Has Thailand Caught Up with the 21st Century?

[fredwiggy]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

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?

Everything you see here originated somewhere else besides Thai food, and you can get just as good Thai food in many places in the west, with better sanitary conditions. Bar scenes came out of all large cities, and what you see here is copied from the west, meaning pop music, instrumentation and song styles.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

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............

Thank you for the photo, but when was it taken? I'm sure loads of things like that happened before I started visiting LOS.

[Ralf001]

4 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

 

People often say that Thailand is decades behind the West in some respects, 

 

 

Needs to be more like the west in regards to taxes.... the government is leaving a lot of cream on the table.

 

VAT also needs to be reviewed, its been at 7% for 30 years !

[fredwiggy]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Thank you for the photo, but when was it taken? I'm sure loads of things like that happened before I started visiting LOS.

Like I said, I see it weekly here. This isn't the big cities we're talking about but country areas, which is most of the land mass and population.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

Everything you see here originated somewhere else besides Thai food, and you can get just as good Thai food in many places in the west, with better sanitary conditions. Bar scenes came out of all large cities, and what you see here is copied from the west, meaning pop music, instrumentation and song styles.

So Thai food didn't originate in the west- thank you.

 

How many outdoor bars with loadsofgirls to rent have you seen in the west? Myself, none.

 

Did luk thung and mor lam music originate in the west?

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Like I said, I see it weekly here. This isn't the big cities we're talking about but country areas, which is most of the land mass and population.

I traveled extensively through Thai country areas for years and lived in a village for a long time. I didn't see anything like that.

I guess such things happened where I never went.

 

Has such been seen by other posters on here?

[fredwiggy]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

So Thai food didn't originate in the west- thank you.

 

How many outdoor bars with loadsofgirls to rent have you seen in the west? Myself, none.

 

Did luk thung and mor lam music originate in the west?

I'm talking about normal night life and not prostitution, which you can get in all major cities worldwide. Prostitution is illegal in most western areas with some exceptions because morality is higher and more stringent. Thai music is okay, but when they try to copy western, the lyrics do not flow like they do with western music, if you know what I mean by that. They copy, but it doesn't match. Thai original music sounds good. You can't compare Thai music with western, as western, meaning from the US and Europe, is and will always be the best.

[richard_smith237]

4 hours 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?

No….  In this example because while ApplePay does work in the same ‘tap & go’ manner with overseas cards, it doesn’t work with Thai cards….

This is is just one example of where some things are less developed, there are other examples where things are more developed.

 

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I traveled extensively through Thai country areas for years and lived in a village for a long time. I didn't see anything like that.

I guess such things happened where I never went.

 

Has such been seen by other posters on here?

Of course, because many live in country areas like I do. I saw it this week, and almost every time I leave during student transfer times I see it, along with buses that are extremely overcrowded. I've been here over 6 years and have seen it many times where they're riding on the top. Just a couple months ago  there was an accident shown here where the bus toppled because the driver took a turn too fast and the kids went flying. Thankfully no deaths but many injuries. That's only one incident as all the news countrywide doesn't make the locals.

[spidermike007]

They are advanced on many levels. What really holds the nation back is the lack of civil rights, law and order, an honest judiciary, fair elections, massive corruption at every level, a total lack of regard for the environment, traffic and public safety. And a total lack of reform on any level.

 

I could go on. 

[Justanotherone]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

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

 

singapore? I think they did a pretty good job

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

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?

ok so you agree, not corrupt cops in UK, so your first post was wrong

[scubascuba3]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Have you ever been required to pay a bribe?

It's well known, yes of course they want money to avoid an alleged traffic offence.

 

You've still not named any corruption in the UK but you said it's worse than Thailand?

[DUNROAMIN]

Tech savvy they are, however, when it comes to  the environment and local government  decades behind, and lets not even go there with the BIB and road laws.

[malibukid]

i can count the homeless here on one hand, unlike Santa Monica

[SmokeandIce]

6 hours ago, 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 think UK women celebrate when their less than attractive, beer drinking men left for overseas destinations.

[SmokeandIce]

I think an important aspect to realize that while foreigners from the West enjoy a higher standard of living, the Thai people experience a very different reality.  Public education is inadequate and limits the earning potential of Thais, the corruption we find bothersome can be major obstacles for locals.  The wealth gap between the rich and poor in Thailand is one of the largest in any country worldwide.

 

Thailand has much to offer for an expat on a foreign pension or remote salary, but it is a daily struggle for a large percent of the Thai people.

