Has Thailand Caught Up with the 21st Century?

[SoCal1990]

Today, I went to fill up my motorcycle with petrol and paid using my Wise debit card through Apple Wallet on my iPhone, simply tapping my phone on a contactless card sensor that was wireless and held out by the pump attendant. This got me thinking; has Thailand already truly embraced the 21st century to where it has everything one would need?

 

People often say that Thailand is decades behind the West in some respects, and perhaps it is in certain ways. But in others, the country has made remarkable progress. Sure, we could spend all day pointing out the flaws, Pongsak this, Pornthip that, but I’d rather think about the positives. These are the aspects of life in Thailand where it genuinely stacks up against, or even surpasses, life in the West.

 

For example, I can order food, drinking water, cannabis, a massage, or even companionship through one app or another on my phone and it all gets delivered. I can pay for nearly everything using my debit card in my iPhone, my banking and utility payments are done online, many are even automatic. I can also schedule appointments for visa and driving license renewals online whenever necessary.

 

Healthcare and dentistry in Thailand are also excellent, prescription medicines are inexpensive, internet speeds are fast, Wi-Fi is everywhere, and cellular signals are reliable. Plus, nearly everything I need is within walking distance such as a gym, banks, supermarkets, dozens of restaurants, and 24-hour convenience stores. If I want to head out beyond my neighborhood, there’s an extensive and affordable public transport system, including electric buses, trains, and a network that leads straight to a sprawling, high-tech shopping mall.

 

So, what more do we really need that isn’t already available in Thailand? Or, flip that the other way around, what conveniences available here are still missing in the West?

[scubascuba3]

I agree they are forward thinking in many things, banking is one, what holds them back is law and order, police think enforcing the law is optional oh yes and of course the widespread corruption, far worse than the west

[bkk6060]

A country will never be considered advanced or will advance if they still have issues with wide spread corruption. 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, SoCal1990 said:

Today, I went to fill up my motorcycle with petrol and paid using my Wise debit card through Apple Wallet on my iPhone, simply tapping my phone on a contactless card sensor that was wireless and held out by the pump attendant. This got me thinking; has Thailand already truly embraced the 21st century to where it has everything one would need?

 

People often say that Thailand is decades behind the West in some respects, and perhaps it is in certain ways. But in others, the country has made remarkable progress. Sure, we could spend all day pointing out the flaws, Pongsak this, Pornthip that, but I’d rather think about the positives. These are the aspects of life in Thailand where it genuinely stacks up against, or even surpasses, life in the West.

 

For example, I can order food, drinking water, cannabis, a massage, or even companionship through one app or another on my phone and it all gets delivered. I can pay for nearly everything using my debit card in my iPhone, my banking and utility payments are done online, many are even automatic. I can also schedule appointments for visa and driving license renewals online whenever necessary.

 

Healthcare and dentistry in Thailand are also excellent, prescription medicines are inexpensive, internet speeds are fast, Wi-Fi is everywhere, and cellular signals are reliable. Plus, nearly everything I need is within walking distance such as a gym, banks, supermarkets, dozens of restaurants, and 24-hour convenience stores. If I want to head out beyond my neighborhood, there’s an extensive and affordable public transport system, including electric buses, trains, and a network that leads straight to a sprawling, high-tech shopping mall.

 

So, what more do we really need that isn’t already available in Thailand? Or, flip that the other way around, what conveniences available here are still missing in the West?

I hope Thailand never gets to be the same as the west- rampant crime, unfettered illegal immigration, abandoned aged, greed, greed, greed, waste of space police forces, terrible public health services, and worst of all, invested in woke culture, reverse racism, DEI, gender insanity, convinced driving a car is destroying the planet etc etc etc.

For all it's problems, Thailand surpasses the west in every important way.

 

As always, my opinion.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

A country will never be considered advanced or will advance if they still have issues with wide spread corruption. 

That would be every country on the planet then, including western countries. Some just hide it better than Thailand.

[thaibeachlovers]

49 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I agree they are forward thinking in many things, banking is one, what holds them back is law and order, police think enforcing the law is optional oh yes and of course the widespread corruption, far worse than the west

widespread corruption, far worse than the west

 

Is that a joke? It's not very funny.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, SoCal1990 said:

Or, flip that the other way around, what conveniences available here are still missing in the West?

How about fun? The west lost it's sense of humour at the same time it went woke. Monty Python, and all those comedy series we loved would never be allowed now by the wokists. We in the west live in sad times.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, SoCal1990 said:

People often say that Thailand is decades behind the West in some respects, and perhaps it is in certain ways.

Perhaps it is, but if it was like the west, how many farangs would still be living there, and how many would have moved there in the first place? I assume most of us moved to Thailand because we liked it better than wherever we came from. I certainly did.

 

If being "decades behind the west" makes it a better place to live than the west, long may it be so.

 

Frankly, IMO the west is nothing to be praising- rotten to the core.

[blaze master]

12 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That would be every country on the planet then, including western countries. Some just hide it better than Thailand.

