Does your wife/gf get mad when you mention Thailand as a third world country?

[Thai at Heart]

The problem is that there is very little positive news to say about how the country is being run.

There are normally at least a few snippets of good. It's probably fair comment to say that the country is going to s**t. It can't be denied easily and I would get rather depressed if someone said that about my home country.

But, reality is, what is good about what's going on right now? Very little.

There's a lot of investment going into Bangkok. People are rapidly becoming more prosperous. While that might not be good news for you or me, I am sure that the people concerned are pleased.

People building condos. Well. That is a double edged sword since many remember 1997 quite vividly. Are most Thais really becoming more prosperous?

Inflation is out stripping increases in earning for most.

I'm basing my impression of prosperity on how busy the upmarket shops are, and the shift in retailers, not on any quantitative money numbers

SC

I don't think the amount of business in high end shops is particularly representative. How do you even know that those clients are Thai?

[wolf5370]

Nope. In fact, my GF can be even tougher on things here than me, often saying she is embarrassed by, well, you know .....

Yesterday we are at a neighbor's house. They were putting chain link fence all around their porch, which has a concrete floor.

I noticed the bottom rail was getting set right on the concrete and offered that if they kept it up a centimeter or two, it would be easier to sweep the porch.

Wife says, oh no, then snakes can get in!

Like snakes can't go through the holes between the links - love it!

[damo]

My wife would be the first to agree that Thailand is a third world country. She tells me she could never live there.

[canuckamuck]

Thailand has some first world bling, but behaves like a banana republic.

My wife would be the first to agree. She has been to many first world countries. But also she has been to Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan Cambodia and Burma. After those trips she is a little more chuffed about the land of Thais.

Edited August 31, 2013 by canuckamuck

[damo]

I went to China for the first time recently. Before I went, I had so many preconceptions of what China and Chinese people would be like based mainly on my time in Thailand and experiences with Thai people. Boy was I wrong, and in a big way. Thai's and Chinese are so unalike yet both are developing Asian nations.

I don't want to start Thai bashing as I actually quite like Thailand in small doses but Thai people largely have alot of developing to do, as a developing nation.

[poanoi]

I sort of grew up and past from bothering with such nonsense,

and the only remaining issue i bring up is the severe lack of a threesome,

of which she pretend i'm joking.

Edited August 31, 2013 by poanoi

[historyprof]

For real sensitivity to any negative views of Thailand look no further than Farangs here on TV, many of whom seem to think it their duty to trawl through threads seeking out the slightest negative comment about Thailand and (regardless of how true an observation the view is) set about the person expressing the view with the dull response of 'if you don't like it go home'.

I agree with you 100%. I have never told anyone that. Useless. Because even after they go back to their home country they still come on Thai Visa and gloat about how the food and weather and driving and beer and everything is better in their home country than it is in Thailand. So it is a useless excercise. Some people have to whing about Thailand regardless of where they are living.

[NeverSure]

What is a second world country?.....................

At one time all countries aligned with England/The West were called first world. All aligned with Russia et al were second world and all others were third world.

Now that has kind of run its course and third world has morphed into any truly undeveloped or developing but poor country.

"Developing county" I think is more PC than third world but many don't actually seem to be developing, and some are developing faster than others.

[StreetCowboy]

For real sensitivity to any negative views of Thailand look no further than Farangs here on TV, many of whom seem to think it their duty to trawl through threads seeking out the slightest negative comment about Thailand and (regardless of how true an observation the view is) set about the person expressing the view with the dull response of 'if you don't like it go home'.

I agree with you 100%. I have never told anyone that. Useless. Because even after they go back to their home country they still come on Thai Visa and gloat about how the food and weather and driving and beer and everything is better in their home country than it is in Thailand. So it is a useless excercise. Some people have to whing about Thailand regardless of where they are living.

One of the great things about Scotland is that you can say how much you like Florida, or Tuscany, or Thailand, and people don't feel offended by it. I suppose one of the marks of a developed nation is that people understand their place in the world.

SC

[amykat]

.... Its funny they have the most tourists in the world but the worst English... How does this make sense!!!!!

Sorry Kenny ...but just to keep this factual ...Thailand does NOT have the most tourists in the world.

