Prev Page 3 of 3 1 2 3 64 replies to this topic

[Payboy]

Quote

education - education and education.

an educated population would demand good governance, accountability, social responsibilty, better wages leading to better standard of living....

but then who would toil in fields and factories feeding the hunger of the elite, volunteer for army jobs to get blown up in the south, etc. etc..

sorry, no can do......

Edited by Payboy, 2008-07-29 10:04:05.

[Doza]

Someone said it already - Thailand is now classified as a Middle Income Country and multi-lateral donors are not funding much in Thailand anymore...

"As a middle-income country with strong growth, Thailand is determined to "leap frog" in development status...
This ongoing transformation of development status has two major characteristics. The first is Thailand's focus on becoming a development partner with former donor-countries, as opposed to a recipient of international aid....
The second is Thailand's desire to become a donor country itself, assisting in the development of poorer countries, both within and outside the immediate region through its "Forward Engagement" foreign policy...."

UN Thailand

[Andrew Hicks]

sgunn65, on 2008-07-28 19:39:33, said:

Until the education system teaches individualality and the freedom to think laterally Thailand will never be first world. It takes alot more than a mobile phone to make the grade.

Thailand has a wealth of potential but with the current system of government nothing changes.

I agree with you.

Yes, the cities are glossy enough, all built on an economy that relies on keeping wages low.

But try living in the countryside and then you'll see that a huge proportion of the population is bumping along the bottom.  A lot of progress has been made but the sharing of wealth has not been equitable.

Was First World/Third World a UN designation of some sort?  

In any event for a country to be fully developed it has to have a good education system with freedom of expression and thought and in which democracy and the rule of law flourish.  That sounds pompous but a country ruled by power elites, where corruption abounds and where the bureacrats (eg handing out visas) make the rules up as they go along is truly underdeveloped.

No, a mobile phone is not enough to place a country at the first rank in the world.

[Mosha]

Disputes settled by gun law, it's more like the wild west. Police ignore the laws they are supposed to uphold. Oh aye definitely 1st world. Not.  

[wasabi]

I think Thailand is still third world though that's not to say they haven't made some progress. The quote before about the mud puddle with a few gold bricks seems accurate to me. I think it's third world for the following reasons

Unclean water
Unclean air
Unreliable internet
lack of education
lack of employment opportunity
corrupt government and corruption at all levels

While Thailand is relatively safe I would say many important laws are simply ignored. I find it amusing when I see those signs Green Bangkok with the clear blue photoshopped skyline. Just saying or wishing for it doesn't make it so. You can put a law on the books but if no one follows it there are consequences that you can't just sweep under the rug. This sort of reminds me of China trying to stop all traffic to showcase their unpolluted city. Yea right you can't have unregulated factories cranking all day then suddenly blow a fan and make it go away. Thailand is the same and Bangkok the crown jewel of Thailand is a filthy polluted unhealthy place to live. The average lifespan is probably a good 15 years lower than the west. That's not to say it's not without it's charms but if you want to compare the progress, quality of life, availability of government services and ability to trust it's institutions Thailand hasn't really changed much in 20 years. Yes there are Siam Paragons and cell phones but the ability to get a top education and high paying job do not exist. With an uneducated and unmotivated population how is Thailand going to go anywhere?

[Doza]

Oh, and how poor are the really poor? I know villages in Isaan where the official income figures are THB 25,000 / person (adult) / year on average. Yes there is some subsistance farming but that is also not free and with the price of oil going up and inflation etc - this is the poverty line.

[wintermute]

wasabi, on 2008-07-29 10:49:03, said:

I think Thailand is still third world though that's not to say they haven't made some progress. The quote before about the mud puddle with a few gold bricks seems accurate to me. I think it's third world for the following reasons

Unclean water
Unclean air
Unreliable internet
lack of education
lack of employment opportunity
corrupt government and corruption at all levels

Not sure where you live but in Bangkok these aren't serious problems. I can find the same issues to maybe even a larger degree with crime as an addition in a few major U.S. cities.

[Acomes2Siam]

Richie1971, on 2008-07-28 21:51:07, said:

Take away the S*x tourist trade and it would probably be the same as 20 years ago - aside from the high end Russian and Chinese tourists of course

They would go too if you took away the s*x tourist trade.

[TheDon]

I dont know how people can still think its a 3rd world country. If you think it is, then there is just no hope for you

[pampal]

It is what it is, try to enjoy it while you can

[Ulysses G.]

