Poverty in Thailand

Ultra poor people are persons earning less than 80% of the poverty line income level (for Thailand this is 35 baht per day / 1,070 baht per month).

Almost poor are persons earning between 100% and 120% of the poverty line income level (for Thailand this is 53 baht per day / 1,606 baht per month).

According to a United Nations report issued in 2000, Thailand has 9.8 million poor people, 5.8 million ultra poor people and 3.4 million almost poor people. The total figure is 19 million, or 29.9% of the population, and is concentrated in provinces along the borders in the West, North, and Northeast regions.

However, The United Nations Development Programme measures poverty in terms of access to basic social services such as health, education, employment, income, housing and environment, transport and communications. The status of women is also taken into measurement in any given region.

By this yardstick, Thailand fairs much better with an "official" poverty figure of less than 5 %.

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