BANGKOK — Thailand’s poverty rate stood at 3.41% in 2023, affecting more than 2.39 million people, according to research unveiled at the “Fighting Poverty” seminar on September 9. The Northeast region remains the hardest hit, with 31.71% of the nation’s poor residing there, followed by the South. Bangkok reported the lowest rate at 1.6%.

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The study, conducted by the Program Management Unit for Area-Based Development (PMU-A), highlighted crippling economic challenges including low incomes, limited access to welfare, and pervasive household debt. PMU-A director Kitti Sajjawattana emphasized that poverty is exacerbated by scarce opportunities and inadequate social safety nets. The National Statistics Office and the National Economic and Social Development Council confirmed that many poor households lack savings and farmland.

Household debt has reached alarming levels, hitting 16.35 trillion baht in early 2025—equivalent to 87.4% of GDP. Former National Credit Bureau president Surapol Opasatien warned that non-performing loans have soared to 1.235 trillion baht, disproportionately affecting young workers in Generation Y. Without intervention, this figure could rise to 1.3 trillion baht by year’s end.

Over 3% of Thais suffering poverty https://t.co/DPP0zMuxOP

— •CRF• (@crf_esq) September 17, 2025

Since 2020, PMU-A and research networks have rolled out 299 anti-poverty initiatives across 16 provinces. Universities and organizations have proposed a 10-point action plan urging the government to prioritize poverty eradication through improved data management, local cooperation, and vocational training.

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The findings underscore an urgent need for structural reforms to address income inequality and debt sustainability, particularly for Thailand’s most vulnerable populations.

-Thailand News (TN)