Thailand Ranks First in Global Survey of Extramarital Affairs
Cultural and Structural Factors Behind High Rates
South Korea Not Included in Top Countries
A recent survey has drawn attention by revealing that Thailand has the highest rate of extramarital affairs in the world. More than half of respondents in Thailand admitted to having had an affair, with attitudes toward infidelity and cultural background cited as the main factors.
A survey revealed that Thailand has the highest rate of extramarital affairs worldwide (photo provided for article illustration and is unrelated to the content). Pixabay
According to recent reports from Thai media outlets Khaosod and The Thaiger, which cited the results of an international survey conducted jointly by global statistics platform BedBible and financial information provider Insider Monkey, Thailand ranked first in the frequency of infidelity.
This survey, conducted in 2024, was based on responses from over 20,000 participants and about 1.9 million related data points. According to the report, which analyzed results by country, gender, and age, 51% of respondents in Thailand acknowledged having had an extramarital affair. This is the highest figure among all surveyed countries, surpassing Denmark, which ranked second at 46%, by 5 percentage points. Thailand was the only Asian nation included in the top 20 countries in this survey.
The countries that followed in the top 20 were Germany (45%), Italy (45%), France (43%), Norway (41%), Belgium (40%), Spain (39%), Finland (36%), United Kingdom (36%), Canada (36%), Greece (36%), Luxembourg (36%), Austria (35%), Brazil (35%), Iceland (35%), Netherlands (35%), Portugal (35%), Sweden (35%), and the United States (35%). South Korea did not rank among the top countries in this survey.
Khaosod identified the 'Mia Noi' culture as one of the reasons for the prevalence of extramarital affairs in Thailand. This practice involves maintaining a long-term relationship with a woman other than one's legal wife, and it has been tacitly accepted in Thai society for a long time.
In Thai, 'Mia' means wife and 'Noi' means small. Together, 'Mia Noi' is interpreted as 'small wife,' referring to the concept of a man having a second female partner in addition to his legal spouse. In such relationships, the man provides housing, transportation, and living expenses, while the woman offers emotional or sexual satisfaction in return.
The legal wife is referred to as 'Mia Luang.' Some women choose not to divorce their husbands despite infidelity. Analysts suggest this is because the husband's income is essential for the family's economic survival and for raising children.
There are also observations that Thailand's large-scale sex industry, combined with its tourism sector, contributes to blurring the boundaries regarding extramarital affairs. The perception that sexual relationships formed in entertainment venues, massage parlors, and bars are part of economic activity has led to a weakening of individual moral boundaries.
Some experts point out that this structure has created an atmosphere where infidelity is justified as an economic means rather than a matter of individual ethical judgment. In certain social strata, extramarital relationships are not merely acts of deviance but serve as a means of livelihood.
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