Is Thailand Considered A Third World Country Or A Developing Nation?

[Thai at Heart]

The Thais will proudly claim it's so unique that it is neither.

Falang no understand thailand

[benalibina]

As some have stated, Thailand is more developed in some areas and less in others.

My observations living, working and developing relationships here with Thais for the full swath of society is that Thailand and Thais are doing fairly OK with their economic development having been turned into a industrialization engine/export economy by the US and Japan.

However, they are very underdeveloped in the areas that matter most to me personally. Social and cultural development they are woefully lacking. On the rights of people, they are lacking such as free speech. They are lacking in modern education. They are underdeveloped in their attitudes towards violence, their attitudes towards corruption. They are very underdeveloped in their respect for hygiene and particularly food safety. They are underdeveloped in their world view still stuck in a 19th century nation building phase (along with North Korea and not many others). They are underdeveloped in their courage to sacrifice for greater positive change in all aspects of their society; how many Thai matrys for progress have you read about? There are almost none. They are extraordinarily underdeveloped in their application and execution of the law. Thais tend to be very weak emotionally unable to properly anticipate, express, discuss and/or reconcile their emotions. They are underdeveloped in their interpretation and execution of Buddhism. It's nearly a farce. They are underdeveloped in their application of the East Asian concept of FACE, hiding behind it rather than allowing it motivate their good actions such as is more common in Korea, and Japan. I could probably cite more...

For me, they are underdeveloped (or completely undeveloped) in all the things that form the foundation bedrock of a developed society.

They have built a few malls, and import fancy cars and send many of their upper-class kids abroad for education but much of that effort pales in light of all the fundamental areas where they are completely underdeveloped.

So, no, Thailand is far and away not a developed nation.

This is what I explain to upper class Thais I work with and encounter out and about. Can't discuss with Thais who have never been abroad... they might very well assault you!

Excellent comment. Right on the mark.

[chiang mai]

Any country which cannot even build proper foot pathes where people can walk, is called "underdeveloped". Thailand belongs to this group.

In your mind perhaps but not in the real world!

[Bender]

this last decade a new terms did appear: fourth world.

To qualify country that are even more poor than the third world... this how now we qualify some african country.

Last year i was reading a report from bank Santander about asia and Thailand.

They claims that Thailand (along China )will never fully develop mostly because of their very low birth rate.

It will take at least 25 years, and need 6 % growth each year to reach... the same wealth than Portugal.

And last you, folks, are confusing between the term developing nation and third world. These terms are not exclusive!

A third world country can either be in a statu quo, regressing or developing...

Edited September 4, 2013 by Bender

[chiang mai]

this last decade a new terms did appear: fourth world.

To qualify country that are even more poor than the third world... this how now we qualify some african country.

Last year i was reading a report from bank Santander about asia and Thailand.

They claims that Thailand (along China )will never fully develop mostly because of their very low birth rate.

It will take at least 25 years, and need 6 % growth each year to reach... the same wealth than Portugal.

And last you, folks, are confusing between the term developing nation and third world. These terms are not exclusive!

A third world country can either be in a statu quo, regressing or developing...

Thailand is classified as an emerging nation by the WB.

[Indrid Cold]

Thailand is classified as a newly industrialised country.

Yes this is by UN standards. And imo some of the countries in the crise crippled EU ought to be knocked down to 3rd world. Sorry to hear that the woman cant get decent health care, neither could i when i was back home last time. The nurse decided on phone that it was not urgent, this was in the begining of june and i could have an apointment in the end of august. I went to very expencive private clinic where i could a time instantly since there nurse there thought it was urgent on phone. I was in 5min diagnosed with pneumonia and was given antibiotiks for this. I knew i had pneumonia since i have had that more times then i can remember. But the nurse at the goverment hospital more or less told me that an idiot such as i could not know anything about that.

[Theoutsider]

Ok your better, I get it.

[Sheryl]

Thailand is classified as a newly industrialised country.

The World Bank recently upped Thailand's classification from a lower-middle income country to an upper-middle income country.

It has not been in the least developed ranking for many, many years now.

The problem with the hospitals is that a national health scheme was precipitously launched under Taksin's rule without adequate consideration of how it would be paid for. Hospitals are now required to give free care, which has resulted in heavy utilization, but have not received sufficient operating funds let alone infrastructural improvements to cope with same.

they are actually doing amazingly well given how little they have to work with.

[Jasun]

It's an industrialised nation, held back by third world thinking.

[maccaroni man]

Developing is most accurate. The Internet is faster than many places in the USA.

[HeijoshinCool]

The OP is actually considering brain surgery in a Thai government hospital? Or did I miss something buried in all the off-topic talk?

Brain surgery in Thailand .... hmmm ....

[chiang mai]

It's an industrialised nation, held back by third world thinking.

Perhaps you can give us three examples of that, just to demonstrate?