The numbers are (supposedly) for 2012:

France (which always seems to stay number 1 and for good reasons in my opinion, but I just love France): 83 million tourists

USA 67 million, China 57.7 M, Spain 57.7 M so a tie

Italy 46.4 million

then in order it continues ...Turkey, Germany, UK at 29.3 M, Russia at 25.7 M, and lastly ...#10 is Malaysia at 25 million

Considering the number for Malaysia, and that it is a much smaller country ...around 28 million population, so that is almost 1 tourist per Malaysian person! I have been to Malaysia at least 6 times, and never felt that is was so "touristy" and the people seem so much more honest, nice, real, well all I can say is MUCH, MUCH better than Thailand! I have to wonder why they can handle so much tourism and still seem to be good/better than Thailand, and actually cheaper, in many respects.

Well that is off-topic for sure, but just wanted to correct this mis-information.

[historyprof]

The first time I went to Australia and the UK I found the men's behavior unusual.

That was a long time ago. After reading this thread I discover it has not changed much.

Regardless of the truth of the statement I would never tell a woman that her country was 3rd world.

My gosh, is that inept. Boggles the mind actually.

[Seismic]

thailand as a country in the region of south east asia isn't too bad. The best country would be singapore in terms of GDP and development. Thailand might be second or maybe malaysia i don't know. Thailand is better than cambodia, laos, vietnam and of course burma. Indonesia and the philippines are much worse than thailand. Go live in manila and you would wish you were in bangkok. Although papua new guinea isn't a part of south east asia proper they are very near since half the island is under indonesian rule and man that place if like hell on earth. You get murdered for wandering into the wrong areas.

Therefore if you want to compare thailand in context with the region of south east asia it is actually considered right up there and malaysia and singapore used to be british colonies.

Another thing i need to add is that thailand has a larger percentage of east asian/oriental type of ppl although smaller than singapore and malaysia and no those oriental thais aren't thai chinese but rather their ancestors were minorties that originated from china and one interesting observation that you can make from this is that countries with more of these oriental type of ppl are more successful than countries with the brown skinned austroloids in indonesia, philippines, malaysia who are in turn better than the negroid types from papua new guinea. Doesn't sound PC at all but it's true just observe vietnam and the philippines that used to be a spanish and american colony and they can speak english and all that but still fares much worse than a country that fought a superpower.

Papua new Guinea is the eastern part of New Guinea, the western part was called Irian Jaya, and now is divided into west irian jaya and papua, but still part of Indonesia. I worked in jayapura and Biak in the 80's and never had a problem with the locals..However our javanese liason was scared sh*tless of the locals and locked himself in his hotel every night. I think you will find malaysia has outstripped Thailand for quite a few years now. and is even gaining on the tourist front. I dont think anyone seriously considers Thailand to be "right up there" with Singapore or Malaysia for at least the last 5 years. Vietnam is a tiger and rapidly gaining on Thailand, Burma is coming out of ostrascism and will be a major tourist and trade rival to Thailand in the next few years.

Expect Thailand to drop slowly through the rankings over the next 5-10 years until it is on a par or lower than laos and Cambodia.

Yes "thailand as a country in the region of south east asia isn't too bad", as long as you are looking for cheap sex or an "authentic" holiday.

[StreetCowboy]

Does your wife get offended at people assuming she is Thai?

[snake24]

I went to China for the first time recently. Before I went, I had so many preconceptions of what China and Chinese people would be like based mainly on my time in Thailand and experiences with Thai people. Boy was I wrong, and in a big way. Thai's and Chinese are so unalike yet both are developing Asian nations.

I don't want to start Thai bashing as I actually quite like Thailand in small doses but Thai people largely have alot of developing to do, as a developing nation.

Let me see. China is way better right?

Also china wasn't as negative as you thought it would be right?

[snake24]

Does your wife get offended at people assuming she is Thai?

Who are you addressing this to?

[Kifalo]

Difference between 3rd and 1st world is. People in the first world all have cars and use public transport. People in the 3rd all use public transport and wished for cars.

[MrWorldwide]

Difference between 3rd and 1st world is. People in the first world all have cars and use public transport. People in the 3rd all use public transport and wished for cars.

