The majority of Thai people feel high cost of living is causing them mental stress, while the military junta's "Returning Happiness to the People" has helped to relieve it.This is what the latest poll conducted by Bangkok Poll from a total of 1,194 people from all parts of the country revealed today.
The poll was conducted to mark the World Mental Health Day which is to come on October 10.
The poll on “Stress Scaling after the Returning Happiness to the People” scheme revealed that 66.5% of people interviewed listed high cost of living as a major cause of stress, followed by falling farm crop prices (37.3%), drug trafficking ( 36.7%), and social rifts (33.9 %).
However the most cause of worry that is close and has impact on them is rising prices which 47.0% of people said they couldn’t make ends meet.
Other cause of stress are house and car installment payment (14.9%), and working condition ( 8.7%).
The most urgent problem they wanted the government to resolve immediately is high cost of living ( 34.7%), falling crop prices (18.2%), corruption (15.0%), crime and drugs (10.5%), political rift (9.9%),
Asked on the satisfaction of the military junta’s Returning Happiness to the People scheme on tackling the rising prices of goods, 57.3% said they were most satisfied with the work, while 36.3% said they had less to least satisfaction of the matter.
As for the question of how much stress political news and political rifts have affected them, 55.5% said they didn’t feel stressful by the news and rifts as the country has returned peaceful, while 13.5% said they remained stressful, and 31.0% said they were never pressured by this stress.
When asked further on how much stress the military junta’s happiness scheme has pressured on them, 68.6% said they felt more relieved than previously. However 25.9% said their stress remained the same, while only 4.8% said their stress has worsened.
Bangkokpost