What would it take, and how long would it take, to elevate Thailand from its current state to one comparable to Japan or South Korea?

 

I have been living here in Isaan for nearly a year. The economy seems to be largely tourist-based, the political landscape seems to be unstable at best, sloppiness and corruption seem, from others' reports, to characterize law enforcement and bureaucracy. STDs and illegal drugs are everywhere, and the rate of infidelity ranks among the highest in the world. Much of the population lives in poverty, draconian laws with equally draconian punishments are still in place, and animal welfare is on almost nobody's radar. Infrastructure is poor, and many people do not have ready access to potable water. To top it off, the country suffers from a reputation (earned or not I will let you decide) as a place for visitors from wealthier nations to visit, cause problems, and leave.

 

What would be the fastest, most effective means toward elevating the country toward a safer, more prosperous existence? Does a way even exist, or is it too late at this point?

Why would you want to? crazy idea

1 hour ago, Krillin said:

What would it take, and how long would it take, to elevate Thailand from its current state to one comparable to Japan or South Korea?

 

I have been living here in Isaan for nearly a year. The economy seems to be largely tourist-based, the political landscape seems to be unstable at best, sloppiness and corruption seem, from others' reports, to characterize law enforcement and bureaucracy. STDs and illegal drugs are everywhere, and the rate of infidelity ranks among the highest in the world. Much of the population lives in poverty, draconian laws with equally draconian punishments are still in place, and animal welfare is on almost nobody's radar. Infrastructure is poor, and many people do not have ready access to potable water. To top it off, the country suffers from a reputation (earned or not I will let you decide) as a place for visitors from wealthier nations to visit, cause problems, and leave.

 

What would be the fastest, most effective means toward elevating the country toward a safer, more prosperous existence? Does a way even exist, or is it too late at this point?

Move to japan and enjoy a better life. More to do, less corruption, better food, less of what you speak of. This country will be a long time before changes are made.

12 hours ago, Krillin said:

and the rate of infidelity ranks among the highest in the world.

ha, there's no way accurate statistics exist on infidelity .... so that's a silly comment

1 hour ago, Krillin said:

What would it take, and how long would it take, to elevate Thailand from its current state to one comparable to Japan or South Korea?

 

I have been living here in Isaan for nearly a year. The economy seems to be largely tourist-based, the political landscape seems to be unstable at best, sloppiness and corruption seem, from others' reports, to characterize law enforcement and bureaucracy. STDs and illegal drugs are everywhere, and the rate of infidelity ranks among the highest in the world. Much of the population lives in poverty, draconian laws with equally draconian punishments are still in place, and animal welfare is on almost nobody's radar. Infrastructure is poor, and many people do not have ready access to potable water. To top it off, the country suffers from a reputation (earned or not I will let you decide) as a place for visitors from wealthier nations to visit, cause problems, and leave.

 

What would be the fastest, most effective means toward elevating the country toward a safer, more prosperous existence? Does a way even exist, or is it too late at this point?

You've lived in Isaan for a year, you say. How much have you traveled? How many places have you visited in Isaan?

 

It seems to me you are either basing your comments on one small area or you've saved your thoughts from 40 years ago and only now decided to post.

 

It would also be interesting to know how you garnered your information. Did you speak to the locals, police, doctors, politicians? Or did you see one or two people up to no good and assume they're all at it?

3 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

You've lived in Isaan for a year, you say. How much have you traveled? How many places have you visited in Isaan?

 

It seems to me you are either basing your comments on one small area or you've saved your thoughts from 40 years ago and only now decided to post.

 

It would also be interesting to know how you garnered your information. Did you speak to the locals, police, doctors, politicians? Or did you see one or two people up to no good and assume they're all at it?

From ASEAN.

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Why would you want to? crazy idea

Absolutely, I like it just the way it is!!!!

Japan expensive

Thailand cheap

 

Why go to a place and try and change it?

Why doesn't the op just sod off to Japan or South Korea?

Even Yoda couldn't do that ...

