Which Is The 3Rd World Country?

[onnut]

i didn't read any of this thread but in case no one answered the question correctly, it's Thailand.

You are right. Its just a another thread for another Farang who for some unknown reason wants to prove how ' Thai' he is and how much he wants to become a Thai

Why they bother i dont know. unpopular at school i would say.. just need to be loved here becuase they werent in there own country ... keep dreaming guys.

Dansat. your posts do not ad up. I have just been through your posting history and it would seem you own a business on Samui aimed at the tourists and expats down there. your words! but then in your latest posts you are on a contract and cant wait to leave, also it was your job that brought you here. your words again. I couldnt care less about you but took a look at your profile because you seemed to be following me around at one point. I realised though that you are actually very unhappy with your life and you get a kick out of trying to upset posters who are happy here in Thailand.

I feel sorry for you. I hope you sort whatever out so you can be happy wherever you are.

Posted it here as well, just in case you missed it in the last thread :jerk:

[carmine]

A third world country will allow its main airport to be occupied for two weeks by peoples waving "thumbs up" signs making a mockery of itself infront of the world media.

[Berkshire]

You are right. Its just a another thread for another Farang who for some unknown reason wants to prove how ' Thai' he is and how much he wants to become a Thai

Why they bother i dont know. unpopular at school i would say.. just need to be loved here becuase they werent in there own country ... keep dreaming guys.

Dansat. your posts do not ad up. I have just been through your posting history and it would seem you own a business on Samui aimed at the tourists and expats down there. your words! but then in your latest posts you are on a contract and cant wait to leave, also it was your job that brought you here. your words again. I couldnt care less about you but took a look at your profile because you seemed to be following me around at one point. I realised though that you are actually very unhappy with your life and you get a kick out of trying to upset posters who are happy here in Thailand.

I feel sorry for you. I hope you sort whatever out so you can be happy wherever you are.

Posted it here as well, just in case you missed it in the last thread :jerk:

Interesting...yet another fake revealed. Careful, Onnut, this guy's going to come back reincarnated as a Thai female seeking advice about her playboy farang BF.

[phetaroi]

Look at all the social security/pension/benefits that people can get in the USA and UK.

Then try looking for the same in Thailand...............

According to the documentary named above the UK has one of the worst healthcare systems in the world , which is why medical tourism to places like Thailand is so popular.

I believe the Thai extended family is a much better way of taking care fo the sick and elderly, with the addition of a basic heathcare for those in genuine eed

I think it's very difficult to compare the Thai health care system with such systems in the "first world" (since that is classification system that the OP's post brought up).

My former Thai friend had aplastic anemia and will have to be treated for it for his entire life. He has had bone morrow transplants and chemotherapy, and ongoing pill meds to control it. Then, after having a blood transfusion he contracted hepatitis. On top of that he has had one surgery to repair a heart valve, and may have to have another. Particularly for the aplastic anemia, while there are several hospitals in Thailand which can treat that illness, according to his doctors, the only hospitals that can treat it are in Bangkok. Not Chiang Mai, not Nakhon Ratchasima, not any other province. Patients with his condition anywhere in the country are sent to Bangkok. Further, he is receiving the extensive treatment he gets because he works up in the Education Ministry. It is his view that if it were not for that, he would have died a decade ago.

Compare that to a person living in Florida with the same conditions. In that state there are multiple hospitals in at least a dozen cities that could treat the same conditions. And lest you say that many in America could not afford the health care, my mother (living in Florida) was below the poverty line, had no health insurance, but received full treatment for a heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure for about 20 years.

You can't compare medical tourism. Yes, for the year and a half I lived in Thailand I had my health care at Bumrungrad. It was great. But the number of middle eastern patients I saw there outnumbered Thai patients. In fact, virtually every department has someone available who speaks Arabic. I'm just guessing now, but I would say that less than 5% of the patients I saw at Bumrungrad were Thai. Every Thai I knew said, "Oh, we can't afford Bumrungrad".

[phetaroi]

Being bankrupt and being a third world country are not the same thing. In fact it seems you have to be a developed nation in order to rack up debt like that.

The term third world is no longer used by the way, but banana republic is a good way to describe Thailand as far as the way they get things done here.

I think you mean to say that officially the term "third world" is not used anymore. However, it is still in very common use.

[phetaroi]

A third world country will allow its main airport to be occupied for two weeks by peoples waving "thumbs up" signs making a mockery of itself infront of the world media.

Exactly.

In the days and weeks leading up to May 19, who was in charge?

