Since the 1990s, Thailand's development policy has reoriented gradually towards social development. The development policy is currently impacted by political suppression, polarization, lower economic growth, and the mourning of the beloved king. The report shows the situation of social well-being in Thailand. Based on the survey of 1,126 respondents from 11 provinces in 2016, subjective social well-being of Thai people is quite high in all dimensions, with the exception of family economic status and political condition. The results were consistent across subjective social well-being, life satisfaction, and Cantril's Ladder of Life. The urban-rural divide is still relevant for social well-being, with the results showing that social well-being in rural areas is higher than in urban areas. Therefore, the report argues that social capital and equality have a higher effect on social well-being than economic development. Finally, the report concludes that the survey results alone were not enough to understand the social well-being of a society, but rather the context and development values of a society were also necessary.
Wun'Gaeo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.