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An Overview of Social Conditions in Thai Society
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 Informative Article Summary by Anny Redperz
The employment situation in Thailand has improved. The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), in its overview of social conditions in Thai society in 2005, states that the 2005 employment rate was the highest in the past three years.
According to a study conducted by the NESDB, the number of employed people in Thailand last year rose to 36 million, up from 35.3 million in 2005. The increase was a result of continued economic expansion. The construction sector saw the highest increase in the employment rate, at 20 percent, while the increase in the service sector came to 9 percent, the trade and banking sector, 4.6 percent, and the handicraft and industrial sector, 4.4 percent.
The NESDB believes that the unemployment rate in 2006 will not be higher than 2 percent, when compared with 1.7 percent in 2005. As for the fourth quarter of 2005, the unemployment rate was the lowest in the year, at 1.2 percent. Bangkok saw the lowest unemployment rate of all regions of the country, at only 0.9 percent. The southern region saw the highest unemployment rate, at 1.6 percent, possibly due to unrest in the three southern border provinces.
NESDB Secretary-General Ampon Kittiampon expressed his concern that the present political tensions might have an impact on the economic and investment situation in 2006, thus affecting the employment situation. About 100,000 new graduates would enter the labor market this year. If investment faces a slowdown, the employment situation for the new graduates will be affected. However, the problem would not be serious, taking into consideration the current high employment rate.
The NESDB study indicates that more and more Thai people have life insurance. In 2004, life insurance premiums in the country stood at about 107.6 billion baht. The amount rose to 118 billion baht in 2005. About 96 percent of Thai people were covered by health insurance in the past year. Out of this number, 75.4 percent benefited from the 30-baht health care scheme, 13.8 percent obtained health insurance from the Social Security Program, and 6.6 percent from the Government Welfare Fund. The number of Thai people suffering from major diseases saw a decrease. Road accidents in the past year were also on a decline.
According to the NESDB study, the consumer behavior among young Thais has changed. Around 49 percent of the people, aged between 6 and 14 years old, ate junk food, especially processed snacks. Forty-two percent had junk food every day. Such a situation is likely to lead to more malnutrition, obesity, and tooth decay among the young people. Pornographic media has become a threat for Thai youths as well. Apart from the need to reduce the consumption of junk food among young people, the study suggests that campaigns against pornographic media should also be stepped up.
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