The elected government? NO

The military? NO

The police? NO

That's third world in a nutshell. Now, admittedly not as third world as Somalia, but nevertheless the status of the country, at least for a while, was plummeting toward anarchy.

[Thai at Heart]

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2010_UN_Human_Development_Report_Quartiles_.png

Nuff said

Edited November 25, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[MAJIC]

Look at all the social security/pension/benefits that people can get in the USA and UK.

Then try looking for the same in Thailand...............

According to the documentary named above the UK has one of the worst healthcare systems in the world , which is why medical tourism to places like Thailand is so popular.

I believe the Thai extended family is a much better way of taking care fo the sick and elderly, with the addition of a basic heathcare for those in genuine eed

Sadly you're probably right thaimite. The NHS, once the envy of the world, now a joke. Not brought down to its knees by being a crap way of doing things more by mismanagement and abuse. RIP NHS.

As for Thai extended family being a good system, Well that a non-starter there only so many gullible farang to go around to make it whole thing work.

Quote " Which is why medical tourism to places like Thailand is so popular " for the rich maybe, jesu !! what a brainwave.

l disagree with both of you l do not know where you get your incorrect information about the UK health service, it is still OK if you use it correctly.

If you just go there with a runny nose or something that can wait what you expect, private hospital treatment, get real will you, you miss the point about the word " Patient ".

It's not as good as it use to be for obvious reasons because many ponce's from other countries have come into England or been allow to stay there and <deleted> the f " ing thing up apart from other issues.

Correct Kwasaki,

The National Health Service is getting overburdoned by Europeans.

But is still the best Health Service in the World,thats why last year the US was taking advice as to how to copy the UK NHS.

As the Countries largest Employer,in excess of 1,000,000 staff,catering for a population of nigh on 60,000,000,dont expect instant service for that Hip Joint or nagging Hernia,neither of which is life threatening.

For those that choose to slag off an excellent Health system,then please do carry on with Thai inferior treatment at exorbitant costs.

Edited November 25, 2010 by MAJIC

[flying]

A good post from Abrak.

Yes very good Abrak

[Daewoo]

I fail to understand the link between National Debt and a countries development status...

While I personally see the USs Foreign Debt as a strong indicator that they are on a path to a serious issue in the future, just like your own ability to borrow money, the reason they have such high debt is because they can (for the most part) show the income to repay it...

You also need to take into acount fiscal policy... government borrowing/spending to keep the economy from either going into recession or hyper-inflation... if the government can not/does not borrow money to stimulate the ecconomy, than the ecconomy will naturally be less stable...

Generally speaking, a countries development status is determined by Gross National Income, by human factors i.e. health, education, literacy, and by the stability of the economy i.e. reliance of vulnerable exports...

So how good the NHS is, isn't the measure, it is the outcome, i.e. the health of the people that is the measure... Life expectancy, Education, and Literacy is much lower in Thailand than US/UK...

Thailand is a Less Developed/Developing country in all the measures...

Cheers,

Daewoo

[ExpatJ]

Thailand is not a third world country- its classified as a 'middle income country ' now and has been for sometime. A third world country is the likes of Sudan, East Timor, Somalia i.e. nothing like Thailand.

[Chunky1]

[Chunky1]

I fail to understand the link between National Debt and a countries development status...

Who is more wealthy, a man with $500,000 cash and $50,000 debt. Or a man with $1,000,000 cash and $40,000,000 in debt?

[doggie888888]

I fail to understand the link between National Debt and a countries development status...

Who is more wealthy, a man with $500,000 cash and $50,000 debt. Or a man with $1,000,000 cash and $40,000,000 in debt?

Surely it also depends on the value (or net worth) of their productive assets too? I can borrow to buy a fast car or I can borrow to buy shares/property/investments.

[bonobo]

Thailand is not a third world country- its classified as a 'middle income country ' now and has been for sometime. A third world country is the likes of Sudan, East Timor, Somalia i.e. nothing like Thailand.

Actually, this is incorrect.  While there is no official "Third (First, Second, etc) World" category, the terms came into being in the 1950's to classify the US-led NATO aligned countries as First World, the  Communist Block as Second World, and the rest of the countries as Third World.

Japan was elevated by popular usage to First World as their economy took off.  And Third World took on a meaning of a developing country with the more impoverished nations being classified as Fourth or Fifth World, depending on the source. Some academics wrote that the borderless people (tribes and such) were the Fourth and the impoverished nations became the Fifth, and others wrote that the impoverished were the Fourth and the Muslim World the Fifth. 

