Happiness index wanes
The country's gross happiness index has fallen from November and December levels and a slew of problems are to blame.
According to Abac Poll Research Centre director Dr Noppadon Kannika, many negative factors dragged the happiness factor down in January.The Abac domestic gross happiness index reveals that both Thai and expatriate residents became less content last month compared with November and December. Noppadon said the index had crept down to 5.68 from 5.74 in November and December. Ten is extremely happy and zero is extremely unhappy. Negative factors at play were the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok, political divisions, the activities of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, violence in the South, economic worries and construction defects at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The poll of 4,704 locals and expatriates in 20 provinces between January 25 and February 10 found that people in the South and Bangkok were the least happy, with ratings of 3.30 and 3.37 respectively. But, more people are embracing His Majesty the King's sufficiency-economy philosophy with 32.1 per cent of respondents now adopting its principles, up from 26.1 per cent last September.
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