[Pouatchee]

13 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

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?

 

being back in canada after 21 years straight in thailand, i can sincerely say that i miss thailand and that we are not as great here in the west as I used to think when comparing here and there. The only issue with thailand is the fact that after many years there i feel that i hardly have any rights despite having brought in a ton of money. I have to work here, in cda, for five years with only july and august to go back to visit my better half before i can return to retire. honestly... the west sucks compared to thailand... and i will most likely stop comparing how great canada is when compared to thailand in the future...

[Andre0720]

Oh yes, these retards drive with their smart phone in their hands, go to bed with their smart phone still in their hands, walk in supermarkets with... well you get the picture.

So small wonder that they learnt some applications in there....

Now whether this translate in catching up with the 21st century, I doubt that very much.

 

Refusing to learn English is the main reason for the lack of knowledge here.

Ok, ok, ok, I am not going to write about the driving....

 

But let me check outside now how much garbage has been added all around,in this 21st century open space garbage bin...

[black tabby12345]

It depends on the field.

In case of the public hospital's ER(emergency room), it looks like pretty much like in the state of the  21st century.

 

Their triage is fast and efficient.

And they can handle foreign patients very smoothly; no language barrier as everyone(doctors, nurses, and clerks)  there have sound understanding of the English language.

 

So the sick/wounded doesn't be expert in Thai language.

According to my experience 2 years ago, when I fell ill on New Year's Eve.

[123Stodg]

9 hours 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. If it wasn't for adopting western practices and ideals, this would still be cave man living.

 

Corruption exists even in the wealthiest nations, though it takes more polished forms. In places like the U.S. or U.K., it’s not uncommon to see politicians influenced by corporate donors, special interests, or lobbying groups. Money flows into campaigns and legislation in ways that are technically legal but morally questionable. Tax evasion by the ultra-rich and multinational corporations like Apple, Amazon and Google is widespread, draining billions from public services. Even the massive 2008 financial crisis in the US stemmed partly from corruption in the banking system and poor regulatory oversight.

 

Child welfare and animal care aren’t what they should be either. There are still school districts in rural areas of the U.S. where children ride on old, unsafe buses that lack proper seatbelts, and countless American schools are in disrepair, with crumbling buildings and underfunded resources. Meanwhile, stray animals are an issue in many Western cities, and shelters are overcrowded with abandoned pets. Puppy mills operate under weak enforcement in the U.S., churning out sick and neglected animals for profit.

 

Road safety is a major problem too. The U.S. has some of the worst traffic fatality rates in the developed world, largely due to drunk driving, speeding, and distracted drivers looking down at their smartphones. In cities like New York or Chicago, potholes can go unaddressed for years, damaging vehicles and even causing accidents. Cyclists are routinely injured or killed due to poor infrastructure and driver negligence, and pedestrian fatalities are on the rise across much of the U.S.

 

Infrastructure isn’t immune either. Power grids in wealthy countries are aging and unreliable. California experiences rolling blackouts regularly due to wildfire risks and grid capacity issues. Storms regularly knock out power in many states, leaving residents in the dark for days or even weeks. Water crises aren’t limited to the developing world; Flint, Michigan, is a prime example of how poor management left a city with toxic, undrinkable water for years. Meanwhile, rural areas in both the U.S. and parts of Europe still lack access to reliable high-speed internet, putting them at a disadvantage compared to urban centers.

 

Human trafficking is a global crisis, and wealthy nations are no exception. In the U.S., victims are trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation in significant numbers. Europe faces similar issues, with traffickers targeting vulnerable migrants and refugees for exploitation in agriculture, domestic work, and prostitution. The enforcement of trafficking laws often lags behind the scale of the problem, leaving many victims without justice or support.

 

Crime is another persistent issue. Knife crime has surged in parts of the U.K., particularly in cities like London, where youth violence continues to rise. The U.S. faces one of the highest rates of gun violence among developed nations, with mass shootings being alarmingly common, averaging at least one a day in the U.S. In both Europe and the U.S., systemic inequalities and poverty fuel many of these crimes, while overcrowded prisons often fail to rehabilitate offenders, perpetuating cycles of violence.

 

Immigration and labor exploitation are also ongoing concerns. In the U.S., undocumented workers often face unsafe working conditions in industries like farming, construction, and domestic work, while many lack legal protections. In Europe, forced labor in agriculture and manufacturing is not uncommon, and migrant workers often face poor wages, unsafe conditions, and discrimination.