After the fall of the Soviet Union and China's march into capitalism, the Second World's relevance sort of faded, as have most of these classifications.  Rarely are they used anymore.

Thailand is pretty entrenched as what was commonly referred to as the Third World, but as the terms have very little meaning or usage anymore, that is largely irrelevant. 

[GuestHouse]

It's (The NHS) not as good as it use to be for obvious reasons because many ponce's from other countries have come into England or been allow to stay there and <deleted> the f " ing thing up apart from other issues.

Here's a first class example of someone using the internet to display to the world just how dumb they are.

Kwasaki perhaps deliberately, more likely through a lack of cognition, fails to point out that the NHS would collapse if it were not for thousands of foreign doctors, nurses, health professionals and auxiliary staff that work in the NHS.

The last time I was in an NHS Hospital I had surgery performed by a South African surgeon, the anaesthetist was a Spaniard and at least two of the nurses looking after me where Filipino.

[onnut]

It's (The NHS) not as good as it use to be for obvious reasons because many ponce's from other countries have come into England or been allow to stay there and <deleted> the f " ing thing up apart from other issues.

Here's a first class example of someone using the internet to display to the world just how dumb they are.

Kwasaki perhaps deliberately, more likely through a lack of cognition, fails to point out that the NHS would collapse if it were not for thousands of foreign doctors, nurses, health professionals and auxiliary staff that work in the NHS.

The last time I was in an NHS Hospital I had surgery performed by a South African surgeon, the anaesthetist was a Spaniard and at least two of the nurses looking after me where Filipino.

agreed, these foriegn national NHS staff work for less money.

[ExpatJ]

Thailand is not a third world country- its classified as a 'middle income country ' now and has been for sometime. A third world country is the likes of Sudan, East Timor, Somalia i.e. nothing like Thailand.

Actually, this is incorrect. While there is no official "Third (First, Second, etc) World" category, the terms came into being in the 1950's to classify the US-led NATO aligned countries as First World, the Communist Block as Second World, and the rest of the countries as Third World.

Japan was elevated by popular usage to First World as their economy took off. And Third World took on a meaning of a developing country with the more impoverished nations being classified as Fourth or Fifth World, depending on the source. Some academics wrote that the borderless people (tribes and such) were the Fourth and the impoverished nations became the Fifth, and others wrote that the impoverished were the Fourth and the Muslim World the Fifth.

After the fall of the Soviet Union and China's march into capitalism, the Second World's relevance sort of faded, as have most of these classifications. Rarely are they used anymore.

Thailand is pretty entrenched as what was commonly referred to as the Third World, but as the terms have very little meaning or usage anymore, that is largely irrelevant.

You are right about the old definition of third word i.e. non- NATO, non-warsaw pact. But the expression has now unofficially taken on the meaning of 'worlds poorest countries' (fourth world applies to groups of peoples not countries) - and Thailand is no where near being in the group of the worlds poorest countries./

Thailand is now of average income globally hence it was in recent years classified by the world bank as a 'middle income' country.

[evanson]

I thought it was obvious.

Thais don't speak English. Ergo, third world

Thais are actively dissuaded from learning English or anything else which would tip the balance of the er, long held status quo and is thus perceived as being detrimental to the um, establishment.

Bit like the Tories (Irish word for thieves)long ago, but still trying.

And they'd better wake up fast and see that they cannot remain a nation state of xenophobia for ever. Other countries in the region realised this a long time ago, why not Thailand. Think everyone knows why ...

[evanson]

It's (The NHS) not as good as it use to be for obvious reasons because many ponce's from other countries have come into England or been allow to stay there and <deleted> the f " ing thing up apart from other issues.

Here's a first class example of someone using the internet to display to the world just how dumb they are.

Kwasaki perhaps deliberately, more likely through a lack of cognition, fails to point out that the NHS would collapse if it were not for thousands of foreign doctors, nurses, health professionals and auxiliary staff that work in the NHS.

The last time I was in an NHS Hospital I had surgery performed by a South African surgeon, the anaesthetist was a Spaniard and at least two of the nurses looking after me where Filipino.

Quite. And what would Thailand have done without the Burmese and Monh working in their now moribond construction industry?

[evanson]

Correct Kwasaki,

The National Health Service is getting overburdoned by Europeans.

But is still the best Health Service in the World,thats why last year the US was taking advice as to how to copy the UK NHS.

As the Countries largest Employer,in excess of 1,000,000 staff,catering for a population of nigh on 60,000,000,dont expect instant service for that Hip Joint or nagging Hernia,neither of which is life threatening.

