My "Thai-Experience" goes back to 1996. Have spent a lot of time in Thailand. Like other Farangs, was baffeled by the "cultural-differences". The "mai pen rai", the incapability to project current personal actions and their ramifications into the future. "It's all Karma anyway, and wrong-doings can be rectified by contributing to the local temple" etc etc.
As my language skills improved, at some point I decided to communicate with Thais as I would communicate with an 8 year old child back home. That worked nicely, making it so much easier to communicate with Thais on a daily basis. KISS= "Keep It Simple and Stupid."
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On my last visits to Thailand, I realised that a new generation of internet and i-phone savvy youngsters is emerging fast. A good example are my 2 stepdaughters. There is no more room for "may pen ray" or going to the temple to rectify former wrongdoings and paying money to buy "a good future".
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Sadly, youngsters with little education and Thais at my age will not benefit much from the "new Thailand".
Not sure if the "new Thailand" will make Thai's happier overall.
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Good to know that some part of the "Old Thailand" seems to remain unchanged. Every time my holiday in Thailand comes to an end, I ask my "hostess" of many years "will you be allright"?

Her answer is always the same:

"May pen rai, you think too much". Clearly, she is from the "old school".
As much as I like and approve the "new Thailand", I am glad that the "mai pen rai, you think too much" life philosophy  
remains somewhat intact, along side with "the New Thailand".
- I support both livestyles with conviction. Thailand 2019.
Cheers.

America had the "What, me worry?" generation...now unfortunately, many appear a bit too uneducated in basic American History, Civics, World History, and economics to worry about much of anything except how the government will take care of them.