What Worries Thailand? March 2026
Thailand at a Glance: March 2026
Our monthly What Worries the World survey explores what the public thinks are the most important social and political issues. In Thailand, the March 2026 wave — fieldwork conducted February 20th to March 6th — reveals a public increasingly anxious about corruption at home, while staying alert to a world that felt notably more dangerous before this survey even closed.
Key headline numbers:
- 54% of Thais name financial/political corruption as a top worry (+7pp vs. last month; +15pp vs. last year)
- 35% cite poverty & social inequality (+2pp vs. last month)
- 29% are worried about military conflict between nations (–4pp vs. last month; +21pp vs. last year)
- 59% believe Thailand is heading in the right direction — though this is down 3pp from February
- 54% describe the current economic situation as bad
Corruption: Thailand's Defining Worry of 2026
Financial and political corruption has dominated Thailand's worry list for years — but the scale of concern seen this month is striking. At 54%, it is the single highest reading recorded in recent waves, with a year-on-year jump of +15 percentage points.
Globally, Thailand ranks third on this issue, behind only Indonesia (68%) and Peru (54%), and well above the 30-country average of 28%.
This trajectory is difficult to separate from Thailand's political backdrop. February 2026 saw continued public debate stemming from the political turbulence of the past year — echoing the themes that dominated the What Worries Thailand? February 2026 edition.
Military Conflict: A Worry Shaped by World Events
Military conflict between nations holds third place at 29%, down 4pp from last month but still a dramatic +21pp higher than a year ago.
An important editorial note: this month's fieldwork ran from February 20th to March 6th. The United States struck Iran on February 28th. This means respondents surveyed in the final days of the fieldwork window were answering in the immediate aftermath of a significant escalation in Middle East tensions — while those surveyed earlier were not. The data may therefore understate the full impact of that event on public sentiment; we will be monitoring this closely in the April edition.
Even setting aside the US-Iran development, Thai concern about international conflict has been building steadily through 2025 and into 2026. Closer to home, the ongoing border tensions in the region — while showing some signs of easing — have not disappeared from the public's radar. Thailand sits at a geopolitical crossroads in Southeast Asia, and its citizens are paying attention.
At 29%, Thailand ranks third globally on this concern, behind Poland (37%) and Israel (35%), and significantly above the global average of 12%.
Poverty, Crime, and Inflation: The Everyday Pressures
Poverty and social inequality remains the second-biggest worry at 35% (+2pp), reflecting persistent anxiety about the uneven pace of economic recovery. Thailand's ranking of sixth globally on this measure — above the 29% world average — underscores how acutely Thais feel the gap between economic headline figures and lived experience.
Crime and violence (23%) and inflation (23%) complete the top five, both unchanged or marginally lower than last month. While inflation concerns have eased somewhat compared to their peak — down 3pp year-on-year — the cost-of-living pressure remains very much present in household budgets.
Direction of the Country: Cautious Optimism
Despite the weight of these concerns, 59% of Thais say the country is heading in the right direction — a figure that continues to put Thailand among the more optimistic nations surveyed. Singapore leads globally at 78%, with Malaysia (73%) and India (65%) also ahead; Thailand sits alongside South Korea (62%) and Indonesia (57%).
However, that 59% figure is down 3 points from February, and the wrong-track reading has crept up to 41%. Optimism about the country's direction has been broadly stable for several months, but the combination of rising corruption anxiety and global uncertainty may be beginning to erode confidence at the margins.
The Economy: Still Firmly in "Bad" Territory
On the economy, 54% of Thais describe the current situation as bad — unchanged from last month, and slightly worse year-on-year (–2pp on the "good" side). Only 46% say the economy is good.
This sits in contrast to some of Thailand's regional peers. South Korea, for instance, has seen its "good economy" score surge 33pp over the past year under its new government, while India and Colombia have also seen significant improvements. Thailand has not experienced a comparable lift.
Looking ahead, the picture may darken further. The US strike on Iran introduces a new layer of uncertainty around oil prices, supply chains, and regional trade flows that could weigh on economic sentiment in the weeks and months ahead. If energy costs rise and global demand softens, Thailand's export-oriented economy and tourism sector could feel the pinch. The April edition of What Worries the World will offer an early read on whether consumer sentiment has shifted in response.
