The solo generation: 1 in 4 Thais now single
The rise of the solo generation is changing the way people live and their spending habits along the way. Single-person households in Thailand now account for B1.4 trillion in annual spending, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). What started as a lifestyle shift has grown into a serious economic force.
While family households still lead in spending on necessities like housing and utilities, it is single consumers who are setting the pace in discretionary categories like dining out, boutique fitness, personal wellness, fashion, tech gadgets, solo travel and even premium pet care. The NESDC has called this phenomenon the 'solo economy': a term that captures how consumer habits are shifting in response to smaller households and more self-directed lives.
What's behind the rise of solo living? There's no one-size-fits-all answer but social freedom, financial independence and changing cultural values all play key roles. For many millennials and Gen Z-ers, especially women – being single is about prioritising personal growth, career goals and mental health. Marriage and family are no longer seen as life's mandatory milestones. Today's urban young adults are choosing flexibility over formality and self-fulfilment over settling down early.
The generation raised on global content, gender equality and post-pandemic introspection is the one building its own narrative rather than chasing tradition. For them, independence doesn't equal loneliness and in Thailand's cities, it's fast becoming our dominant marital status.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
FF News
2 hours ago
- FF News
72% of Young Adults Take Action to Improve their Financial Health, finds BofA Better Money Habits Study
Gen Z (ages 18-28) is finding adulthood more expensive than expected. Facing this, nearly three quarters of them are taking action to improve their financial health, according to Bank of America's 2025 Better Money Habits® financial education study (PDF), published today. Gen Z is challenging the stereotype when it comes to young people and their finances,' said Holly O'Neill, president of Consumer, Retail and Preferred Banking at Bank of America. 'Even though they're facing economic barriers and high everyday costs, they are working hard to become financially independent and take control of their money.' Key findings from the study include: Over the last 12 months, 72% took steps to improve their financial health, such as putting money toward savings (51%) or paying down debt (24%). Nearly two-thirds (64%) focused on reducing expenses – 41% cut back on dining out and 23% shopped at more affordable grocery stores. And more are going it alone. While 39% receive financial support from parents and other family members, this is down from 46% a year ago. And they are getting less money – 22% receive $1,000 or more per month compared to 32% a year ago, and 54% receive less than $500 per month compared to 44% a year ago. When it comes to their romantic lives, many Gen Z aren't spending money on dates – with roughly half of men (53%) and women (54%) spending $0 a month, and 25% of men and 30% of women spending less than $100 per month. According to the study, about half (51%) of Gen Z surveyed say the high cost of living is a barrier to financial success. Total monthly spending is higher than they thought it would be for 35%, especially for everyday expenses including groceries (63%), rent and utilities (47%) and dining out (42%). The study found that Gen Z feel a lack of income is a problem as well, with over half (53%) not feeling they make enough money to live the life they want, and many are struggling to save consistently. In fact, 55% don't have enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses. While Gen Z knows that saving for the future is important, they struggle to do so, with close to half (43%) saying they are not on track to actively save for retirement in the next five years, though they'd like to be. Many see saving for retirement and investing as symbols of financial independence (42% and 35% respectively). However, only a quarter (25%) contributed to a retirement account in the last year and one-in-five (21%) invested in the stock market, up slightly from recent years. Despite a lack of income, Gen Z finds ways to enjoy the little things, whether celebrating a win or trying to help turn around a bad day: 57% buy themselves a small 'treat' at least once a week. Unfortunately for over half (59%), this leads to overspending, making little treats a slippery slope. And, according to data from Bank of America Institute (PDF), while there are signs of some pressures on younger generations, the median deposit level of Gen Z and Millennials remains elevated compared to 2019 levels – showing that these generations do not appear to be running down their savings in the face of higher costs. A third (33%) of Gen Z are stressed about their finances, and of those, 52% say economic instability is a root cause. When stressed about their finances, many (90%) are likely to take action, including checking their bank account balance (69%), making a budget (64%), getting ahead on paying bills (46%) or other smart money moves. But for some, stress leads to avoidance or splurges: 33% of Gen Z are likely to avoid thinking about or taking positive actions on their finances when they're feeling stressed financially; 30% are likely to treat themselves to a purchase when worried about money. Gen Z understands the importance of financial health, and they value being transparent with friends about money. Consistent with findings in prior years, two-thirds (66%) of Gen Z don't feel pressured by their friends to spend beyond their means, and 42% feel comfortable declining social activities and letting their friends know it's because they can't afford them. Financial health also matters in romantic relationships for Gen Z – with nearly four out of five (78%) saying that financial responsibility is an important attribute when choosing a significant other. This survey was conducted online from April 4 – 25, 2025, by Ipsos. This study is based on national samples of 1,069 general population adults (age 18 or older), 915 general population Gen Z adults (age 18-28). The survey was conducted both in English and Spanish and utilized samples from both opt-in sources and the Ipsos KnowledgePanel®, the largest and most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult US population. The margin of sampling error for the general population sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points and for the general population Gen Z sample is +/- 3.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Would rebranding retirement motivate more Millennials and Gen Z-ers to start saving into pensions?
