Thailand has moved up nine places to rank 49th in the World Happiness Report 2024, maintaining its status as the third-happiest country in Southeast Asia.

The report, published by the University of Oxford, evaluates the happiness levels of 147 countries.

Finland continues to hold the title of the happiest country for an eighth consecutive year, while Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the rankings.

In the 2023 report, Thailand was placed 58th, highlighting a notable improvement in its perceived happiness levels.

Respondents from various countries were surveyed to assess their happiness on a scale from zero to ten, where zero indicates complete dissatisfaction and ten represents complete satisfaction.

Thailand achieved a score of 6.22 in 2024.

Within Southeast Asia, Thailand stands behind Singapore, which is ranked 34th globally with a score of 6.56, and Vietnam, ranked 46th with a score of 6.35. The rise in Thailand's ranking is attributed to several factors evaluated in the report: social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

Deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksanusak noted that Thailand was ranked 8th globally for generosity, reflecting the strong support systems present among Thai families and communities.

Despite being ranked 81st in GDP per capita, Anukul emphasized the improvements in the country’s economic outlook in recent years, suggesting a sense of economic stability.

He characterized the jump to 49th place as a positive indication for Thailand’s overall well-being, while acknowledging that further improvements are required to enhance quality of life and happiness for its citizens.