Quite apart from any survey, it does seem that most Thais I see are thrilled to bits that their king is now the longest serving monarch in the world, and that it’s 60 years since he came to the throne. Everyone seems to be sporting yellow shirts as a declaration of their joy, and of their allegiance to the king, and of their pride in being Thai.
MCOT : TNA English News: ‘Gross Domestic Happiness’ rises as Thais celebrate King’s diamond jubilee:
Despite weathering months of political crisis and negative fallout from skyrocketing oil prices and rising inflation, Thais from all walks of life are still leading their lives happily as their love for the highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej nurtures their hearts and souls to brave and survive the ordeal, according to the latest survey.
Conducted regarding a Gross Domestic Happiness Index, the survey by the ABAC Poll Centre of 4,336 respondents in 20 provinces covering all parts of Thailand, including the capital city of Bangkok found that the June index has risen to 6.59 out of 10 points.
“We love the King”– Thais’ great love and allegiance for His Majesty the King–is the main factor attributing to the rise of the index, a barometre gauging the public’s level of happiness with their lives and overall conditions.Fittingly, the Kingdom of Bhutan–which developed the Gross Domestic Happiness scale as a serious instrument of public policy– is represented at this weekend’s celebrations for His Majesty the King.
Thailand has declared a five-day public holiday for the events from Friday until Tuesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol’s accession to the throne.Among the feel-good factors are Thai traditional culture, national harmony and the spirit of love and care shown among compatriots in time of national disaster in the form of cash donations and necessities.
The survey, conducted between June 1-10, involved political, economic, education, physical and mental health, cultural and environmental factors.
Most of the elements which caused Thais to lose happiness are political factors, be they the government, politicians or independent bodies. Thais are suffering from the economic burden of their rising personal debt, the price of oil, and the cost of goods.Additionally, between tsunamis and floods, people feel threatened by the possibility of natural disasters more than ever before.
ABAC Poll Centre director Dr. Noppadon Kannikar pointed out that without those positive factors, Thai society would have inevitably been driven into crisis. (TNA)-E001