SPONSORED BY TRADING 212 The Independent Money channel is brought to you by Trading 212. Pensions have a big branding problem, which is putting off more Millennials and Gen Z from investing in their retirements. With two million pensioners currently living in poverty - and almost 40 per cent of the population on track to experience poverty in retirement - that needs to change. It is easier said than done, but a good start would be to challenge the negative stereotypes that put many younger people off saving for retirement in the first place. Would you save for something that feels alien to you? What three words would you use to describe a career? Progress, achievement, ambition might spring to mind. Now try retirement. You'll probably think of words like withdraw, retreat, or slowing down, which are synonyms of the word retire. Whether you're just starting out in your career or approaching your peak earning years, retirement might seem like an alien concept. Saving into a private pension in your 20s and 30s - when the state pension age is still decades away and keeps going up - could feel more like paying for someone else's future rather than your own. The industry should sell the outcome, not just the product Too many Millennials and Gen Z aren't saving for retirement because the industry isn't selling it to them. It's just marketing a financial product called a pension. Pension marketing often focuses on putting money away consistently, cutting back where possible and setting rigid financial goals (like you should have £100,000 saved by the time you are 35), which can be off-putting, even when you emphasise all that free government money known as tax relief. It's a bit like a personal trainer offering years of strenuous workouts and diets without selling you the end result: your dream body. This doesn't mean the industry isn't already trying to rebrand retirement with terms like 'financial independence' and 'personal freedom'. However, what people need is more real-life examples they can relate to, like case studies of retirement journeys, or how financial independence boosts your mental health as you get older. Let's combat ageism too Age discrimination is still rife in UK workforces and culturally embedded. This is often wrongfully regarded as less serious or harmful compared to other types of discrimination. Half of adults over 50 say they've experienced age discrimination, and research by Age Without Limits has found that most people aged 50 and above think the media and advertising depict older people negatively. These attitudes could have a negative impact on how people feel about their retirement, which may make pension products less appealing too. So how do we overcome these stereotypes? Let's rebrand retirement as personal and financial freedom. For example, the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement in America has inspired people to think about retirement proactively by saving more in early adulthood in order to reach financial independence earlier. But the main caveat is that unless you're earning a high income or expecting a large inheritance before you turn 55 or 60, retiring early may not be achievable. Boosting public confidence in pensions In 2025, public confidence in the pensions industry fell for the first time in five years, with younger people and women less likely to trust the system. Daniel Taylor, client director at Trafalgar House, said pensions are still a 'distant and complex concept' for many people, with younger people 'notably less trusting' compared to their older counterparts. Let's start by filling the gap between what people understand and what they think they understand. For example, most adults claim they are financially literate but most don't understand how savings accounts work. Teaching financial literacy in school is also essential. Promoting semi-retirement is another option. Many people choose to work part-time in their retirement, either out of choice or necessity. One of the main advantages is that you can continue to contribute to a private pension and enjoy the same tax relief to boost your income. Dashboards can help boost engagement with pensions Pension dashboards will enable people to see all their pension pots online, securely, in the same place - including their state pension. This could help them understand where they are and how much more they need to save to ensure they have a minimum standard of living in retirement. Richard Smith, an independent pensions professional and a leading advocate of pension dashboards, said: 'Once you can see a holistic picture of your total retirement provision, you're in a much better position to decide, as part of a wider plan, when it makes sense to bring some of your pensions into payment, while continuing with some work or new experiences.' If we want people to invest in their pensions, we need to convince them that saving for retirement is worth it. Even small, consistent contributions can make a big difference over time. This is particularly important for people who aren't automatically enrolled in workplace pensions, such as self-employed people. When used well, pensions are one of the most powerful tools we have for achieving lifelong financial independence - it's time more people knew about it. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Workout crazy Gen Z ditch alcohol as they 'prefer a cold plunge' to clubbing
Members of Gen Z are shunning nights out for the chance to wake up feeling fresh and healthy at the weekend. Young Brits are also indulging in new wellness trends like cold plunges Gen Z members are swapping late nights out for cosy nights in and cold plunges, according to new research. A poll of 18 to 28-year-olds revealed 39 percent of Gen Z prefer a night in instead of taking to the town. As for lazy weekend mornings, 27 percent of 18 to 28-year-olds prefer to be up doing some kind of fitness session on a Saturday morning instead of sleeping in, while a fifth of young adults admitted they still like to welcome the weekend with a doze. Nearly a quarter have indulged in a new wellness trends like a cold plunge, while exercise is key for young Brits, with just under three-quarters saying they had skipped a night out to get to a workout the next day, according to the study commissioned by Samsung. It comes after a woman claimed 'I regret marrying an older man, one part of our history has given me the ick'. Around 30 percent say they go to a juice bar or smoothie cafe at least once a week. Just over a third also said they consume wellness drinks like ginger shots, kombucha or matcha regularly. Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience VP of Product and Marketing, at Samsung UK & Ireland, said: 'With almost three-quarters of young people in the UK skipping a night out to be fresh for a morning workout, it's clear that the late-night party culture is giving way to a new kind of social life built around wellness and feeling your best." 'That shift is exactly why wearable tech is becoming so ingrained in our daily lives. Our new Galaxy Watch8 gives us the insights we need to make healthier choices, with tools like the Antioxidant Index, Running Coach and Bedtime Guidance helping to support a more balanced lifestyle that today's generation is actively embracing.' The research was commissioned to coincide with the launch of new health features on Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Series & Galaxy Ring. These include AI-powered sleep tracking, personalised training plans and Energy Score – a daily measurement of your physical and mental energy readiness. Gen Z have also been found to be struggling with money compared to previous generations. As previously reported by The Mirror, six in ten young adults are struggling to make ends meet, causing them to become "anxious, frustrated, confused and sad." A study for First Direct bank revealed that financial difficulties are the top cause of the quarter-life crisis. As a result, the idea of having a home, a car and a steady job by the age of 25 has become something of a distant dream and instead, young people are focused on pursuing professional goals and earning as much money as possible while climbing the career ladder. Nonetheless, the struggle to make ends meet persists. Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, a research psychologist, told The Mirror that the journey into adulthood has shifted significantly due to the cost of living. She said: "Where previous generations may have been married, settled in full-time work, and starting a family by their mid-20s, today these milestones often occur much later — sometimes nearly a decade on.'
