Third World

[Farangdanny]

They say that we are in a third world country here !

1.Two weeks ago I went to hospital to make appointment to see throat specialist. They said,'He is here now if you want". 15 minutes later, I was watching my throat etc., in color, on a screen, attached to the latest state of the art camera ! Cost, just over 20GBP !

2. Last week, we bought an new curved,smart TV. I asked ,"when can you deliver ? " They replied, What time do you get home sir ? "!!

...

3. On Monday, we bought new Air Con for our home office. I asked about instalation. They said, "its free sir, when do you want it ? Tomorrow ?"

4. Yesterday, I went to buy an unusual spare part for swimming pool light. They said, "sorry, we don't have, but can get for tommorow ! I just collected it !

Third World eh ? Try those things in UK !!!

[daoyai]

one of the hall marks of the "3rdwrld" is good service for the upper class... those with big screens pools etc. bwana

[TheSiemReaper]

Thailand is not 3rd world. It is a middle income nation or 2nd world nation (though that is a bit of a shoddy way to classify countries anyway). Only people with little comprehension of economics would classify Thailand as 3rd world. If you want to see 3rd world visit the provinces of Cambodia. You won't find free air-con fitting (or any air-con), rapid TV delivery, etc. there.

[daoyai]

Thailand is not 3rd world. It is a middle income nation or 2nd world nation (though that is a bit of a shoddy way to classify countries anyway). Only people with little comprehension of economics would classify Thailand as 3rd world. If you want to see 3rd world visit the provinces of Cambodia. You won't find free air-con fitting (or any air-con), rapid TV delivery, etc. there.

Economics? no , it is a political clasification, as in first world being aligned with the west, second world was (is) the commies, and third world was NON ALIGNED developing countries...such as Thailand.

Edited March 16, 2016 by daoyai

[TheSiemReaper]

Thailand is not 3rd world. It is a middle income nation or 2nd world nation (though that is a bit of a shoddy way to classify countries anyway). Only people with little comprehension of economics would classify Thailand as 3rd world. If you want to see 3rd world visit the provinces of Cambodia. You won't find free air-con fitting (or any air-con), rapid TV delivery, etc. there.

Economics? no , it is a political clasification, as in first world being aligned with the west, second world was (is) the commies, and third world was NON ALIGNED developing countries...such as Thailand.

No, it's not. At least it's not any more. This would reduce Singapore to a third world nation; something touching on the ridiculous.

[Dante99]

Thailand is not 3rd world. It is a middle income nation or 2nd world nation (though that is a bit of a shoddy way to classify countries anyway). Only people with little comprehension of economics would classify Thailand as 3rd world. If you want to see 3rd world visit the provinces of Cambodia. You won't find free air-con fitting (or any air-con), rapid TV delivery, etc. there.

Economics? no , it is a political clasification, as in first world being aligned with the west, second world was (is) the commies, and third world was NON ALIGNED developing countries...such as Thailand.

Funny book you have been reading.

[daoyai]

Thailand is not 3rd world. It is a middle income nation or 2nd world nation (though that is a bit of a shoddy way to classify countries anyway). Only people with little comprehension of economics would classify Thailand as 3rd world. If you want to see 3rd world visit the provinces of Cambodia. You won't find free air-con fitting (or any air-con), rapid TV delivery, etc. there.

Economics? no , it is a political clasification, as in first world being aligned with the west, second world was (is) the commies, and third world was NON ALIGNED developing countries...such as Thailand.

Funny book you have been reading.

Simply quoting the original definition from the people that created the term. You may have created your own definition though it is not accurate. The term has fallen out of favor and does not fit as well in post cold world reality though the definition is the same. T'land is 3rdwrld.

[daoyai]

Thailand is not 3rd world. It is a middle income nation or 2nd world nation (though that is a bit of a shoddy way to classify countries anyway). Only people with little comprehension of economics would classify Thailand as 3rd world. If you want to see 3rd world visit the provinces of Cambodia. You won't find free air-con fitting (or any air-con), rapid TV delivery, etc. there.

Economics? no , it is a political clasification, as in first world being aligned with the west, second world was (is) the commies, and third world was NON ALIGNED developing countries...such as Thailand.

Funny book you have been reading.

I am simply quoting the definition, the original meaning from cold war days (look it up). So T.land was and remains 3rdwrld.

[Paul944]

5. Some one from the immigration office delivered your visa extension at home?

[LivinLOS]

one of the hall marks of the "3rdwrld" is good service for the upper class... those with big screens pools etc. bwana

And 3am queues for those not upper class enough to pay for agents to perform the routine government paper chases and bribes..