 

Or they don't hide it when they issue mass pardons at the last minute to cover it all up. 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, SoCal1990 said:

For example, I can order food, drinking water, cannabis, a massage, or even companionship through one app or another on my phone and it all gets delivered. I can pay for nearly everything using my debit card in my iPhone, my banking and utility payments are done online, many are even automatic. I can also schedule appointments for visa and driving license renewals online whenever necessary.

Just curious, but what will you do if the phone is stolen, broken or the system doesn't work?

[SoCal1990]

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just curious, but what will you do if the phone is stolen, broken or the system doesn't work?

Most of the time I'm carrying my physical debit card in my pocket as a backup, but rarely do I ever use it. Normally it gets used when I occasionally encounter a store that has an outdated card reader and I need to insert the physical card to complete the payment.

[DonniePeverley]

Literally every country, even REMOTE areas in Africa are taking compliicated card payments. 

 

rELAX.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

widespread corruption, far worse than the west

 

Is that a joke? It's not very funny.

 

You're naive if you think the west let's say the UK is worse than Thailand, don't forget police wanting back handers in the street, plus bars, plus buying positions, is that happening in the UK? no

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

You're naive if you think the west let's say the UK is worse than Thailand, don't forget police wanting back handers in the street, plus bars, plus buying positions, is that happening in the UK? no

I had a problem with nasty cops in the UK ( they were females on more than one occasion, but that may not be relevant ). I never had a problem with Thai cops, and any interaction was friendly.

 

I benefited from that "corruption" myself, and avoided an expensive court case over a minor accident. I love Thailand just the way it is.

Cops in the west may not want backhanders, but try getting any action on a burglary; not going to happen unless very lucky. What's worse, corrupt cops or useless cops?

[Ben Zioner]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

greed, greed, greed, waste of space police forces, terrible public health services

Not of that in Thailand, for sure.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

You're naive if you think the west let's say the UK is worse than Thailand, don't forget police wanting back handers in the street, plus bars, plus buying positions, is that happening in the UK? no

But at least the Thai police aren't knocking on my door about a Tweet they didn't like!

[fredwiggy]

Every convenience used here has it's origin in the west. That means it's still far more advanced there. What is lacking is the obvious, and some mentioned. Corruption is always going to be higher in poorer countries. Money means a lot more and many more will do whatever it takes to get it.

 

How they treat their children and animals here pales by comparing it to the west. Look at the buses children have to ride on daily here. Nowhere would that happen in the west, especially seeing 12 sitting on the top of the buses. Deaths and injuries waiting to happen. The road deaths here are among the worse worldwide, and it will be a long time before that ever changes. Animals are considered cute as puppies and kittens but largely forgotten after they get older, and allowed to roam free, multiplying and making many problems countrywide.

 

Wifi is not good all over and neither is the power supplies. Look at the wiring above ground, where people get electrocuted monthly here. Power goes out all the time in many places, something that usually only happens during storms in the west happens all the time in some places where competence and maintenance are weak. Human trafficking is a huge problem that isn't being punished as it should be. There are nice places to visit here but tourists are targets on the islands and elsewhere. Road maintenance is terrible on secondary roads and holes in city areas where people fall in weekly. Dirty water abounds and you need to drink the water from the jugs if you don't want to take a chance on water borne diseases like H Pylori, which is more common here than in the west.

 

Crime is as widespread as anywhere on earth,especially with knives and machetes, and punishment is lacking, which means crime will keep increasing. Intentional homicides are higher than most places in the west. There is illegal immigration and working here as well as in the west, and many here are slaves, trafficked on fishing boats and in prostitution. So, it hasn't caught up with the west and will be many decades before it ever would be. If it wasn't for adopting western practices and ideals, this would still be cave man living.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

You're naive if you think the west let's say the UK is worse than Thailand, don't forget police wanting back handers in the street, plus bars, plus buying positions, is that happening in the UK? no

The corruption is done at a higher level, and is better hidden in the west.

How much money from the payments to Ukraine actually ended up in the wrong pockets? I don't know because it's covered up, but I'm sure it's a lot.

 

I'm not interested in small change corruption like you reference. Never happened with me in LOS. Driving licence- no bribes

Immigration- no bribes.

Household expenses eg electricity- no bribes.

 

Have you ever been required to pay a bribe?

[save the frogs]

12 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Every convenience used here has it's origin in the west. That means it's still far more advanced there. What is lacking is the obvious, and some mentioned. Corruption is always going to be higher in poorer countries. Money means a lot more and many more will do whatever it takes to get it.

 

How they treat their children and animals here pales by comparing it to the west. Look at the buses children have to ride on daily here. Nowhere would that happen in the west, especially seeing 12 sitting on the top of the buses. Deaths and injuries waiting to happen. The road deaths here are among the worse worldwide, and it will be a long time before that ever changes. Animals are considered cute as puppies and kittens but largely forgotten after they get older, and allowed to roam free, multiplying and making many problems countrywide.

