What make Thailand a third world country?

Question

Thailand has plenty of food and drinking water

Thailand has rich cultures

Thailand has beautiful landscapes

Thailand has peaceful livelihood

Thailand full of happy people (Last year on Washinton Post addressed Thais is the top-5 most happiest world population)

Thailand has producted so many naive and optimistic Thai girl like me

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Do you think high GDP means high living standard? Do you think have material things like 5 BMW and big mansions can make people happy?

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Now look at the richest nation on earth. Do you think American are happy with their way of life? Is big Mac a happy meal? How many Americans have money in their savings (excluded 401 K?) Look at Britney spears? Look at JFK? Look at Obama?

Truth be told:

Most of American have big house/car, but in so much debts

1 in 25 in houses in CA is in foreclosures. 9.5 trillion debt (Of course, the US government has borrowed money from the Third world nations like China and Brazil).

Any feedback?

Answer 1

Please don't get mad as I like Thailand very much (I used to live there) and there are many good things about Thailand

BUT

1) some people that have power in Thailand only care about themselves; they are not prepared to invest in a first class educational system that would be necessary to have people that can make Thailand a 'first world' country. I teach in a university in the first world and there are hardly any Thai students compared to the huge number that come from China - also the Chinese students study a lot more diligently than the Thai students who seem to spend most of their time with other Thai students cooking food for themselves and their friends and generally avoiding studying.

2) Thailand's culture places a great deal of importance on 'sanook'. If hard work gets in the way of sanook then sanook wins.  Maybe this is OK in some ways but to be a first world country people have to be prepared to work really hard (as well as being educated).

3) Thai culture is quite fatalistic meaning people take the attitude that 'what will be will be'; karma. In a first world country people work to make their destiny and don't leave it to fate.

4) Thai people like to criticise people if they 'kit mak'. Unfortunately, to build a first world country and keep it as a first world country quite a lot of serious thinking is required in terms of planning and in Thailand thinking seriously about things is uncool.

5) Kon Thai chob gin kanom - I mean financial snacks. With so much corruption it is hard to invest in the economy to make it grow because so much money has to be spent to make politicans, police, army happy so they don't take away a businesses licence or make some other problem for business.

6) Thailand isn't a meritocracy - living in Thailand all about who you know - how can friends help you. All countries have some of this but in first world countries there is  more opportunity for genuinely talented people to get to the top of society without being born into an important family. In a first world country people generally get jobs and are promoted based on merit/skill/talent rather because of who they know.

7) In Thailand the military is very powerful. A country can never be a first world country if the military is so strong that they can remove a democratically elected government. In Thailand we know they can and have done so in the last few years. Its a shame Thailand got rid of Thaksin, he might have been a bit naughty with some personal things but he was modernising Thailand quite well (and he was democratically elected which is a good sign for a country to progress).

8) Maybe you are not like this but many Thai people do not like to receive advice and suggestions from foreigners about the problems that they need to solve to become more successful. Rama V employed many foreigners to help modernise Thailand but nowdays the view of many is that the only people who should look at and discuss Thailand's problems are Thai people.

Well you did ask.

Answer 2

because all the people look....the same :P

Answer 3

are you from thailand?

i like so much this country.. very beautiful!

Answer 4

Thailand is a beautiful country. Best place to live :)

Answer 5

i really dont see any reasonable reason for thailand to be a third world country.

but hey you forgot to mention that thailand has beautiful girls too :P :P

al what i can say is that higher power countries dont give the small ones even a chance to shine.

Answer 6

what u have said is not enough to make a strong country, u will need a powerful economy with industries such as heavy equipment and automotive, you will need a powerful government who is ready to ensure the welfare of citizens and apply the law, you will need to have the laws respected and decrease corruption.

PS: its true...Thai girls are very beautiful.

Cheers

Answer 7

Thailand is a wonderful place and Thais are some of the nicest people I've ever met.

Here are a few reasons Thailand might be considered a 3rd world country.

17 coups since World War 2

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09...

Education problems

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Corruption - ever noticed all the half finished buildings and sky train in Bangkok?

http://www.thailandguru.com/culture-work...

Rampant s*x Tourism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitutio...

Answer 8

Measuring First/Third world countries is only based on economic infastructure and growth. It is NOT a measure of contentment with its citizens.

Thailand does not have as stable and as strong an economy of infastructure as many nations in the first world, hence it's placing. It does not mean it's a bad country, or that it's people are unhappy, or that it isn't a wonderful place to visit. It's an objective look from a economic standpoint.

The US is a first world country, with a supposedly high standard of living and many people are miserable; Canada to the north has a bit more content people, but same kind of economic position. Again it's a measure of economic development, not a reflection of its people.

Answer 9

The underdevelopment of the third world is marked by a number of common traits; distorted and highly dependent economies devoted to producing primary products for the developed world and to provide markets for their finished goods; traditional, rural social structures; high population growth; and widespread poverty.

Thailand ranks 78 out of 175 on the Human Development Index.  The Human Development Index (HDI) is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education, and standards of living for countries worldwide. It is a standard means of measuring well-being, especially child welfare. It is used to distinguish whether the country is a developed, a developing, or an under-developed country, and also to measure the impact of economic policies on quality of life.

You need to take a taxi to the slums of Bangkok and you'll see why Thailand is still third world, just remember the US (ranked 12th) is continuing to slip that way despite what jingoist might say

Answer 10

Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically during the 20th century.

Here are some reasons why Thailand is a third world country

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/reader/re...