Right - and that would explain why Bangkok / Jakarta / Manila / Mexico City are all such traffic-free paradises. Okay ...........

[bdw]

I would use the term "developing country" if I was dating a person from that country.

[rene123]

Saying something against a person's country seldom goes down well, even if it is true. It is like saying something against someone's family. A family might fight like cats and dogs, but if a stranger takes sides with anyone in the family then the others will all join together and take it out on the stranger.

[StreetCowboy]

Does your wife get offended at people assuming she is Thai?

Who are you addressing this to?

The populace at large, and particularly the OP.

[NoshowJones]

Thailand is a third world country, but the UK, even allowing for it's far superior education, could still learn a lot from it.

[NoshowJones]

I'm not knocking Thailand at all... I love Thailand, and I love MOST of its third worldness outside of paperwork and stupid processes to get anything legal taken care of.

Yes, I love Thailand too, what pisses me off is the low mentality of most of the people, and the behaviour on the roads.

[cardholder]

Saying something against a person's country seldom goes down well, even if it is true. It is like saying something against someone's family. A family might fight like cats and dogs, but if a stranger takes sides with anyone in the family then the others will all join together and take it out on the stranger.

This is true - emphatically so in Thailand.

Quick story from a few years back. Farang traveling through Singapore (I think) with his Thai wife happened to mention that a recent survey put Singapore airport No1 in Asia. She said "cannot - Suvarmabhumi is No1 airport in Asia".

He made an error in judgement in reiterating that Singapore was voted No1 and Swampy was down at No12.

Apparently, she did not speak to him for 3 days.

Slightly extreme, but plausible.

[NoshowJones]

Maybe the OP is experiencing his Cultural Readjustment phase of living in Thailand.

At the age of 28 and ex-military with strong computer skills, it must be difficult to find people with a similar skill level to communicate with.

theblether ... he's up your way in Chiang Mai ... what about, when the Family disappears home ... take him under your wing and give him a good old fashioned blethering.

It will be my pleasure to meet Kenny whenever he is free. That goes for anyone else too.

That goes for me too.

[NoshowJones]

What is a second world country?.....................

I don't know. but if Thailand is a third world country, then the UK is fourth world.

[GuestHouse]

For real sensitivity to any negative views of Thailand look no further than Farangs here on TV, many of whom seem to think it their duty to trawl through threads seeking out the slightest negative comment about Thailand and (regardless of how true an observation the view is) set about the person expressing the view with the dull response of 'if you don't like it go home'.

I agree with you 100%. I have never told anyone that. Useless. Because even after they go back to their home country they still come on Thai Visa and gloat about how the food and weather and driving and beer and everything is better in their home country than it is in Thailand. So it is a useless excercise. Some people have to whing about Thailand regardless of where they are living.

You seem to have a lot of time on your hands. Spend some of it trying to find posts by me whinging about Thailand. - In their full context please, no creative editing.

I've lived and worked in Thailand for over 14 years, speak, read and write Thai and throughout my time in Thailand have been blessed with the company in and out of the office of some wonderful people - my views of Thailand are far more complex than love/hate and there is no dichotomy between the good life enjoy in the UK and the good life I live in Thailand. (With your kind permission I shall be moving out of the UK to my next assignment posting this week - where i expect to have wonderful experiences)

I see Thailand and view Thailand and Thais through the lens of how I have found them during the long and privileged experience of my time in Thailand. My views of the place (good or bad) are not dogmatic, but balanced by experience.

Which is almost certainly the reason I have been able to have frank discussions with Thai people (in Thai) about the rights and wrongs of Thailand without them exhibiting the response the OP reports.

To help you can get your head around that - making positive statements about life in England is not by any stretch of the normal balanced imagination making negative comments about Thailand.

if you view such comments as negative, then it is very clear the negativity is in your own head.

Edited September 1, 2013 by GuestHouse

[GuestHouse]

You might also let on what your previous username was.

[somtampet]

My gf only gets het up when i show her what some racists on here say about Issan

[ravip]

Nope - she just ask me why 1st world 'whatever' come here.

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand is a third world country, but the UK, even allowing for it's far superior education, could still learn a lot from it.

Like what?

Thais haven't even worked out that if you drive into traffic lights and you can't get out of the junction you will cause a traffic jam.