For those that choose to slag off an excellent Health system,then please do carry on with Thai inferior treatment at exorbitant costs.

Absolutely. Go look at a Government hospital Terminal Ward here in Thailand, I dare you. It is DISGUSTING. Or, you can delude yourself that paying a thousand pounds to the Bangkok Hospital to be anaesthetised for the removal of just one wisdom tooth is worth it.

[ExpatJ]

I thought it was obvious.

Thais don't speak English. Ergo, third world

Thais are actively dissuaded from learning English or anything else which would tip the balance of the er, long held status quo and is thus perceived as being detrimental to the um, establishment.

Bit like the Tories (Irish word for thieves)long ago, but still trying.

And they'd better wake up fast and see that they cannot remain a nation state of xenophobia for ever. Other countries in the region realised this a long time ago, why not Thailand. Think everyone knows why ...

" that they cannot remain a nation state of xenophobia for ever"

Given that tourists/expats are more than happy to flock to thailand year after year i dont think the xenophobia is that bad at all!

[fire and ice]

Yet another bunch of idiots trying to suggest that Thailand is a 3rd world country.

Get your facts straight: Thailand is a DEVELOPING COUNTRY NOT A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY!

The Choices Work Like This:

Developed Countries (ie: 1st world)

Developing Countries (ie: 2nd world)

3rd world countries (ie: very very poor)

The term "3rd world" implies 3rd in rank - so why-o-why do people on this forum consistently keep implying there are only 2 ranks?

To suggest Thailand is "3rd world", and not developing is utterly absurd! Have you been to Ethiopia? Laos? India? These are 3rd world countries; the standards of living on Thailand are far far greater than these places and Thailand is notably a lot closer to developed standards than they are to 3rd world standards.

Please stop recycling this regurgitated, dogmatic misinformation, or else more idiots will read it and start citing Thailand as 3rd world country and more people will read that persons post and assume it is correct.

[garyh]

"The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned or not moving at all with either capitalismand NATO (which along with its allies represented the First World) or communism and the Soviet Union (which along with its allies represented the Second World). This definition provided a way of broadly categorizing the nations of the Earth into three groups based on social, political, and economic divisions."

wikipedia

[phetaroi]

Yet another bunch of idiots trying to suggest that Thailand is a 3rd world country.

Get your facts straight: Thailand is a DEVELOPING COUNTRY NOT A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY!

The Choices Work Like This:

Developed Countries (ie: 1st world)

Developing Countries (ie: 2nd world)

3rd world countries (ie: very very poor)

The term "3rd world" implies 3rd in rank - so why-o-why do people on this forum consistently keep implying there are only 2 ranks?

To suggest Thailand is "3rd world", and not developing is utterly absurd! Have you been to Ethiopia? Laos? India? These are 3rd world countries; the standards of living on Thailand are far far greater than these places and Thailand is notably a lot closer to developed standards than they are to 3rd world standards.

Please stop recycling this regurgitated, dogmatic misinformation, or else more idiots will read it and start citing Thailand as 3rd world country and more people will read that persons post and assume it is correct.

There's a difference between technical accuracy and every day nomenclature.

Technically, you're correct...although quite a few sources indicate the correct term in this case is "rapidly industrializing nation".

But let me ask you, if your friend says, "I'm going to England this summer on vacation," do you call him an idiot because he probably should have said "Great Britain"? Or if he says, "I'm going to watch the tele," do you call him an idiot and remind him it's formally a "television"?

"Third world" is a term that is still in wide usage...hence over 400 million hits for the term in a search engine.

Most of us here are not bureaucrats. If we want to discuss a topic and use informal language, so be it.

[SweeneyAgonistes]

But let me ask you, if your friend says, "I'm going to England this summer on vacation," do you call him an idiot because he probably should have said "Great Britain"?

Bad analogy. If he's going to England, I wouldn't say anything. If he's going to Scotland, I'd point out that he should perhaps rethink his travel arrangements. And if he's going to Wales, I'd offer him arsenic.

And I wouldn't recommend Google hits as an index of a word's use, value or acceptability. The whole notion of the third world is meaningless and has been for some time, although I've noticed Americans are very keen to keep it in play, possibly because the picture of the world hidden in that term helps to conceal America's very real decline. It's true that it provides a pleasant crutch for the recently landed sweating white immigrant who is suddenly confronted with the fact that his primary school understanding of the world is seriously at odds with reality but that kind of idiocy shouldn't be encouraged.

[Kwasaki]

Correct Kwasaki,

The National Health Service is getting overburdoned by Europeans.

