Life's good in Bangkok, sort of, poll finds

Bankokians' average level of happiness stands at 3.37 on a 5-point scale, with major concerns about the economy and cost of living, political conflicts, corruption, and harmony among Thais, according to the Life's Good Poll.

The survey is the first comprehensive snapshot of Bangkokians' attitudes towards their work lives, personal lives, society, relationships and technology, conducted under a collaboration between Suan Dusit Poll and LG Electronics Thailand. The survey was conducted in October and November, using face-to-face polling of 1,037 respondents aged 20-45 in Bangkok's central business districts.

The Life's Good Poll found that only 7 per cent of respondents said they had the highest level of happiness, 54 per cent said they were moderately happy, and 39 per cent rated their happiness as either low or lowest, for an average score of 3.37 out of 5.

AGE GROUPS

When categorised into age groups, people aged 20-25 years were the least happy. The results also showed that people in different age groups have different definitions of happiness: 26 per cent of those aged 31 years or older agreed that a key part of their happiness was being healthy, while 23 per cent of people aged 20-25 said that being able to do what they love to do brought them the most happiness.

People in the younger group also believed that having good colleagues made them enjoy their working lives more than progressing at work, while respondents aged 36 years and older (26 per cent) said progressing at work was most important.

The poll indicated that 32 per cent of Bangkokians agreed that if problems related to the economy and cost of living were solved, they would be happier. These concerns were followed by political problems, corruption and harmony among Thais, which were each rated as the top concerns of 16 per cent of respondents.

When asked about the Asean Economic Community, 35 per cent of respondents believed that Thais would be disadvantaged by the regional integration because there would be more foreign workers competing with Thais for jobs in their own country.

Twelve per cent were not sure how the AEC would affect Thailand, while the remaining participants believed that the AEC would create job opportunities and boost the Thai economy, as well as offer chances for Thais to get jobs in other countries.

About 32 per cent of respondents agreed that smart phones were the devices that played the greatest role in making life good, while television sets and notebook computers ranked second and third, at 24 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

The poll also indicated that most Bangkokians believe having access to free and reliable Wi-Fi throughout the capital would mean they had a happier life.

The poll also found that 35 per cent of respondents believed that technology and gadgets benefited their life by providing convenience, while 36 per cent ranked reasonable prices as their highest priority, followed by good quality at 20 per cent, durability at 18 per cent, and ease of use at 11 per cent.