Acomes2Siam, on 2008-07-29 17:52:59, said:

Richie1971, on 2008-07-28 21:51:07, said:

Take away the S*x tourist trade and it would probably be the same as 20 years ago - aside from the high end Russian and Chinese tourists of course

They would go too if you took away the s*x tourist trade.

They know, I think that was supposed to be sarcasm.  

[ataloss]

ade100, on 2008-07-28 18:56:09, said:

There is no unanimous agreement on the definition of Third World but Gross Domestic Income is a pretty good indicator. Thailand comes 87th in the world behind other “major international players” such as Botswana, Gabon, Jamaica and Suriname. So no it’s not First World.

http://en.wikipedia...._GNI_per_capita

However some countries in Asia have gone from Third World to First World in just a few decades. Thailand doesn’t, however, appear to be moving in that direction.

Thailand may not want First World status: she uses her 3rd world designation as a diplomatic crutch'me thinks.

[tod-daniels]

While I didn't bother reading nearly 3 pages of posts, as the answer is NOT up for debate and is most certainly a resounding NO. ..  The reply I quoted below caught my attention;

RakJungTorlae, on 2008-07-28 19:08:18, said:

Its climbed the ranks its now a second world country  

Please tell me oh wise and witty รักจึงตอแหล that was a "tongue in cheek" remark.

Unless I am mistaken and the glorious "Land 'O Thais" has suddenly become communist it is most certainly NOT a "Second World".  Second World countries are Communist/Socialist countries.

Here's how it's broken down;
After World War II the world split into two large geopolitical blocs and spheres of influence with contrary views on government and the politically correct society:
1 - The bloc of democratic-industrial countries within the American influence sphere, the "First World".
2 - The Eastern bloc of the communist-socialist states, the "Second World".
3 - The remaining three-quarters of the world's population, states not aligned with either bloc were regarded as the "Third World."

"First World" refers to so called developed, capitalist, industrial countries, roughly, a bloc of countries aligned with the United States after World War II, with more or less common political and economic interests: North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia.

"Second World" refers to the former communist-socialist, industrial states, (formerly the Eastern bloc, the territory and sphere of influence of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic) today: Russia, Eastern Europe (e.g., Poland) and some of the Turk States (e.g., Kazakhstan) as well as China.

"Third World" are all the other countries, today often used to roughly describe the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The term Third World includes as well capitalist (e.g., Venezuela) and communist (e.g., North Korea) countries, as very rich (e.g., Saudi Arabia) and very poor (e.g., Mali) countries.

Clearly that puts the glorious "Land 'O Thais" firmly in the "Third World" status.  Feel free to argue until the proverbial cows come home, but it is what it is, deal with it.

[Aikido]

someone said its miles ahead of its neighbours ! so its got more infastructor than singapore and the likes of malaysia? dont think so.
To many Tits running the place feathering thier own nests will be third world for years to come.

Edited by Aikido, 2008-07-29 18:40:09.

[rikpa]

DP25, on 2008-07-28 08:02:54, said:

RakJungTorlae, on 2008-07-28 19:08:18, said:

Its climbed the ranks its now a second world country  

However, Thailand definitely isn't as developed as most Western nations.  Bangkok is very modern, but other areas are not.  Also the rule of law here is a national disgrace.  In a Western nation the insane level of corruption here, politicians murdering thousands of citizens for a boost in popularity, or gangs of thugs attacking peaceful protesters, would never be tolerated.

The "never be tolerated" part, hmmm? In the USA we have no rule of law, effectively (other than the law of money/might makes right, as our constitution was eviscerated completely over the past few years), institutionalized corruption that reaches quite possibly into the trillions of dollars, politicians going to war and murdering 100,000s of civilians for political gain (and for the financial booty as well), an incaceration rate that is greater in both absolute and per capita terms than any other place on earth, and tighteneing surveillance noose to where every last bit that goes through any wire is monitored and sniffed (Echelon and the NSA Internet trunk taps at every major Internet hub for domestic surveillance purposes), where now nearly every bank transaction reported to a central governmental agency with databases linked to every other government database. Oh, and thugs bashing in protestors' heads (when they manage to escape their "designated free speech" quaranties, that is). The UK is, for all intents and purposes even worse in many regards, and seems like the rest of the EU is tagging along quite nicely.

Whatever Thailand's flaws I can say I am so much happier to be living in a modern metropolis like Bangkok, with great infrastructure, great food, great people, and a sane cost of living. Compared to the decade I spent in the overpriced, filthy, run-down city of New York, it's a dream.