Has Thailand Long Surpassed the West in Terms of Quality of Life?

[Harrisfan]

50 minutes ago, impulse said:

I love Thailand.  But if I had absolute F-U money, I'd retire to the USA and maybe have a 2nd home in Thailand.

 

But since I don't, Thailand offers much better value for the same (limited amount of) money.  But not the same quality of life.

 

With FU money I'd travel first class to each continent and never retire anywhere.

[impulse]

19 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

With FU money I'd travel first class to each continent and never retire anywhere.

 

That's another way to go.  But I like to have a home base to retreat to, with a relatively solid community of people to hang out with.  I've never been a social butterfly, nor a horny hound dog.

 

What I'm really saying is that I could easily live happily in Thailand on my $2K (+/-) a month Social Security even if my nest egg evaporated tomorrow.  I couldn't do that in the USA without dipping into my loved ones' inheritance every month.
 

[Aurelien]

There's no reason to compare Thailand with "the West", imo. Although it's impossible to do for most of us foreigners. Sure, they got influenced by it to some extend, but their model is rather other Asian countries. 

But if I had to compare... I don't think that Thailand is on par with the West in terms of general safety. Sure, no thefts or crimes here (or very little), but air quality sucks most of the time and makes people sick. Road traffic is madness. Walking anywhere is not convenient. Natural disasters like floods and fires are more prominent here. No social security. Healthcare not affordable for most. Low pay for most Thais Corrupted governement, police and royalty. Education sucks.

Basically i think that Thailand is too much of an 'endoctrinated' country for its people to develop any thinking outside of what's happening directly on their front porch. 

But at the same time, that's what make its charm and I like Thailand for it's simpler, less troublesome way of life

[Olav Seglem]

Ask a "normal" thai what he think about cost of living 🙂

Easy for us who our  normal pensions, here we are considered rich 🙂.

And then you have ability to communicate, pollution, crime, corruption, alcohol and drug misuse etc.

Sorry, still think have room for improvement 😉

 

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Thailand is much cheaper but better no. West has too many rules though. Socialism has ruined the west.

Capitalism has ruined it even worse, especially in the UK, with all these rich "Sirs" and "Lords".

[Harrisfan]

41 minutes ago, Olav Seglem said:

Ask a "normal" thai what he think about cost of living 🙂

Easy for us who our  normal pensions, here we are considered rich 🙂.

And then you have ability to communicate, pollution, crime, corruption, alcohol and drug misuse etc.

Sorry, still think have room for improvement 😉

 

Farang forum.

[harryviking]

18 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Western countries are trillions, yes trillions in debt but continue to pay good pensions. Of course Thailand's much better value than back home. 

Try telling a Thai earning a typical 10k to 20k bht salary Thailand has a better quality of life!

And ask him how much he get in pension when retire!!😆

[spidermike007]

That answer depends on so many variables, chief among them is how wealthy you are. If I was quite wealthy I'd probably only be spending two to three months of the year in Thailand. I love it here but I love it here largely because I have a very high quality of life on a limited budget. If I didn't have a limited budget there are so many other places that offer so much more in the way of arts, entertainment, culture and deep levels of sophistication in regard to the history, philosophy, the sciences, and so much more. 

 

Having said that I live a life here that I can only dream of living in the US on my budget, taking into account the cost of labor alone, the difference is astonishing. The list goes on and on. Also the attitude of the people here is infinitely better than it is in America, which is pretty much a broken down nation, going downhill fast, with a lot of disenchanted and very bitter people at this stage of the game. 

 

And then the difference with the women is night and day, you can walk up to the most beautiful woman here and start a conversation with her and you won't get much attitude. In the US they look at you as if you're a vampire or a monster of some sort, if you're a stranger. And for those who are single, PFP is well under $100 here. In the US a friend was trying to get some action for his young son, and he was quoted $2,500 for a BJ. Friends of my back there tell me that it starts at $800 for short time, with a lot of rilukes and regs, a woman who's not exactly gorgeous, and has a really bad attitude. Yikes. No thanks. 

[harryviking]

19 hours ago, 123Stodg said:

For decades, Thailand has been labeled a “Third World” or "Developing Country", laden with corruption, etc, but in many ways, it now offers a better quality of life than some so-called developed nations. So how do we measure the comparisons?

