big deal about working 50 hours a week ? Did that and more for most of my working life in factories.  Now enjoying the financial benefits and retirement

19 minutes ago, nong38 said:

I put this down to being unable to come to terms with their driving mistakes and how they managed to pile up so much debt.

Or reading reports that 7 million are stressed so they get stressed worrying that they are in the 7 million.

6 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

It will be more like 70 million if Prayut gets back in power. Whats the big deal about working 50 hours a week ? Did that and more for most of my working life in factories.  Now enjoying the financial benefits and retirement

And you had a considerably better lifestyle, than a lot of Thai people who work for low wages, have often poor housing etc etc.

I think the main cause of stress is maintaining face. The lengths and costs they go to to gain face defies western logic but comes at a high price for Thai's. To buy things you can't afford to make face with friends, relatives, neighbors must take it's toll eventually.

This is certainly true for some Thai companies where the management pushes their staff to the limit, and with the minimum possible pay and benefits. I know accountants and IT professionals in Thai / Chinese SMEs that are totally burned out. This results in high turnover and lost productivity due to having to train new staff again and again. Short term mindset and nothing short of exploitation of manpower.

On the other hand, in some international corporations, the situation can sometimes be very relaxed. I see staff gathering around 10am in the morning to have long discussions as to where they will have lunch (kin khao thi nai?), and at 5:01pm sharp they would log off and go home. Oh, and about their allowances (fuel or health or expressway or whatever), be sure that it will be used to the last satang.

Edited May 3, 20197 yr by Peterbkk99

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Over 7 million Thais worked more than 50 hours per week

So 10% of the population works moderately hard but what would Thailand be like if 90% of the people worked hard?

The 10% are stressed because they are pulling the load while everyone else cranks up the music and slogs cheap whiskey.

The good doctor is telling the folks to slack off but isn't that the current work ethic already? A nation of slackers isn't going to make things better.

34 minutes ago, Peterbkk99 said:

This is certainly true for some Thai companies where the management pushes their staff to the limit, and with the minimum possible pay and benefits. I know accountants and IT professionals in Thai / Chinese SMEs that are totally burned out. This results in high turnover and lost productivity due to having to train new staff again and again. Short term mindset and nothing short of exploitation of manpower.

On the other hand, in some international corporations, the situation can sometimes be very relaxed. I see staff gathering around 10am in the morning to have long discussions as to where they will have lunch (kin khao thi nai?), and at 5:01pm sharp they would log off and go home. Oh, and about their allowances (fuel or health or expressway or whatever), be sure that it will be used to the last satang.

Also one of the reasons so many only take very short breaks for holidays. Worried that if they take a full week/fortnight off the job will be farmed out to someone else.

If sick, heavy cold or flu they will still come to work and spread it about rather than a couple of days off to get rid of it.

 

Edited May 3, 20197 yr by overherebc

I guess it's not all sanook sanook for everyone.

Quite sure the Generals are the least stressed. No war to fight and inexhaustive opportunities for wealth and power.  

PM reveals why Thailand is world's 'happiest country - headline, The Nation, 17 March 2017.

 

Seven million Thais at risk of severe stress: health chief - headline, The Nation, 3 May, 2019.

 

What have you been doing wrong, guvnor?

I bet there are more than 7 million Thais stressed-out on a daily basis.  Thais, in general, are non-confrontational.  Everything is "Mai Bpen Rai", but the anger is there, boiling away inside, until eventually, the boiler blows.  Then, the shit hits the fan in a big way; we all read about these constant, unbelievable acts of violence every day, but nothing changes.  Until Thais learn how to deal properly with every day life, nothing will change.

4 hours ago, faraday said:

And you had a considerably better lifestyle, than a lot of Thai people who work for low wages, have often poor housing etc etc.

Yes, that's the whole point: do 50 hours for appreciable gain and it's just hard work, do it in order to get further in to debt and it's soul destroying!  The old uns just don't get it.

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

I think the main cause of stress is maintaining face. The lengths and costs they go to to gain face defies western logic but comes at a high price for Thai's. To buy things you can't afford to make face with friends, relatives, neighbors must take it's toll eventually.

This is part of it too- just part though.

Chronic money problems at  the heart of this. 

On 5/1/2019 at 8:48 AM, worgeordie said:

just did my latest extension last week at Chiang Mai,

and the officer never mentioned reporting back in 90 days

to show money still in the account.

Just make sure you follow their recommendation,as any 

going below,the 800,000 Thb and then 400,000 Thb could/will

result in your next extension been denied.

regards worgeordie

 

7 hours ago, soistalker said:

THe attacker will get caught. Then his penalty will be 500 baht and a wei.

It's a great deterrent for crime.

 

7 hours ago, johnny49r said:

So 10% of the population works moderately hard but what would Thailand be like if 90% of the people worked hard?

Working long hours is not the same as working hard though. The zombies at hardware shops might be there 50h a week, but they conserve energy by turning their brains off and are only mentally present for maybe 15mins a week, at best.

I can't even begin to count the periods of my life where I worked in excess of 60 hours a week.  Still here...

2 minutes ago, connda said:

I can't even begin to count the periods of my life where I worked in excess of 60 hours a week.  Still here...

Yeah. Beginning of my career I did 11h days, 7 days a week for three years, no holidays. Paid off later. No stress, just hard work towards a goal. Maybe their stress comes from realizing they simply can't cut it.

With all the holidays they have here it's wonder anyone ever does a 30 hour week. How many hols so far this year? It's up to about 10 so far and another 3 this month.