October 9, 2025
BANGKOK – On October 8, 2025, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), alongside its partners, launched the “Every Problem Can Improve with Listening” campaign as part of National Month of Listening in November, continuing for the second year. This campaign aims to promote the skills of “listening with the ears and seeing with the heart” to tackle loneliness and foster mutual understanding within society.
Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, CEO of ThaiHealth, shared that ThaiHealth, in collaboration with JitArsa Bank and Chulalongkorn University, conducted a survey on loneliness within Thai society. The survey, the first of its kind in Thailand, focused on people aged 18-75 and found that a staggering 83% of Thais experience loneliness. Of this, 18% reported feeling extremely lonely, and 65% felt moderately lonely.
The main cause of this widespread loneliness is the lack of social and emotional connections. The group most at risk are those living alone, urban dwellers, and individuals with health problems. When analysing the results by occupation, office workers were found to be the most affected by loneliness. Furthermore, the survey revealed that 1 in 5 Thais believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) could provide better counselling than family members or friends, likely due to AI’s ability to listen without judgement and provide more empathetic responses.
Pongthep emphasised that the loneliness felt by many people leads to significant mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and chronic stress, which can have serious consequences for overall health.
In National Month of Listening, ThaiHealth is working to equip the public with the skills to manage feelings of loneliness by learning to listen actively. The campaign encourages organisations to create spaces where listening and building social connections can thrive, aiming to foster a healthier and more supportive society.
Dr Sorrayut Ratanapojnard, Joint Director of JitArsa Bank, revealed that throughout November, a series of activities will focus on building listening skills, helping people tackle loneliness, and creating meaningful connections with themselves, the world, and nature. The goal is to improve spiritual health, with listening acting as a simple yet powerful starting point for accessing happiness and personal growth.
Sorrayut explained that understanding oneself through listening allows individuals to better care for others, whether through counselling, mentorship, or simply being there for others in times of need. The activities will come in two main forms:
- Listening Skills Development for the General Public – This can be accessed via the National Listening Month website at https://Listen.HappinessisThailand.com, where individuals can take a test to assess their listening habits and evaluate which skills they need to improve. The site offers e-learning content, an interactive listening game called “Listenian Game”, and an e-book titled “Listening for Happiness”, which will help people develop their listening abilities and engage in real-world experiences.
- Creating Listening Spaces within Organisations – In collaboration with ThaiHealth, JitArsa Bank has developed the Listenian Card, an innovative tool aimed at enhancing basic listening skills, improving awareness of thoughts, and promoting emotional sensitivity. The Listenian Card will be used by public and private organisations, civil society groups, and communities to create spaces for listening, tailored to the organisation’s culture. The initiative is expected to involve over 100 organisations by the end of November.
For individuals and organisations interested in using the Listenian Card, further details will be available on the “happinessisthailand” Facebook page.