Bangkok: Thailand, known as the "Land of Happiness," has made significant strides in global happiness rankings, moving up to 49th place in 2015.
According to Thai News Agency, the World Happiness Report 2025, compiled by the University of Oxford and partners, utilized data from the Gallup World Poll and other sources. The report highlighted that Finland has maintained its status as the happiest country in the world for eight consecutive years. Meanwhile, Thailand's advancement from 58th place in 2024 to 49th in 2025, with an average score of 6.22 points, marks it as the country with the highest development in Asia.
The report also provided an overview of the happiness index among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, where Thailand ranks third. Singapore leads in ASEAN, positioned 34th globally despite dropping four places from last year, followed by Vietnam at 46th, Thailand at 49th, the Philippines at 57th, Malaysia at 64th, Indonesia at 83rd, Laos at 93rd, Cambodia at 124th, and Myanmar at 126th.
Mr. Anukul Prueksanusak, deputy government spokesman, elaborated on the factors contributing to Thailand's improved ranking. The evaluation considered six critical factors, with scores for each perspective: corruption at 0.04, freedom at 0.93, social support at 1.55 (which saw an increase), life expectancy at 0.63, compassion at 0.22, and GDP per capita at 1.43. Notably, Thailand's social support score ranked 8th globally, reflecting the robust network of relationships among Thais, especially at the family and community levels. Although the economy, or GDP per capita, was ranked 81st worldwide, the past year's economic trend has shown improvement, enhancing perceptions of economic stability.
Mr. Anukul emphasized that the report underscores various factors impacting global happiness, including economic, social, and governmental confidence. He noted that Thailand's rise to 49th place is encouraging yet acknowledged the need for continued efforts to enhance the quality of life for Thais and aspire towards a happier country in the future.