More govt officials are paying off loans

More government officials are in debt, with about 55 per cent paying off housing loans, the National Statistical Office has discovered.

The office conducts a survey every two years on 13,252 officials in all provinces, but it does not include officials classed as experts. It has found that on average a family of government officials has monthly expenditure of Bt41,081, of which 21 per cent is spent on food and beverages, 15 per cent on travel and communication, 13 per cent on interior decoration, 8 per cent on clothing, 7 per cent on entertainment and 3.5 per cent on medication.

Up to 83 per cent of the families surveyed are in debt and the average debt owed per family is Bt1,111,425. Though only 32 per cent of officials in administrative positions are in debt, the amount owed rises in relation to rank and position.

Up to 16.5 per cent of those surveyed were paying off car loans, the second most common debt after home loans. However, only 3.6 per cent had taken loans for further education.

Statistics for 2012 in comparison to 2008 showed more families were spending beyond their means, though families paying off loans fell slightly over the four years.