It’s official: Expats in Thailand are deliriously happy!

[webfact]

It’s official: Expats in Thailand are deliriously happy!



BANGKOK: -- A Thaivisa survey has revealed that expats living in Thailand are extremely happy. And not just that – the great majority feel that it is a safe place to live and work.

The results seems to be a slap in the face for some Thaivisa forum moaners who sound as though they are abjectly miserable and love to claim that the country has already gone to the dogs!

Nothing could be further from the truth, it appears.

The average Thaivisa member in Thailand most likely lives in Bangkok or Pattaya and shows the following characteristics: he or she is inordinately happy, owns property and a car or bike, spends a fair bit of time online and is getting on a bit in years but has health insurance. Oh, and perhaps another reason for that happiness – the average working person is likely to earn in excess of 100,000 baht a month, especially if they are in Pattaya.

And last but not least – they love Thaivisa and its news coverage and moderators to bits!

The far reaching 2016 media survey that was conducted recently had 884 respondents. Some 85% of the respondents were living in Thailand itself with half of the rest from the USA, UK and Australia with the other half from other countries.

A whopping near 80% professed themselves either happy or blissful – though this was a shade down from the 87% happy rating given in the last survey in 2014 before the military took over.

Around 70% are happy, 9% are blissful and only 5% said they were unhappy and just 2% claimed to be miserable.

Some 69% said that Thailand was a safe country with Bangkok in particular registering high in this regard. People in Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard were not quite so sure but still registered high on feeling secure. Age was not a big factor on feeling secure.

Again this seems to suggest that forum posters who complain about crime and safety in the kingdom are not representative of overall membership feeling.

Overall a total of 48% own a car and 38% a motorcycle with Pattaya topping the car ownership stats with 59%. This high level of driving involvement may go some way to explain the large number of people who comment about driving standards and issues regarding death and injury on the nation’s roads and highways.

Some 40% of people own property in the Kingdom. When Pattaya is taken alone that figure rises to 54% of repliers owning property. On the flip side only 25% of people under 40 years of age own property in Thailand while 31% of all people own nothing at all.

More than half (54%) of Pattayans in employment are earning 100,000 baht plus a month.

Of the responders about a third live in Bangkok and 15% on the Eastern Seaboard. There were few under 30 years of age with 80% over 40 and a third between 61 and 70 years of age. Sixty four per cent were 51 and over.

Online activity and preferences was also very revealing with Thaivisa itself singled out for particular praise in its news coverage, features and moderation.

Some 83% rated the Thaivisa news coverage as at least good with half exactly plumping for very good to excellent. The moderators were deemed to be fair on two out of three occasions, perhaps too strict in one in ten cases and too lenient 6% of the time.

Almost half of all people used Facebook or Twitter “many times per day” though almost a quarter said they didn’t use social media at all.

Interestingly for the holiday resort famous for its nightlife, Pattaya expats seemed to be sleeping more in the morning with more social media activity in the evening.

Some 70% of respondents said they used the Thaivisa website, app and newsletter services every day with another twenty per cent indicating ‘often’. A large proportion of people still got news from the Bangkok Post (65%) with Khaosod, Coconuts, Pattaya One and The Nation trailing some way behind. Coconuts was popular amongst the young in the capital.

Pattaya expats kept a close eye on Pattaya One as well as TV’s Inspire, Pattaya Channel TV and Pattaya People.

Generally under 50s liked Coconuts, Khaosod, Phuket News and Inspire.

Finally expats in Thailand seem to be quite concerned about their health with 57% stating that they have health insurance and 11% saying that they plan to get it. Only a third said they didn’t have health insurance.

-- 2016-07-11

[bgrassboy]

Say what? It's not April 1st! Oh well, you know what they say about statistics.

[colinneil]

They love Thai visa news and mods to bits, a little strong i would say.

Yes Thai visa is a good informative site, but to say we love the mods O.T.T.

[starky]

Say what? It's not April 1st! Oh well, you know what they say about statistics.

Wow that's nearly on par with the junta's popularity numbers.

[lovelomsak]

April 1st was the first thing to come to my mind also when reading this post. Just you beat me to it.

Official by who?

[KittenKong]

It’s official: Expats in Thailand are deliriously happy!

Well, delirious at least.

[Rayk]

It seems this survey was conducted by Nida.

Why wasn't I asked to participate in this bogus survey.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Rayk

[PatOngo]

The majority of expats said it was enlightening to be surrounded by perfection!

[NongKhaiKid]

Of the 884 carefully selected respondents how many were mods or were linked to the forum somehow and how many were selected from members who would likely say the right things ?

How long will this post last ?

[z42]

Average person earns 100k a month? What?? I must be in the wrong job then, I get half that, I know maybe 1 person here who earns 100k a month, what am I missing exactly?