... and why would anyone want that 

 

Phæng māk māk

1 hour ago, Krillin said:

From ASEAN.

That explains a lot.

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

Why go to a place and try and change it?

 

I'm not sure his concern is with change...   but with evolution or lack thereof. 

 

Some of the points the Op makes are quite valid and the subject of conversations I have with many of my Thai friends.

 

The key issues are: 

- Attitudes towards Safety (particularly road safety)

- Corruption

- Political Nepotism

 

I've spent my adult life here and have been here nearly 3 decades - I don't think its wrong at all to hope that a country we love evolves to rid itself of some of the issues which blight it.

That doesn't mean 'we' wish to change Thailand, but we understand that many Thai's we speak with identify the same flaws and also wish for the same area's evolution. 

 

 

1 hour ago, roo860 said:

Absolutely, I like it just the way it is!!!!

 

Thailand could still maintain its charm and reduce road fatalities and corruption.

 

 

 

 

 

If Thailand turned into Japan or South Korea I would not want

to live here ,I am happy just the way it is ,the weather is good

and nobody bothers you ..at least me they don't

 

regards worgeordie

How about never? It's not in the nature of the people to create societies like Japan. Most people care content to get just by and do the minimum required to survive. This is common throughout the world in hot weather tropical countries.

 

Even the plague of road safety doesn't seem to register with most people and just how bad it is. I don't think they have the tools in their culture to confront these issues even if they wanted to so I except it to stay the same. Seriously they've been driving for how long and haven't figured out how to enforce speed limits. If they haven't gotten it by now it's a choice.

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

Why go to a place and try and change it?

 

These comments are misguided if you ask me. Thailand has no problems worth fixing? really? No believes that not even Thai people. It's not true in Thailand or any other country for that matter.

OP you have mentioned everything I like about Thailand

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Why doesn't the op just sod off to Japan or South Korea?

 

Maybe he doesn't like to see 5 year olds drowning in village ponds every year.. 

 

MoPH: From 2014 to 2023, Thailand reported 36,503 drowning deaths, with 6,693 of these being children under 15 - drowning is the leading cause of death in Children.

 

Road fatalities is another major issue.

 

Some people care about Thailand and these issues... 'sodding' off to Japan or South Korea won't help solve needless deaths - the Ops discussion point is valid.

 

Access to drinking water is another valid point.

Another facet to this discussion is basic human rights standards... 

Ironically, The United Nations General Assembly has periodically voted on resolutions affirming the right to food as a basic human right. In these votes, the United States and Israel have consistently opposed such resolutions.

 

 

Freedom House's "Freedom in the World 2024" report categorises Thailand as "Partly Free," assigning a score of 36 out of 100. 

As a comparison: 

... France: 89 / Free

... United Kingdom: 93 / Free

... United States: 83 / Free

... Malaysia: 53 / Partly Free

... Thailand: 36 / Partly Free

... Cambodia: 23 / Not Free

... Vietnam: 19 / Not Free

... Myanmar: 8 / Not Free

 

While clearly not as poor on the human rights scale as other neighbouring countries, this shows how much room for improvement there is... 

 

So, while the mongers may consider development not ideal for themselves, fearing 'access to cheap sex and happy endings' may diminish, the reality is that its better for the Thai's....   and that can only be a good thing for them.

If Thailand lifted itself to First World standards of safety, health and rectitude, I couldn't afford to live here any more and would have to return to Oz. Which, at age 75, I have NO wish to do.

I wonder if most responders misunderstand that Op... 

... I don't think it means that Thailand should 'turn into' Japan or South Korea, but perhaps he means that social mobility, basic human rights such as universal access to potable water, quality education, improved socio-economics, etc...

 

Thailand doesn't need to lose its charm to develop... it doesn't need to be like Japan or Korea to have developed... 

 

 

25 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

and nobody bothers you ..at least me they don't

Not being bothered is a really underrated perk of Thailand.

2 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

If Thailand lifted itself to First World standards of safety, health and rectitude, I couldn't afford to live here any more and would have to return to Oz. Which, at age 75, I have NO wish to do.