 

While many Western countries struggle with rising costs, declining public services, decaying infrastructure and increasing social tensions, Thailand quietly provides an alternative that many find more appealing. Affordability, safety, public services and overall happiness, has Thailand already surpassed the West in the most important aspects of daily life?

 

Cost of living is an obvious advantage. In Thailand, one can enjoy high-quality food, affordable healthcare, and comfortable housing at a fraction of what it costs in many Western cities. Healthcare for locals is accessible and inexpensive and dining out is not a luxury but a daily norm. Public transportation, especially in Bangkok, is efficient, modern, and inexpensive compared to the overpriced, outdated, aging and often unreliable transport systems in many Western countries like the US and UK. 

 

Crime and public safety are also worth noting. While no country is without crime, Thailand generally feels safer than many urban centers in the West, where violent crime rates have also risen a lot in Western cities in recent years. Community cohesion remains strong in Thailand, with people still valuing social interactions and respect for others. Inequality surely exists, but it doesn’t feel as stark or socially divisive in daily life as it does in some Western countries where there is a higher percentage of poverty and homelessness now than in Thailand.

 

Lifestyle in Thailand is another factor that seemingly sets it apart. The balance of work hard to enjoying life is often better in Thailand, with less emphasis on the constant grind and more appreciation for leisure, family, and social life. Culture and a sense of happiness contribute to an overall quality of life that many Westerners also find refreshing.

 

So, is Thailand still really just another “developing country,” or has it quietly outpaced the West in many important aspects of daily life that most people heavily value? 

 

While some will argDig a little deeper and you will find different ue that Western nations still lead in technology, quality of life isn’t measured by GDP alone. More and more people might be thinking Thailand now offers a better, freer, and more fulfilling way to live than what used to be considered the dream of life of living in a developed Western society. 

Dig a little deeper and you might be surprised....🙄......its not gold all that shines...

[JackGats]

Difficult to be unbiased. Men will rationalize every shytehole in which they can get laid.

[thaipo7]

18 hours ago, rough diamond said:

Please go back into rehab (permanently) and give us all a rest from your asinine posts.

Must be a pure liberal here.  Yes there are too many rules and regulation interfering with our rights and liberties and we have gotten too close to socialism.

[BritManToo]

47 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Difficult to be unbiased. Men will rationalize every shytehole in which they can get laid.

I would rationalise, if I got laid it wasn't.

[blazes]

Depends what you mean by "quality".

I  have never seen (out of the home) a Thai person reading a book.

 

That small difference between Thailand and most Western towns and cities is a mark (imo) of how further advanced the latter are in obtaining (and using) a broad education.

[Olav Seglem]

1 hour ago, thaipo7 said:

Must be a pure liberal here.  Yes there are too many rules and regulation interfering with our rights and liberties and we have gotten too close to socialism.

Have you experienced sosialism ??

Look at scandinavia-topping all polls.

Always changing, period sosialism, period conservative, period sosialism/center, period conservative center etc.

And everybody gets happy 🙂

 

[Dirk Z]

23 hours ago, Celsius said:

How can one be so stupid to even contemplate writing such self absorbed drivel?

 

 

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/economy/40023474

 

 

Because I think he is talking about expats who come here to live off a pension. For them indeed you get better value for money than in many western countries.

[KhunLA]

4 hours ago, blazes said:

Depends what you mean by "quality".

I  have never seen (out of the home) a Thai person reading a book.

 

That small difference between Thailand and most Western towns and cities is a mark (imo) of how further advanced the latter are in obtaining (and using) a broad education.

I'm think the opposite, as if I'm out of the house/building, then I'm living and experiencing life, exploring, and definitely, not reading a book of some other person's imaginary idea of life.   

 

And I've read my fair share of books, but 99% of the time, as simply time killers at work, a lot of time.  A good bit of those, were financial books or magazines.  Little reading at home, and never out of the house.  

 

That would equate to a waste of time, I'm never going to get back.  A really poor meter for use of broader education.  

[Harrisfan]

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I'm think the opposite, as if I'm out of the house/building, then I'm living and experiencing life, exploring, and definitely, not reading a book of some other person's imaginary idea of life.   

