Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

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buksida
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Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by buksida »

A friday feelgood story ....

Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Thailand has been ranked as the least miserable country out of 66 economies for a fourth consecutive year, according to Bloomberg's Misery Index for 2018.

Thailand again claimed "least miserable" status, though the nation's unique way of calculating unemployment helps give it the edge over the next least miserable, Singapore.

The island state claimed least miserable status in 2014.
Venezuela marks its fourth year as the world's most miserable economy, with a score that's more than three times what it was in 2017.

The Bloomberg Misery Index relies on the age-old concept that low inflation and unemployment generally illustrate how good an economy's residents should feel.

Sometimes, of course, a low tally can be misleading in either category: Persistently low prices can be a sign of poor demand, and joblessness which sinks too low shackles workers who want to switch to better jobs, for instance.

The combination of inflation and unemployment rate gives Thailand its score.
According to Bank of Thailand, the country's inflation rate was low at 0.66% last year while the country's unemployment rate was 1.04%.

Full story: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... y-on-earth
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
thebears
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by thebears »

I'm glad to read that Thailand appears as the least miserable country, but perhaps worth noting that this outcome is based on a set of factors deemed by the organisers to be representative of miserableness/happiness. Whether those factors are clear indicators of peoples' overall miserableness is difficult to determine.

I think my observation of Thais is that they do not seem broadly to be as contented as they were a decade or so ago. They often seem quite disgruntled by small things that we don't mind elsewhere, such as... democracy.
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404cameljockey
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by 404cameljockey »

thebears wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:55 pm I'm glad to read that Thailand appears as the least miserable country, but perhaps worth noting that this outcome is based on a set of factors deemed by the organisers to be representative of miserableness/happiness. Whether those factors are clear indicators of peoples' overall miserableness is difficult to determine.

I think my observation of Thais is that they do not seem broadly to be as contented as they were a decade or so ago. They often seem quite disgruntled by small things that we don't mind elsewhere, such as... democracy.
Well, I'm quite ready to believe this index. Over-ambition and running in the rat race are a ready road to disatisfaction. I don't think most Thais exhibit these traits. Being content (i.e. making do) with what they have seems their general outlook. And are the majority Thais REALLY so concerned with democracy and disgruntled by its absence? I don't believe so. I believe (my opinion only) all except the protesters and their strong supporters would be happy with a more benign autocracy? And such things do exist.
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by RCer »

This is why I don't complain about the reams of paperwork yo get anything done. Computers create unemployment and paper creates jobs.
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by MDMK »

RCer wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:51 pm This is why I don't complain about the reams of paperwork yo get anything done. Computers create unemployment and paper creates jobs.
it must be attitudes like this that make Thailand have these happy stats

when life gives you lemons, make lots of lemonade

if you live in a country with tons of pointless paperwork, just think of the jobs it's creating

I'm really not taking the piss, but I would love to have that outlook on life :thumb:
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by hhfarang »

I read a study recently that found Finland had the happiest people on earth. Wouldn't that equate to the "least miserable"?
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Re: RE: Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by hhinner »

hhfarang wrote:I read a study recently that found Finland had the happiest people on earth. Wouldn't that equate to the "least miserable"?
Doesn't least miserable mean miserable, but not as miserable as any other?
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by handdrummer »

Maybe it falls under the ignorance is bliss category.
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Re: Thailand 'least miserable' country on Earth

Post by Takiap »

I have not lived in every country so I cannot really judge, but to be honest, I do believe that Thailand is far less miserable than any country I have visited or lived in before.

For the most part, the only misery I encounter here comes from disgruntled Farang who live here, but who actually dislike all things Thai.

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