What Worries Thailand? October 2026
Thailand's consumer sentiment in October 2026 reveals a notable shift in the issues weighing on people's minds. While financial and political corruption remains the country's leading concern, poverty and social inequality has returned to second place, and climate change has emerged as one of the month's fastest-rising worries.
According to the latest Ipsos What Worries the World? findings, concern about climate change has jumped 14 percentage points in just one month, placing it third among Thailand's biggest worries.
The findings also point to a more cautious national and personal outlook. More than half of Thais believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, six in ten continue to describe the economy as bad, and consumers report feeling less comfortable making both major and everyday household purchases.
Together, these developments suggest that concerns about governance, economic security and environmental risks are increasingly shaping the wider consumer mood.
Key figures
51%
Financial and political corruption remains Thailand's #1 worry
+9pp MoM
Poverty and social inequality returns to second place
+14pp MoM
Climate change rises to third place
55%
Believe Thailand is heading in the wrong direction
61%
Describe the current economy as bad
53%
Feel less comfortable making major purchases
Financial and political corruption remains Thailand's biggest worry
Financial and political corruption continues to lead Thailand's list of concerns, cited by 51% of respondents in October. Although this represents a slight decline of 1 percentage point from September, concern remains 8 points higher than a year ago.
Corruption has consistently occupied the top position in recent months, indicating that governance, transparency and accountability remain prominent issues in the public mindset.
Poverty and social inequality returns to second place
Concern about poverty and social inequality has rebounded sharply, returning to second place among Thailand's biggest worries. In October, 43% of Thais identify poverty and social inequality as a major concern, an increase of 9 percentage points from September and 5 points compared with October 2025.
This follows September's findings, when crime and violence moved ahead of poverty and inequality in the rankings. The latest results suggest that concerns about economic disparities and financial security have regained prominence.
The increase is particularly notable alongside weakening confidence in household purchases and personal financial expectations.
Climate change surges into the top three amid widespread flooding
One of the most notable shifts in October is the sharp rise in concern about climate change. 30% of Thais now identify climate change as one of the country's three biggest worries, up 14 percentage points from September and 13 points from a year ago.
This places climate change third in Thailand's October rankings, ahead of crime and violence and unemployment.
The increase comes amid widespread flooding across Thailand during September and October, bringing the consequences of extreme weather into sharper public focus.
According to Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, flooding affected 29 provinces and Bangkok as of 29 September. At that point, more than 2.6 million people were affected across the provinces covered by its report, with Bangkok reporting additional affected households.
The economic consequences have also been significant. On 20 October, the Thai government approved 10.5 billion baht in flood relief, alongside measures including debt-payment suspensions and soft loans to support affected households and businesses.
Crime and violence eases slightly, while unemployment remains a concern
After rising sharply in September, concern about crime and violence is down 10 percentage points month-on-month, now ranking fourth among Thailand's biggest worries, although concern remains 3 points higher than a year ago.
Unemployment completes the top five at 22%, down 8 points from September and 2 points year-on-year.
While crime and unemployment have become less prominent in October's rankings, the simultaneous rise in poverty, inequality and climate change suggests that attention has shifted towards other pressures affecting people's sense of security and wellbeing.
55% believe Thailand is heading in the wrong direction
October's results also show a further deterioration in perceptions of the country's overall direction.
Over half (55%) Thais believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, an increase of 3 percentage points from September and 11 points from a year ago.
The findings come at a time when consumers are navigating multiple concerns, including economic inequality, environmental disruption and longstanding governance issues.
Six in ten continue to view the economy negatively
Perceptions of Thailand's current economic situation remain challenging. In October, 61% describe the current economy as bad, unchanged from September.
This persistent caution provides important context for the decline in personal spending confidence observed this month.
Spending confidence weakens across both major and everyday purchases
One of the most important signals in October is the decline in consumers' comfort with spending, showing a softening across both major purchases and routine household spending.
Compared with six months ago, 53% feel less comfortable making a major purchase, such as a home or car, up 3 points month-on-month, suggesting growing caution towards larger financial commitments, particularly purchases that may require substantial savings or long-term financing.
Confidence in routine household spending has also weakened. 40% feel less comfortable making everyday household purchases, up 4 points compared to last month.
Personal financial confidence softens further
Looking ahead to the next six months, 44% of Thais expect their personal financial situation to become much or somewhat stronger, down 2 percentage points from September. Meanwhile, 17% expect their financial situation to become weaker.
When considered alongside falling purchase confidence and persistently negative economic perceptions, the findings point towards a consumer environment characterised by caution and uncertainty.
October's findings highlight important developments in the Thai consumer landscape.
Financial security remains central to consumer concerns. The rebound in poverty and social inequality, alongside weakening spending confidence, reinforces the importance of affordability and clear value propositions.
Climate-related concerns are becoming more immediate. The sharp increase in climate change worry, against the backdrop of recent widespread flooding, suggests that environmental resilience deserves attention alongside longer-term sustainability commitments.
Consumer confidence requires a more nuanced interpretation, as confidence has weakened across both routine spending and major financial commitments.
For businesses, understanding these shifts means looking beyond individual sentiment indicators. It requires recognising how concerns about governance, economic opportunity, environmental disruption and personal finances interact to shape consumers' priorities and decisions.
As Thailand moves towards the end of 2026, the latest Ipsos findings point to a consumer mindset increasingly focused on security, resilience and value.
