Jai Dee: Thais Ranked Among World's Most Generous People

[Flashermac]

Thailand ranked number 19 in the World Giving Index 2015 by the Charities Aid Foundation, which was released this week.

 

The index measures three types of generosity: donating to charity, helping strangers, and volunteering. Thailand rose two spots from last year in the generosity index which surveyed over 150,000 people from 145 countries.

 

Thailand is renowned for donating. The index found that 87 percent of Thai people donate to charity, the second largest percentage in the world after Myanmar (92 percent).

 

Meanwhile, the country’s score for helping strangers and volunteering fell short. Only 44 percent of Thais help strangers, and only 14 percent do volunteer work.

 

The report noted that Thailand and Myanmar's strong Buddhist cultures drive donations.

 

Globally, Myanmar topped the index for the third year in a row, and our neighbor to the west also secured first place for both volunteering time and making donations.

 

The United States came in second place with its huge contribution for helping strangers (76 percent), followed by New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

 

Overall, more people donated money and helped strangers this year, while volunteering saw a small downturn.

 

Powerful China ranked second to last in terms of generosity, while the Republic of Burundi came in dead last. The survey also found that only five G20 countries are in this year's Top 20, proving that economic prosperity does not lead to a rise in giving.

 

 

 

http://bangkok.cocon...generous-people

[Flashermac]

[Mekong]

Do these figures include the Rice Pleading Scheme?

 

Biggest give away in History

[Mekong]

Oh how much amusement I get from being a cynic

[pasathai1]

the thai smile, keeping up the facade

[Flashermac]

The Buddhist culture idea might explain Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. But it clearly fizzled out in Cambodia.

[baa99]

Do these figures include the Rice Pleading Scheme?

 

Biggest give away in History

 

... unless you look at the EU.

 

The European Union spends around €59 billion a year on farm subsidies.

 

http://farmsubsidy.openspending.org/

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

Thais might donate a lot, but it is not generosity or compassion for their fellow man that prompts the donations, but rather the promise of a better life next time around. It is a selfish act, not a selfless one.

 

A few weeks back I saw several people lined up to give to the able bodied man in saffron robes, while completely by-passing the crippled man a few meters away from him.

 

Sanuk!

[My Penis is hungry]

I think Thais are pretty compassionate, I see often kids without families "adopted" and not for exploitation. At the top, greedy buggers, same with all eletes, it's how they get there, but at the bottom, I've found Thais to be very generous people, though I admit there is a lot to what KS says as well that should be changed.

[Flashermac]

The "greedy buggers" at the top are almost all Chinese Thais. They rose to the top by being greedy.

 

As to giving with the hope of reward, you can make an argument that all charity is the same ... if only for a feeling of satisfaction at having done something good.