Report Thailand Ranked 7th Happiest Country in New Global Survey

[snoop1130]

Photo by Stefano Cicatiello from Studio SEA via Canva

 

The Thai government has invited the public to celebrate Thailand's ranking as the seventh happiest country globally, according to a recent Ipsos survey. During a press conference on May 1, Anukool Pruksanusak, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, announced the positive news, highlighting Thailand's placement in the 2025 Global Happiness Index.

 

The Ipsos survey, conducted with 23,765 participants under the age of 75 from 30 countries, took place between December 20 last year and January 3 this year. Thailand's ranking reflects a significant measure of national contentment, with 61% of respondents expressing themselves as "rather happy" and 18% as "very happy." Only 2% reported a lack of happiness, suggesting a generally positive mental state among the Thai populace.

 

Thailand also ranks as the third happiest country in Asia, trailing only India and Indonesia, with Malaysia sharing the spot with Thailand. Singapore, Japan, and South Korea follow in the regional rankings. The global list is topped by India, with the Netherlands and Mexico also securing top positions. On the opposite end, Hungary, Türkiye, and South Korea were ranked as the least happy nations.

 

Key contributors to happiness identified in the Ipsos report include strong family relationships, appreciation and love from others, and a sense of control over one’s life. Conversely, factors such as financial struggles, mental health issues, and general health problems detract from happiness.

 

The survey also noted variations in happiness levels by age, with those over 70 reporting the highest happiness levels. Among Gen Z respondents, males reported higher happiness compared to females.

 

Anukool underscored the Thai government's dedication to enhancing quality of life, underscoring efforts to improve public health services, ensure income security, and strengthen family ties as pathways to boost happiness.

 

Interestingly, the Ipsos findings contrast markedly with the World Happiness Report released in March, which placed Thailand 49th globally based on Gallup World Poll surveys using criteria such as GDP per capita, social support, and perception of corruption. In that report, Singapore and Vietnam ranked higher among Southeast Asian countries, with Afghanistan listed as the least happy country globally.

 

Despite differing methodologies and rankings, the Ipsos survey provides an optimistic view of happiness levels in Thailand, reflecting a nation's strengths and areas for improvement.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-05-02

 

 

[Olav Seglem]

Honestly-this HAS to be "fake news", paid for by government 🙂

 

[KannikaP]

INDIA = <deleted> hole, happy people? Yes the rich ones, INDONESIA = Muslim law, then come Malaysia sharing the spot with Thailand. Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. So 5 thirds. 

AI made up rubbish IMHO.

[oxo1947]

 

Was this survey taken before they decided to Tax all the old age pensioners here....??

[blaze master]

Thai people are happy about the life threatening pollution plaguing their country ? Or the never ending growing garbage issue ?

 

Really ? 

 

[Felt 35]

19 minutes ago, Olav Seglem said:

Honestly-this HAS to be "fake news", paid for by government 🙂

 

Happiness comes in many forms😉

[blaze master]

Just now, Felt 35 said:

Happiness comes in many forms😉

 

Is breathing polluted air one of them ?

[Mason45]

In Thailand instant happiness comes with the mention of money.

 

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, Olav Seglem said:

Honestly-this HAS to be "fake news", paid for by government 🙂

 

 

Well, it seems Ipsos' Thailand subsidiary, which generally conducts surveys in Thailand, let Thai people online decide in a survey, whether Thailand is 'the happiest country in the world', with a predictable outcome... 😆 

 

Not to confuse with the 2025 World Happiness Report, where Finland is once again ranked as the happiest country in the world, for the eighth consecutive year. Following closely behind are Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The report considers factors like GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, perceptions of corruption, and positive emotions. 

Top 10 Happiest Countries (2025):

Finland

Denmark

Iceland

Sweden

Netherlands

Costa Rica

Norway (...)

[KhaoHom]

This is bull<deleted>. The Thai are exhausted. Exhausted of the grind, bs politics, going nowhere, exhausted of the tourists (even if it's just reading the daily plod).

 

I was out for my morning walk up around lat prao yesterday and it struck me as odd how miserable everyone looked going to work.

 

When was the last time you saw anyone on this forum refer to the country as the land of smiles? It's been years for me.

 

And korea?! You have to be joking. That place is freaking toxic

[freedomnow]

4 hours ago, Mason45 said:

In Thailand instant happiness comes with the mention of money.

 

In Thailand instant happiness comes with the mention of Soi 6 Pats.

[Patong2021]

5 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

 

Was this survey taken before they decided to Tax all the old age pensioners here....??

Why shouldn't old age pensioners be taxed? 

[Harrisfan]

Thais are happy. Farangs are miserable.