 

Wifi is not good all over and neither is the power supplies. Look at the wiring above ground, where people get electrocuted monthly here. Power goes out all the time in many places, something that usually only happens during storms in the west happens all the time in some places where competence and maintenance are weak. Human trafficking is a huge problem that isn't being punished as it should be. There are nice places to visit here but tourists are targets on the islands and elsewhere. Road maintenance is terrible on secondary roads and holes in city areas where people fall in weekly. Dirty water abounds and you need to drink the water from the jugs if you don't want to take a chance on water borne diseases like H Pylori, which is more common here than in the west.

 

Crime is as widespread as anywhere on earth,especially with knives and machetes, and punishment is lacking, which means crime will keep increasing. Intentional homicides are higher than most places in the west. There is illegal immigration and working here as well as in the west, and many here are slaves, trafficked on fishing boats and in prostitution. So, it hasn't caught up with the west and will be many decades before it ever would be.

 

possibly the most grim summary of thailand i've ever read. 

 

 

[fredwiggy]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How about fun? The west lost it's sense of humour at the same time it went woke. Monty Python, and all those comedy series we loved would never be allowed now by the wokists. We in the west live in sad times.

Everything that is fun originated in the west, from movies, beachlife, modern travel, food choices, night life, and music, which is the best worldwide and always will be.

[save the frogs]

4 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

or even companionship through one app

you pay for your women with apple pay?

why not? 

 

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Everything that is fun originated in the west, from movies, beachlife, modern travel, food choices, night life, and music, which is the best worldwide and always will be.

I'm not sure sex with slim attractive women has ever been available in the west.

We Brits conquered half the world while trying to escape our ugly, manly large women!

[fredwiggy]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

The corruption is done at a higher level, and is better hidden in the west.

How much money from the payments to Ukraine actually ended up in the wrong pockets? I don't know because it's covered up, but I'm sure it's a lot.

 

I'm not interested in small change corruption like you reference. Never happened with me in LOS. Driving licence- no bribes

Immigration- no bribes.

Household expenses eg electricity- no bribes.

 

Have you ever been required to pay a bribe?

The higher level corruption here you will never see, as well as in other countries. Police forces in the west do have problems but they have internal affairs which catch most of them, and the police are prosecuted if they step over the line.

[fredwiggy]

Just now, BritManToo said:

I'm not sure sex with slim attractive women has ever been available in the west.

We Brits conquered half the world while trying to escape our ugly, manly large women!

I've never had sex with anyone that wasn't attractive and slim, and neither has anyone I know in the US. No charges either.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Every convenience used here has it's origin in the west. That means it's still far more advanced there. What is lacking is the obvious, and some mentioned. Corruption is always going to be higher in poorer countries. Money means a lot more and many more will do whatever it takes to get it.

 

How they treat their children and animals here pales by comparing it to the west. Look at the buses children have to ride on daily here. Nowhere would that happen in the west, especially seeing 12 sitting o the top of the buses. Deaths and injuries waiting to happen. The road deaths here are among the worse worldwide, and it will be a long time before that ever changes. Animals are considered cute as puppies and kittens but largely forgotten after they get older, and allowed to roam free, multiplying and making many problems countrywide.

 

Wifi is not good all over and neither is the power supplies. Look at the wiring above ground, where people get electrocuted monthly here. Power goes out all the time in many places, something that usually only happens during storms in the west happens all the time in some places where competence and maintenance are weak. Human trafficking is a huge problem that isn't being punished as it should be. There are nice places to visit here but tourists are targets on the islands and elsewhere.

 

Crime is as widespread as anywhere on earth,especially with knives and machetes, and punishment is lacking, which means crime will keep increasing. Intentional homicides are higher than most places in the west. There is illegal immigration and working here as well as in the west, and many here are slaves, trafficked on fishing boats and in prostitution. So, it hasn't caught up with the west and will be many decades before it ever would be.

If you live in Thailand it can't affect you or you would leave, wouldn't you?

 

 

seeing 12 sitting o the top of the buses.

In all my years in LOS I never saw that, EVER.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

possibly the most grim summary of thailand i've ever read. 

 

 

and it doesn't convince me that Thailand is worse than many western countries where crime and corruption is rampant.

[fredwiggy]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

If you live in Thailand it can't affect you or you would leave, wouldn't you?

 

 

seeing 12 sitting o the top of the buses.

In all my years in LOS I never saw that, EVER.

I am leaving and largely because of want for a better life for my daughter. Women here are considered inferior, and that isn't what a woman deserves. This I see weekly and have in many areas............

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and it doesn't convince me that Thailand is worse than many western countries where crime and corruption is rampant.

You have to live in the west longer to observe what goes on there, and not just go by videos.

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and it doesn't convince me that Thailand is worse than many western countries where crime and corruption is rampant.

Look up stats on Wikipedia about crime here. Most of it you'll never hear about on local news.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Everything that is fun originated in the west, from movies, beachlife, modern travel, food choices, night life, and music, which is the best worldwide and always will be.

BS.

I had loads of fun in Thailand doing things I could never ever do in a western country.

 

Are you saying Thai food, bar scene and music originated in the west?