What Worries Thailand? August 2026

Ipsos' What Worries the World? survey in August 2026 presents a more cautious picture for Thailand. Financial and political corruption remains the country's biggest concern, while poverty and social inequality continues to rank second. However, the most notable shift this month is the sharp increase in concern about crime and violence, which has risen 10 percentage points from July and 14 points from a year ago.

At the same time, concerns about unemployment have increased, while inflation remains among Thailand's top five worries. Consumers are also becoming slightly less confident about their personal financial outlook, although confidence around everyday household spending remains stable.

Key Findings

• Financial and political corruption remains Thailand's #1 concern at 51%.
• Poverty and social inequality ranks second at 41%, up 12 points year-on-year.
• Crime and violence rises sharply to 33%, +10 points from July and +14 points from a year ago.
• Unemployment increases to 26%, up 7 points year-on-year.
• Inflation remains in the Top 5 at 19%, despite a 9-point monthly decline.
• 63% remain more comfortable making everyday household purchases.
• 46% expect their personal financial situation to improve over the next six months, down 3 points from July.

Corruption remains Thailand's top concern

For another consecutive month, financial and political corruption remains the biggest concern among Thai consumers.

51% of Thais identify corruption as one of the country's top concerns. Although this is down 2 percentage points from July, concern remains 7 points higher than a year ago.

The continued prominence of corruption suggests that governance, transparency and institutional trust remain important factors shaping how consumers perceive the country's future.

For businesses, this reinforces the importance of building trust through transparent communication, responsible business practices and clear demonstration of value.

Poverty and social inequality remain a major concern

Poverty and social inequality remains Thailand's second biggest concern, cited by 41% of consumers.

Concern has increased 2 points from July and 12 points compared with August 2025, making it one of the strongest year-on-year increases among Thailand's leading concerns.

The finding highlights that, even as some aspects of consumer sentiment fluctuate, questions around economic opportunity, affordability and the distribution of prosperity remain firmly on the public agenda.

Crime and violence sees a sharp rise

The most striking change in August is the significant increase in concern about crime and violence.

One-third of Thai consumers (33%) now identify crime and violence as one of the country's biggest concerns—an increase of 10 percentage points from July and 14 points from a year ago.

Unemployment moves higher

Unemployment is another concern gaining ground in August.

26% of Thais identify unemployment as one of the country's biggest worries, up 2 points from July and 7 points from a year ago.

The increase comes against a backdrop of a more challenging economic environment. Recent economic forecasts have pointed to slower Thai growth, with weak household consumption, high household debt and rising costs weighing on the outlook.

Together with rising concern about poverty and inequality, the findings suggest that financial security and economic opportunity remain important underlying themes in Thai consumers' concerns.

The increase comes at a time when public safety has received heightened attention in Thailand. Recent events include a deadly school shooting that prompted schools across the country to introduce active-shooter response drills, while a series of coordinated attacks in Thailand's southern provinces in late August led authorities to increase security measures.

A recent Suan Dusit Poll also found that 87.4% of respondents believed crime and violence in Thailand had become more severe, while more than half said they were very worried about their personal safety.

The rise in concern is also consistent with a broader global trend. Crime and violence has been one of the leading concerns in Ipsos' What Worries the World tracking, including ranking as the number one global concern in recent waves.

For brands, this growing focus on safety has implications beyond traditional security categories. Trust, reliability, personal safety and a sense of reassurance can increasingly influence how consumers evaluate products, services and experiences.

Inflation remains in the top five

Inflation remains one of Thailand's five biggest worries, although concern has eased significantly this month.

19% of Thais cite inflation as a major concern, down 9 points from July and 1 point from a year ago.

The decline suggests that, for now, inflation is becoming less prominent in consumers' list of national concerns. However, with cost pressures still affecting household finances, affordability remains an important consideration for consumers and businesses.

Personal financial confidence softens

While concerns around some national issues have shifted considerably, consumers are becoming slightly more cautious about their own financial future.

46% expect their personal financial situation to be stronger over the next six months, down 3 points from July.

At the same time, 16% expect their financial situation to become weaker, unchanged from the previous month.

This suggests that the improvement in broader consumer sentiment seen earlier in the year has not translated into consistently stronger confidence about personal finances.

Everyday spending confidence remains stable

Despite softer financial expectations, consumers are continuing to feel relatively comfortable with everyday spending.

Compared with six months ago:

• 63% feel more comfortable making everyday household purchases, unchanged from July.
• 50% feel more comfortable making major purchases such as a home or car, up 2 points.
• 37% feel less comfortable making everyday household purchases, also unchanged.

The stability in everyday purchase confidence suggests that consumers continue to prioritise essential spending even while taking a more cautious view of their personal financial outlook.

This points to a consumer who is not necessarily stopping spending, but becoming more selective about where and how they spend.

Download the full global What Worries the World?  Check out the latest Global Consumer Confidence Index