But is still the best Health Service in the World,thats why last year the US was taking advice as to how to copy the UK NHS.

As the Countries largest Employer,in excess of 1,000,000 staff,catering for a population of nigh on 60,000,000,dont expect instant service for that Hip Joint or nagging Hernia,neither of which is life threatening.

For those that choose to slag off an excellent Health system,then please do carry on with Thai inferior treatment at exorbitant costs.

Absolutely. Go look at a Government hospital Terminal Ward here in Thailand, I dare you. It is DISGUSTING. Or, you can delude yourself that paying a thousand pounds to the Bangkok Hospital to be anaesthetised for the removal of just one wisdom tooth is worth it.

The Thai government hospitals are not great but can be used for free by Thais who cannot afford insurance or private hospitals maybe Thailand already uses cheaper employees from other country's but unlike the UK they are not over burdened with foreign PATIENTS who pay nothing.

But you have to have the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses to know anything.

Apparently only the knowalls who have swallowed a dictionary are allow to post what they think otherwise your just dumb.

[bonobo]

Yet another bunch of idiots trying to suggest that Thailand is a 3rd world country.

Get your facts straight: Thailand is a DEVELOPING COUNTRY NOT A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY!

The Choices Work Like This:

Developed Countries (ie: 1st world)

Developing Countries (ie: 2nd world)

3rd world countries (ie: very very poor)

The term "3rd world" implies 3rd in rank - so why-o-why do people on this forum consistently keep implying there are only 2 ranks?

To suggest Thailand is "3rd world", and not developing is utterly absurd! Have you been to Ethiopia? Laos? India? These are 3rd world countries; the standards of living on Thailand are far far greater than these places and Thailand is notably a lot closer to developed standards than they are to 3rd world standards.

Please stop recycling this regurgitated, dogmatic misinformation, or else more idiots will read it and start citing Thailand as 3rd world country and more people will read that persons post and assume it is correct.

Before slagging off on everyone else, please get your facts straight.

Despite the fact that the so-called first, second, third world terminology has fallen out of favor, the first world is basically NATO, Switzerland, and Japan. The second world was the Communist block, not the developing world. The developing world was classified the third world. Then the destitute nations, the Muslim world, and the non-state peoples (tribes and such) were classified as fourth or fifth worlds depending on which train of thought you followed.

Once again, the terms have less and less relevance, but don't flame others when you don't even have your own facts straight.

[thaibeachlovers]

Look at all the social security/pension/benefits that people can get in the USA and UK.

Then try looking for the same in Thailand...............

That's why they're in debt to such a level. Paying able bodied people to do nothing ( except cause trouble ) is never a good idea. In the UK they have 3 generations of dole bludgers, while people are coming from all over the world to find work there. Participating in illegal wars isn't a good idea either.

Now it's going to be virtually impossible to get people off unwarranted benefits without huge strife- look at Greece!

The UK is a particularly sad case, as Labour inherited a surplus, and wasted all of it. Gordon should have been locked up for what he did, along with all his banker buddies.

I started working there in 1998, and it was apparent to me even then that it was all going to end in tears. Unfortunately, as most of my savings are in Sterling, Gordon's incompetence has probably wiped me out too, even though I never participated in the credit folly.

[thaibeachlovers]

Correct Kwasaki,

The National Health Service is getting overburdoned by Europeans.

But is still the best Health Service in the World,thats why last year the US was taking advice as to how to copy the UK NHS.

As the Countries largest Employer,in excess of 1,000,000 staff,catering for a population of nigh on 60,000,000,dont expect instant service for that Hip Joint or nagging Hernia,neither of which is life threatening.

For those that choose to slag off an excellent Health system,then please do carry on with Thai inferior treatment at exorbitant costs.

Absolutely. Go look at a Government hospital Terminal Ward here in Thailand, I dare you. It is DISGUSTING. Or, you can delude yourself that paying a thousand pounds to the Bangkok Hospital to be anaesthetised for the removal of just one wisdom tooth is worth it.

I would dispute that the NHS is the best in the world, and I know as I worked in it for 10 years ( glad to have been able to retire and get out of it before it really goes downhill ).

It is burdened with HUGE numbers of incompetent managers, and because of political correctness treats large numbers of foreigners who have never paid a penny in British income tax or NI.

During my time in the UK I needed surgery, and while they saved my life, I found the care terrible, especially compared to that of the country I trained in. Also the hospital was filthy, and that was in a large London Hospital.

I'm not saying the NHS should cease to be, but they need to kick out about 90% of the managers and start over.