An incredible Bt34.5 billion will change hands during the tournament, of which gambling on football matches will account for Bt19.5 billion, according to the survey by Thai Chamber of Commerce University's economic and business forecasting centre.

The poll of 2,418 people also suggested Bt5 billion would be spent on food and drinks consumed while watching games, Bt4 billion on advertising and printing, Bt1.5 billion on white goods and postcards, Bt1 billion on eating out, and Bt500 million on garments and sporting equipment. "This spending will effect an increase of 0.05-0.07 per cent on GDP growth," said Yachai Choovicha, chairman of the survey group.

She said the survey focused on respondents' behaviours in relation to both their monitoring and viewing of football matches.

About 41.3 per cent said they were "very interested" in the football matches and 23 per cent described themselves as "fairly" interested. Most said they'd watch the matches on television, with radio being the next favoured medium.

The World Cup will be a family affair in most households, according to the survey, with an average of four to six people sitting down together at home to watch the matches.

More than three quarters of respondents, about 77 per cent, said they liked watching football matches at home on the TV best, while the rest said they opted for restaurants or some other entertainment venue.

The survey suggests the commodity on which the most money would be spent was alcohol.

Betting will take the next biggest chunk of cash, followed by newspapers and periodicals.

More than half of respondents, 65 per cent, said they would spend more during the World Cup than they generally would, but the remaining 35 per cent said they would keep a lid on expenditure.

Expected spending on betting per person averaged out to Bt20,223, while buying televisions, radios and computers would generally cost people an average of Bt9.233 each.

Spending on satellite TV installations will average Bt8,477 per person, eating out will account for Bt1,909, and partying at home will cost Bt1,719, the survey suggested.

Liqueurs and wines will cost on average Bt1,556; Bt1,488 will be spent on souvenirs, postcards will lure an average of Bt1,059 and there will be Bt647 spent on keeping up with results through newspapers and magazines.

Most of those who said they would gamble were aged between 30 and 39, followed by 26- to 29-year-olds and 40- to 49-year-olds, respectively.

But what shocked the survey group was the average of Bt10,000 expected to be spent by people less than 20 years old.

Another disturbing trend was that the more cash gamblers had access to, the more they would spend.

The survey also suggested people on incomes of less than Bt5,000 would be spending out of their depth during the World Cup.

When asked whether football betting should be legal, 69.6 per cent of respondents said it should not be, because people racked up too much debt and could become addicted to having a wager.