Has Thailand Caught Up with the 21st Century?

[fredwiggy]

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Then you can move to another area like I did.  Just saying, you have options.  

I'll only go back home. She gets a better education and grows up in a safer, more equal environment and I get to enjoy my hobbies, with no worries about changing laws. She has a much better chance of getting a career which will have her independent than here.

[BritManToo]

38 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I'll only go back home. She gets a better education and grows up in a safer, more equal environment and I get to enjoy my hobbies, with no worries about changing laws. She has a much better chance of getting a career which will have her independent than here.

I don't think I've ever encountered a strong independent and HAPPY woman. Maybe they weren't designed (by god?) to be independent?

[fredwiggy]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't think I've ever encountered a strong independent and HAPPY woman. Maybe they weren't designed (by god?) to be independent?

It's true the more independence some women get, the more they think they don't need a man and are overly suspicious of them, thinking they will be taken advantage of by male gold diggers. A lot of independent women make good money but their social life suffers. Who's really happy if they don't have someone there? Someone they can trust and also share good times and intimacy with? The best couples I've ever seen in all of my life acted as a team, with both working and both helping at home.

[simon43]

23 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Post covid things have accelerated. 2012 was a long time ago. 

 

 

Yes I know!  I have been teaching in Myanmar since 2012, so I'm aware of the changes.  Now there are many ATM machines of course, but no foreigner would want to use them with the appalling official exchange rate!

[save the frogs]

19 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

I always treat my woman well, although it hasn't always been reciprocated.

ha ... ha.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 1/22/2025 at 8:38 PM, BumGun said:

For many years, I had a apartment on the beach here in Australia (Gold Coast), I say beach but I walked across a green park and used to swim in the ocean often. The views from the 15th story were wonderful. I sold up a few years ago. I'm not even close to rich.

But you had loads of annoying people along with it. On my favourite Thai beach, 12 people was a crowd ( and it wasn't a small beach ).

[kingstonkid]

On 1/21/2025 at 3:58 AM, 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?

Technology-wise, Thailand is in the 21st century, but the people and culture are still in the past.

 

When I was in Pakistan we used to sayit was still in the feudal system with 21st-century weapons 

 

Pakistan is still, in many ways, in the 1950s at best, but it has technology that even some Western countries have not figured out.

 

The education system is the best example of this: the students have computers but a lot of the teachers still teach wrote learning and have no idea how to teach online.

[farangkinok]

I'm glad I left N.Y. and came to Thailand in 2012. I'd not be able to afford to live there now.

[Samh]

On 1/21/2025 at 5:26 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

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

Just like right now. My battery is flat and the phone wont take any charge. Luckily I can use whataapp on my laptop. But since I need to scan the QR code with the damn phone I can't use Line. Just and wait until the ETA is on the phone.

[RetiredNavy71]

On 1/20/2025 at 2:58 PM, 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?

Thank you so much for making day to day life in Thailand so easy to understand.  My hat is off to you sir

[SoCal1990]

4 hours ago, RetiredNavy71 said:

Thank you so much for making day to day life in Thailand so easy to understand.  My hat is off to you sir

Thank you. 🙏🏻 

[SoCal1990]

Something I forgot to add to my original post is one very major convenience that I’ve come to appreciate in Thailand, which is the ability to buy virtually anything online now through platforms like Lazada. Back in the day, running errands in Bangkok to get something you needed often meant wasting three or more hours stuck in traffic just to hunt down a small, single item. Now, with a few taps on my phone, everything I need such as electronics, clothes, home essentials, toiletries, sundries, kitchen utensils, appliances, even niche items are all there and it gets delivered directly to my door within a few days and I never have to even leave my home to go aimlessly hunting around the city for something I want.

 

What’s even more impressive is the low cost of everything they offer. Prices on Lazada are often significantly cheaper than what you’d pay at retail stores, and the savings really adds up. Compared to Amazon, Lazada even feels more streamlined than the Western model of online shopping where sellers in Thailand often offer free shipping on even the smallest orders, cash-on-delivery is an option, there are often large site-wide sales every month, and there’s no need for a pricey membership to access the best deals. The ease, affordability, and time saved make online shopping in Thailand a level of convenience I didn’t even know I needed and perhaps it even exceeds the level of online shopping convenience when compared to the West.