What used to be a stage on the road to settling down is now a destination in itself. Being single in Thailand, especially for women, is increasingly the new normal. According to the latest report from Thailand’s National Statistical Office, one in four Thais now identifies as single. In Bangkok that number jumps to 50 percent – the highest proportion of singles in the country. Among the total, women make up 75 percent of Thailand’s singleton population and there is a clear generational trend with 30 percent of single individuals aged 25 to 34 choosing the single life.
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.