[still kicking]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

Why shouldn't old age pensioners be taxed? 

Tell me why? I don't get taxed in Oz.

[Maxbkkcm]

3 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

This is bull<deleted>. The Thai are exhausted. Exhausted of the grind, bs politics, going nowhere, exhausted of the tourists (even if it's just reading the daily plod).

 

I was out for my morning walk up around lat prao yesterday and it struck me as odd how miserable everyone looked going to work.

 

When was the last time you saw anyone on this forum refer to the country as the land of smiles? It's been years for me.

 

And korea?! You have to be joking. That place is freaking toxic

On how is korea toxic? 

[Patong2021]

16 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Tell me why? I don't get taxed in Oz.

 

 

Not exactly. It depends on how your income is structured.   Do you really need me to  reprint what is already published?

If you are not being taxed in Australia, it is because your income  falls below a threshold, and you have no other income besides that of a super pension.  The Seniors and Pensioners Tax Offset allows pensioners to earn up to $31,888 for each member of a couple or $35,812 for a single before paying income tax (in the 2024/2025 financial year). 

If you are over age 60, super pension income payments are generally tax free. If you are 55-59, super pension income payments are generally taxed at your marginal tax rate. However, you also benefit from a 15% tax offset.  

It is fair that  pensioners not pay tax on their super pension because their contributions  were made after tax. This means that you had to pay income tax on your income first and that you used the after tax income for the investment.  To tax you again on the principal would be double taxation. 

 

If you leave Australia, you will have to pay the DASP tax.  If you have other income such as investment income or Centrelink Age Pension payments, they will continue to be taxed at your individual tax rate.

 

 

 

[Patong2021]

31 minutes ago, Maxbkkcm said:

On how is korea toxic? 

 

The Korean  models and entertainers  have spurned his advances?

Or maybe someone was watching one too many netflix kdramas. 

[sidneybear]

The report measures worthy things that actually make people happy, like family relationships and appreciation from people who are close to us. It's easy to see why Thailand rightly scores highly in these important areas of real world happiness. 

 

Reports that pretend that GDP and other daft metrics make a difference to individual happiness will obviously incorrectly mark Thailand down. The western counties have high GDP, but are sadder places than Thailand, which is why we all want to live in Thailand and post here about it.

[ozz1]

Ask the average thai if they feel better of now than before and you will have your answer

[garygooner]

...... however, it's believed that half of the Thai people interviewed were sitting outside a weed shop. 

[factual monk]

90% household debt... makes them happy and to top it all... government says ... to celebrate... 😆 🤣 😂 😹 

[PB172111]

Has to be true. Especially when you read all the western comments on this forum.

[Sydebolle]

But this survey did not include the ladyboy scene which is getting beatings nightly, right? 

[proton]

Many would be a bit happier if they got that 10k baht at last that the government promised everyone

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Thai government has invited the public to celebrate Thailand's ranking as the seventh happiest country globally, according to a recent Ipsos survey.

 

[Watawattana]

Thailand might have been 1st, but the votes from all the miserable farangs held it back to 7th?

[bkk6060]

About 1.5 million Thai youths, aged over 15, suffered from depression in 2021 and the number of depression and psychological disorder cases in Thailand is increasing by 1-2% each year, according to Dr. Apichat Jariyavilas, spokesman for the Department of Mental Health.

 

Happy happy

[KhaoHom]

13 hours ago, Maxbkkcm said:

On how is korea toxic? 

 Full of Korean men, police state.

 

More below

[BLMFem]

Should they aim for making Thailand the Hub of Happiness?

[KhaoHom]

12 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

The Korean  models and entertainers  have spurned his advances?

Or maybe someone was watching one too many netflix kdramas. 

 

I worked there for two years in late 90s. Was a bit friendlier when visiting with wife ten years ago but still ... she even remarked how cold people were (she's kinda cute and not brown)

 

I was ripped off every opportunity available by employers, it's a very homogeneous bunch .. the hermit kingdom.

 

Once had to share house with a young Korean man on steroids. He was a maniac and totally predator. Good looking, rock solid. He totally lie and anything and everything to get in a girls panties and then toss them aside as soon as anything got serious. That often show up at the house there would be bickering and fighting and it was a real nightmare.

 

Incidentally, had a gf there who was oral surgeon. Even she wanted out. She broke up with me when I told her I had no intention of moving back to States / marrying her. I never told her I had any plans of returning. I knew her plan. Divorce
😉 BTW she said she disliked her parents intensely. They would always bum money off her and then buy her gifts with the money. If that wasn't crazy enough they would then expect her to show some sort of gratitude aand we're disappointed when she didn't

 

Given my brief stint there idsay thats toxic