Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Thailand instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

be 66.7% less likely to be obese

In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Thailand, that number is 16.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 7.6 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Thailand, that number is 77 years (72 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 93.3% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Thailand, that number is 0.8% as of 2025.

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make 64.1% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Thailand, the GDP per capita is $8,057 as of 2025.

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Life

be 75.0% more likely to die during infancy

In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Thailand, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 24.0% fewer children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Thailand, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 25.0% more likely to have internet access

In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Thailand, about 90.9% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 27.5% more coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Thailand, that number is 3,219 km.

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Safety

be 16.0 times more likely to be murdered

French Polynesia has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2009. In Thailand, that number is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2011.

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Infrastructure

find 58.1% less home broadband

French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Thailand has 14.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 14.5% more CO2

French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2009–2011). How we calculate this

Compare further: French Polynesia vs. Thailand

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Thailand is 51.4% cheaper than French Polynesia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
French Polynesia is about 123 times smaller than Thailand.
→
Moving from French Polynesia to Thailand · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Thailand: At a glance

Thailand is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 510,890 sq km. A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 after sending troops to Korea and later fighting alongside the United States in Vietnam. Thailand since 2005 has experienced several rounds of political turmoil including a military coup in 2006 that ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat, followed by large-scale street protests by competing political factions in 2008, 2009, and 2010. THAKSIN's youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, in 2011 led the Puea Thai Party to an electoral win and assumed control of the government. A blanket amnesty bill for individuals involved in street protests, altered at the last minute to include all political crimes - including all convictions against THAKSIN - triggered months of large-scale anti-government protests in Bangkok beginning in November 2013. In early May 2014 YINGLAK was removed from office and in late May 2014 the Royal Thai Army staged a coup against the caretaker government. Thailand has also experienced violence associated with the ethno-nationalist insurgency in Thailand's southern Malay-Muslim majority provinces. Since January 2004, thousands have been killed and wounded in the insurgency.
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How big is Thailand compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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