 

There's always the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam... 

8 hours ago, Krillin said:

What would it take, and how long would it take, to elevate Thailand from its current state to one comparable to Japan or South Korea?

 

I have been living here in Isaan for nearly a year. The economy seems to be largely tourist-based, the political landscape seems to be unstable at best, sloppiness and corruption seem, from others' reports, to characterize law enforcement and bureaucracy. STDs and illegal drugs are everywhere, and the rate of infidelity ranks among the highest in the world. Much of the population lives in poverty, draconian laws with equally draconian punishments are still in place, and animal welfare is on almost nobody's radar. Infrastructure is poor, and many people do not have ready access to potable water. To top it off, the country suffers from a reputation (earned or not I will let you decide) as a place for visitors from wealthier nations to visit, cause problems, and leave.

 

What would be the fastest, most effective means toward elevating the country toward a safer, more prosperous existence? Does a way even exist, or is it too late at this point?

Do you actually care about Thailand's welfare or is this just an I am God, I am great and I know better post?

You have no statistics to prove that Japan or anywhere else in the world has less unaurthorised bonking going on i.e infidelity and I am willing to wager that all of your other assertions are baseless given the many "seems" included in your mostly flawed analysis of this wonderful piece of, that which many of us consider, paradice.

 

P.S. Please Scuse the spelling, it's getting late in my part of the world.

2 hours ago, Magictoad said:

Why go to a place and try and change it?

 

I agree. To improve a country against the culture and wish of the locals has a strong whiff of colonialist thinking. White man knows better?

 

Most Thais that I know are perfectly happy with the way things are, and I am talking a broad range of people from Isaan backgrounds to city people to wealthy, international Thais (many of which are studying here in Germany).

 

Everywhere there is room for improvement, for sure (as I am living there, looking at you, Germany!). But the initial will to do it must come from the locals.

 

And frankly: I was very happy with the Thailand I have been living in in the early 2000s, and likely I will be equally content with Thailand when I will be living here again in the next stage of my life -- maybe, because I bring my happiness with me in my head, instead of trying to define the happiness of all the people around me by my standards.

5 minutes ago, Sierra Tango said:

Do you actually care about Thailand's wefare or is this just an I am God, I am great and I know better post?

You have no statistics to prove that Japan or anywhere else in the world has less unaurthorised bonking going on i.e infidelity and I am willing to wager that all of your other assertions are baseless given the many "seems" included in your mostly flawed analysis of this wonderful piece of, that which many of us consider, paradice.

 

P.S. Please Scuse the spelling, it's getting late in my part of the world.

 

Thailands infidelity stats have been discussed here a few times over the years... 

 

 

 

4 minutes ago, jts-khorat said:

 

To improve a country against the culture and wish of the locals has a strong whiff of colonialist thinking. White man knows better?

 

Most Thais that I know are perfectly happy with the way things are, and I am talking a broad range of people from Isaan backgrounds to city people to wealthy, international Thais (many of which are studying here in Germany).

 

 

Are you suggesting that all the Thai's you have spoken to would not like....

 

- Access to better education

- Free access to potable water

- Improved Safety standards (generally and road safety)

- Reduction in Corruption

- Improved social Mobility

- Social Welfare Systems in place

etc, etc... 

 

 

Yeah, right Richard and you believe these so called studies? I bet you did and in depth (excuse the pun) analysis of the penis size study, by country and wished to God that your country was in the top ten, right?

Don't believe any of the crap pedaled by the media, social or other wise until you can have it verified.

it would be nice if Thais could become more prosperous and more educated. However, if that were to happen then Thailand would lose its charm.

 

Nobody wants to live in Japan, with its draconian police model. Imagine if Thailand had Japanese, German, British or US police or immigration.

 

Which would happen with greater wealth and education.

 

And it would erase all the charm of Thailand in the blink of an eye.

 

 

As long as Thai build a shopping mall they already elevate it to first world industrial country. I believe there is central mall in Ubon.

They might give real democracy a try, you know the winner forming a government