It's perhaps indicative of the lack of centrality politics has to most peoples' daily lives in Thailand, but the latest Gallup Poll on Happiness by country places Thailand 14th in the world, four places ahead of Australia, despite the latter having per capita the highest mean wealth in the world (USD213,000 per person).

Nine out of the ten happiest countries are in Central and South America. Why? Noticeably absent from the nine are Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile, the three most economically advanced countries in Latin America.

Bhutan, which evaluates itself in terms of its "Gross National Happiness" indicators is around the middle of the list on 66 compared with Thailand's 80.

Paraguay is the happiest with a score of 87. Syria is the most miserable with 36.

Interestingly, although increased personal wealth can help raise one's level of happiness, it appears to taper off at USD75,000, from which point wealth doesn't make much difference.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/169322/people-worldwide-reporting-lot-positive-emotions.aspx#2

Obviously we're living in the wrong continent!

I don't normally have much use for these grandiose surveys. They are inevitably slanted by the questions they ask.

If happy is the same thing as carefree, I'm not surprised Thailand ranks quite high. Thai culture teaches people to brush off the things which displease them (mai pen rai, som nam na), and rarely show anger, at least in my experience. (When their anger breaks the barrier, they tend to go berserk; I've seen that too).

Obviously we're living in the wrong continent!

I don't normally have much use for these grandiose surveys. They are inevitably slanted by the questions they ask.

If happy is the same thing as carefree, I'm not surprised Thailand ranks quite high. Thai culture teaches people to brush off the things which displease them (mai pen rai, som nam na), and rarely show anger, at least in my experience. (When their anger breaks the barrier, they tend to go berserk; I've seen that too).

Well if the 1000 people they claim to have spoken to in LOS were all English-speaking, well educated HISO types from well connected families I am surprised LOS did not come in nearer the top.

Living in a feudal society is pretty darn comfy if you are sitting at the top of the tree....

Especially now that the military have come in on their side.

Well if the 1000 people they claim to have spoken to in LOS were all English-speaking, well educated HISO types from well connected families I am surprised LOS did not come in nearer the top.

Living in a feudal society is pretty darn comfy if you are sitting at the top of the tree....

I seriously doubt that the interviews in Thailand were conducted in English.

On the contrary, the hi-so types are probably less happy... simply because they tend to be more educated, and perhaps more able to look ahead.

Living for the moment (all else is karma) is conducive to happiness. So long as they have enough to eat, and a bottle of lao kao, why worry?

On the contrary, the hi-so types are probably less happy... simply because they tend to be more educated, and perhaps more able to look ahead.

Living for the moment (all else is karma) is conducive to happiness. So long as they have enough to eat, and a bottle of lao kao, why worry?

A Hi-So's lament:

Truly I live in dark times!

The innocent word is folly.

An unlined forehead

Suggests insensitivity.

The man who laughs

Just hasn't heard

The terrible news.

(Bertolt Brecht: "To Those Born Later")