 

And I've read my fair share of books, but 99% of the time, as simply time killers at work, a lot of time.  A good bit of those, were financial books or magazines.  Little reading at home, and never out of the house.  

 

That would equate to a waste of time, I'm never going to get back.  A really poor meter for use of broader education.  

All time is spent and wasted. We all die. Nothing significant in anything. Life is just temporary experiences before we die. The only option is enjoying it or not enjoying it.

[FriscoKid]

15 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

All time is spent and wasted. We all die. Nothing significant in anything. Life is just temporary experiences before we die. The only option is enjoying it or not enjoying it.

So profound. Nostradamus level insight!

[Cardano]

12 hours ago, baansgr said:

Quality of life is not measured in financial terms 

But it certainly helps in spades

[save the frogs]

12 hours ago, Cardano said:

But it certainly helps in spades

not necessarily.

westerners have the highest standard of living, but not necessarily the most content human beings.

thais have the ability to be content with less material things than westerners. 

 

[Cardano]

10 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Schools and their teachers are responsible for teaching the children enough so they can do the basics to survive in the world, meaning language, math and social studies. Most don't teach life skills, which is the parents job first. Education is the schools responsibility, while learning to speak and how to get along with others are the parents. Parents aren't the best teachers when it comes to school subjects as they're too personally involved. Parents also need to make sure their children go to school and are aware how they're doing there.

Most Thai Parents have farmed their kids off to grandparents so they can go earn their B300 per day and the rest aren't intelligent or don't care enough to teach their kids anything.

[Cardano]

6 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

not necessarily.

westerners have the highest standard of living, but not necessarily the most content human beings.

thais have the ability to be content with less material things than westerners. 

 

A 6 month old baby is content for hours with a rattle because they don't know any better. I'll guarantee you that the majority of workers in the west are far more content than the majority of thai workers. 

[Prubangboy]

We enjoy every upside of this place with practically no downside -thanks to $$$. And they're perfectly fine with that.

 

Nope, never going home.

 

Counterpoint: Just spent 3 days in Sakanavet. Truly, Chiang Mai 30 years, plus on the Mekong. $100 a month old French houses. Solid pizza and French food options.

[baansgr]

13 hours ago, Cardano said:

But it certainly helps in spades

25 years ago I was earning £9k a month in UK... Now I can live on not a lot more than I earned in a month for a whole year very comfortably...being on a constant hamsters wheel working for a bigger house, a better car etc certainly in my eyes does not constitute a better quality of life. I have no pressure and do whatever I want. I exercise, do gardening, go on bike trips, cook at home 3 times a day and generally have a far better quality of life here 👍 

[BritManToo]

On 3/8/2025 at 6:40 AM, baansgr said:

Quality of life is not measured in financial terms 

Actually it is, but obviously not is you're working every minute to earn it.

[Harrisfan]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Actually it is, but obviously not is you're working every minute to earn it.

Tough job if you have to work 24/7

[Harrisfan]

13 hours ago, Cardano said:

A 6 month old baby is content for hours with a rattle because they don't know any better. I'll guarantee you that the majority of workers in the west are far more content than the majority of thai workers. 

Yet the Thais are more happy than the retired farangs.

[Harrisfan]

13 hours ago, save the frogs said:

not necessarily.

westerners have the highest standard of living, but not necessarily the most content human beings.

thais have the ability to be content with less material things than westerners. 

 

Thais have the highest standard of living by far. The top 1% that is. 

[Harrisfan]

18 hours ago, Olav Seglem said:

Have you experienced sosialism ??

Look at scandinavia-topping all polls.

Always changing, period sosialism, period conservative, period sosialism/center, period conservative center etc.

And everybody gets happy 🙂

 

Have you met them? Mostly miserable looks on their faces. They top polls based on a spreadsheet not real life. Lack of sunlight is linked to depression. Not a good place to live.

[KhunLA]

On 3/8/2025 at 6:40 AM, baansgr said:

Quality of life is not measured in financial terms 

Not necessarily ... but

... not having enough ... not so happy, no matter where you head is at

... having enough  ... much better

... having more than enough, even if just a bit ... a lot better