 

Hate crimes, including murders motivated by race and religion, remain a sobering issue in developed countries. In the U.S., racially motivated large scale killings have made headlines, such as the Charleston church shooting in 2015, where Black worshippers were targeted in a hate-fueled massacre. Similarly, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018 was one of the deadliest attacks on the Jewish community in American history. The U.K. has also seen high-profile cases, such as the murder of Jo Cox in 2016 by an extremist influenced by far-right ideologies, and attacks on mosques and Muslim individuals have increased significantly in recent years. These crimes expose the ongoing presence of racial and religious hatred, even in countries that champion diversity and equality.

 

So while the West has made incredible strides in technology, infrastructure, and governance, it is far from flawless. Many of the issues that are blamed on poorer countries exist in the West too, albeit in forms that are often hidden under the surface. There’s no denying progress, but there’s still a long way to go to solve these global problems.

[Lacessit]

12 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

There is plentiful corruption in so-called clean countries. It is just better concealed.

[Njoku]

13 hours 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

You are a dreamer, they make it easy for you to spend, customer service is excellent if you are trying to spend money in there store, they fall down badly in consumer rights, fall down badly when you have an issue with a service they provided, my recent experience with a big box retailer was horrible, severely screwed around for 3 months then someone in electrical department makes a ruling on my plumbing issue, add poor product knowledge then throwing in there customer complaints email address, bounces my email back saying I am not authorised to email them...hows that for forward thinking in the 21st century? If you keep it simple you have less issues here hey?

 

There got a long way to go before that govement minister of previous government gets to see BKK as the Louis Vuitton of the east.

[Lacessit]

19 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

It depends on the field.

In case of the public hospital's ER(emergency room), it looks like pretty much like in the state of the  21st century.

 

Their triage is fast and efficient.

And they can handle foreign patients very smoothly; no language barrier as everyone(doctors, nurses, and clerks)  there have sound understanding of the English language.

 

So the sick/wounded doesn't be expert in Thai language.

According to my experience 2 years ago, when I fell ill on New Year's Eve.

Agree. I was triaged recently with bacterial pneumonia. After an X'ray and ECG, I was in a hospital bed with an antibiotic IV in my arm in about 90 minutes. Government hospital.

 

In Australia, the same process would have taken 5-6 hours.

 

 

[Lacessit]

13 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

 

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?

Bum guns, Thailand's greatest contribution to civilization.

[123Stodg]

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

No….  In this example because while ApplePay does work in the same ‘tap & go’ manner with overseas cards, it doesn’t work with Thai cards….

True. Thai cards can't be added to Apple Pay. But you can still tap and go with many Thai bank debit cards and credit cards. Basically the same thing as the way Apple Pay works, but still using physical cards.
 

For local transactions, alternative digital payment methods are also widely used in Thailand. PromptPay, for instance, is a popular QR code-based system that facilitates direct transfers from your bank account to merchants. Additionally, digital wallets like TrueMoney Wallet and Rabbit LINE Pay are commonly accepted and can be linked to Thai bank accounts for seamless electronic payments from a smartphone.

[black tabby12345]

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Agree. I was triaged recently with bacterial pneumonia. After an X'ray and ECG, I was in a hospital bed with an antibiotic IV in my arm in about 90 minutes. Government hospital.

 

In Australia, the same process would have taken 5-6 hours.

 

 

 

Hi thank you for your comment.

Their price was also very reasonable.

With all the check ups  and treatments, costed me only THB600 on that day.

 

[Lacessit]

9 hours 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. If it wasn't for adopting western practices and ideals, this would still be cave man living.

Can you explain why I have had none of the problems you mention, after living here happily for 15 years?

 

The roads in Chiang Rai are fine. WiFi is twice the speed my son gets in Australia, at one-third of the cost.

 

In my 4 years living in Chiang Rai, I have yet to have a power cut. My son gets them like clockwork, has to have a backup battery to keep the refrigerator working. Power cuts can last for several days there.

 

I have never been the target in criminal activity, or violence here.

 

Tell me what country in the West has bum guns. Bidets are not flexible.

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

Hi thank you for your comment.

Their price was also very reasonable.

With all the check ups  and treatments, costed me only THB600 on that day.

 

I stayed for two nights. 4 bedside visits by doctors, speaking excellent English. Round the clock nursing care, all medications. I passed on the food.

 

7000 baht, which I regarded as a bargain.

[Liverpool Lou]

14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

Why?  There are plenty of other advanced countries where various types of corruption exists.