[leeneeds]

What we fail to see here is the amount of expats

that did not partake in the survey, (884)

no doubt the numbers would be different in certain

subjects, if all expats who actually live here took part.

nonsense for nonsense sake is NO-SENSE

[Alive]

I'm sure general Prayut will wave this article at his next press conference. This is how some protect their businesses in Thailand.

[Alive]

If in any way it could be true, you have to also consider that over the past couple years many have given up on Thailand so every so slowly mostly tourists, retired and junta lovers remain.

[z42]

On topic though, Thailand for all its flaws is still a pretty cool country to live in. The weather is great, the people are generally pretty nice, the pace of life is good, the ease and accessibility with which one can get out and enjoy the country is top notch, the food is outstanding, the women are leagues above western women in almost every sense, and money can be saved pretty easily.

There are pitfalls sure, but if you take care of yourself, show respect and try to be a good citizen I find you have almost no problems.

[NongKhaiKid]

Standby ladies and gentlemen, anyone who now says anything remotely negative or critical about LoS is going to have this so called ' survey ' thrown in their face.

Edited July 10, 2016 by NongKhaiKid

[Alive]

Most tourists and expats living on the cheap don't care about what happens here. They just want their happy life in Thailand. If they really cared about human rights, they might leave, Those without choices stay and moan more. It's all about the money in the end. The potential tourists who care about human rights don't visit Thailand. And others have chosen to stay away from Thailand. Some don't care about human rights and the abuses of the un-elected regime in power.

[jonnyscot]

They read thaivisa everyday, damnit how did I miss that survey

[thai3]

If they are earning 100k a month in Pattaya they must be pimps

[LannaGuy]

and how did they select the 884? why not just do an online survey and all allow everyone to vote? I cant believe ThaiVisa would indulge in this and how many times is Pattaya mentioned? TWELVE times!

Edited July 11, 2016 by LannaGuy

[mihalis]

Say what? It's not April 1st! Oh well, you know what they say about statistics.

And most are, except bitter ones, who should leave !

[mihalis]

Most tourists and expats living on the cheap don't care about what happens here. They just want their happy life in Thailand. If they really cared about human rights, they might leave, Those without choices stay and moan more. It's all about the money in the end. The potential tourists who care about human rights don't visit Thailand. And others have chosen to stay away from Thailand. Some don't care about human rights and the abuses of the un-elected regime in power.

And most who live extremely extravagant lifestyle dont either, as most time, they are more happy in Thailand than in their own part of the world, if you live in Thailand and are still bitter, well best to look at yourself,...

[hansnl]

Most tourists and expats living on the cheap don't care about what happens here. They just want their happy life in Thailand. If they really cared about human rights, they might leave, Those without choices stay and moan more. It's all about the money in the end. The potential tourists who care about human rights don't visit Thailand. And others have chosen to stay away from Thailand. Some don't care about human rights and the abuses of the un-elected regime in power.

You must not be living in Thailand?

[N2it]

I'm not "deliriously happy." I'm more "milk toast happy." As for TV, well it is what it is...

[DaveinAsia]

Of course they are! Most are half drunk, stoned or both all day. It really does make TH seem like paradise. Done the research myself some years back. Once one hits the sober trail it all starts to look a bit different though

[Crossy]

My first thought was that the Webfact "robot" had a software bug, maybe the survey figures somehow got transposed.

But I suppose I'm happy (only delirious when I've had a bad curry), have a job I enjoy and earn rather more than the average, have a lovely home with my darling wife (and her assorted creatures) and generally enjoy a lifestyle I couldn't dream of in the UK.

And I love all the mods (have to say that really).

[sahibji]

thailand is relatively accessible, a cheap place to live in,

with a varied tourism and leisure and pleasure outlets.

expats should be happy as they can choose to experience first

and third world situations in one country.

of course there will be some failures. they can opt out if they so

wish.

[howzat]

Of course we love it. Thats why we are here. Why waste time going to print over the obvious.

[yellowboat]

"– the average working person is likely to earn in excess of 100,000 baht a month, especially if they are in Pattaya."

That sounds like a hard fact.

In reality, Thailand has some very attractive features; food abounds, a patient work force, cheap office / industrial space, comfortable environments. The downsides being: bizarre immigration rules, awful customs duty, no desire for attracting foreign entrepreneurs, corruption, institutionalized xenophobia, lack of intellectual inspiration.

If you have a job or are retired there, it is a comfortable life. But the same could be said for Thailand's neighbor's as well.

[BlindMagician]

I missed this survey.

I'm happy, if any members care to know.

But, that is not in anyway in conflict with the fact that LoS has some...er.."problems", and all us happy bunnies know what they are, cos that's what we enjoy poking fun at here on TVF.

[Buzzz]

I was deliriously happy yesterday at the end of my Pattaya massage.