[SoiBiker]

'Third world' is such a ridiculously outdated term that debating its meaning is pointless.

If you really want to describe countries in this sort of way, you could use terms like 'developed country' and 'developing country' - although even those are rather obsolete now.

In modern parlance, Thailand is a Periphery country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periphery_countries

Edited March 16, 2016 by SoiBiker

[LivinLOS]

'Third world' is such a ridiculously outdated term that debating its meaning is pointless.

If you really want to describe countries in this sort of way, you could use terms like 'developed country' and 'developing country' - although even those are rather obsolete now.

In modern parlance, Thailand is a Periphery country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periphery_countries

ha ha.. where Thailand comes in the 3rd category of world rankings..

Seems a touch of political correctness gone mad in that..

[MESmith]

Def 3rd world mentality

[MadMac]

It's a 3rd world country if you take away the few shopping malls.

Missing education being the main driver downwards.

Edited March 16, 2016 by MadMac

[northernjohn]

one of the hall marks of the "3rdwrld" is good service for the upper class... those with big screens pools etc. bwana

Beg to differ. I have never had a problem with the service on my purchase of TVs and refrigerators. On time and the TV was all hooked up to the various systems. I am not upper class . Just a retired old man who treats them decently and doesn't look down his nose at them.

[northernjohn]

Def 3rd world mentality

Found quite often on Thai Visa.

[kjhbigv]

And here I sit in Sansai at 2.30am with no electricity and no air con in unbearable heat!

I prefer the basics to be sorted first!

Edited March 16, 2016 by kjhbigv

[Dante99]

And here I sit in Sansai at 2.30am with no electricity and no air con in unbearable heat!

I prefer the basics to be sorted first!

Oh such suffering, call med evac immediately.

[worgeordie]

Maybe "Banana Republic" could be a better description,considering

the situation the country is in at the moment

regards Worgeordie

[maoro2013]

I was asked to get a specific mobile phone for a friend. This phone was not a current model. I went to MBK and the guy said I don't have, but wait here. Five minutes later I had what i wanted.

Thailand, great place.

[Jeffrey346]

You talk about pool parts, curved TVs and vendors finding products for you. Are you aware that this country has not provided water and electricity to every citizen. There are provinces that have begged the Government for assistance for years and still do not have electricity...

[hutchings1963]

I have often said it,the uk could learn from thailand on how to treat people when you buy anything,bought a new bed last week,he said would you like it delivered today sir i said yes thanks he followed me in the car all done in 15 minutes,bought smart tv it was here within 2 hours and they set it up and made sure it was working,treat people right and they do the job.

[AlQaholic]

Well if they where not a "third world" country they wouldn't receive all that economic and military aid from the "first world" countries.....pretending to be poor comes in handy sometimes......Especially when the few rich can steal from the poor and still look like a poor country because of that.....well....isn't that the story of those South American dictatorships, the famous "banana republics" funded by the CIA for all those years to keep away the commies....

got to stop now before this becomes a rant....or maybe it has already....

Edited March 17, 2016 by AlQaholic

[Deli]

Great place, yes, but still 80 % 3rd world if you are not lucky enough to live in BKK or Patts.

[Suradit69]

one of the hall marks of the "3rdwrld" is good service for the upper class... those with big screens pools etc. bwana

I've lived in southern Africa and in Pakistan for a total of more than 25 years. Believe me, Thailand is no third world country compared to those places.

As to the alleged hallmark of third world countries, the truly wealthy minority did get good service compared to everyone else, but "good" was a relative term and that privileged group was extremely small and wouldn't have extended much beyond the uber elite.

No one could seriously compare life in Thailand to places like Zimbabwe, Somalia or Bangladesh, for example. In one country where I lived, the main hospital in the capital, affiliated with the sole university as a teaching hospital, was dubbed by the locals as the Departure Lounge because most anyone admitted there was never seen again. If you needed an operation, your relatives would need to source everything needed from anesthetic to surgical gloves on the black market and donate it to the surgeon before he could start to do anything. When a friend of mine needed surgery for something relatively routine he had to be sent by air ambulance to South Africa.

[AlQaholic]

Actually I just checked and I was totally wrong, Thailand is classified as a "Newly Industrialized Country" and does not receive any official economic or military aid, in fact Thailand is giving aid, and a lot too...according wikipedia at least.

[whiterussian]

Great place, yes, but still 80 % 3rd world if you are not lucky enough to live in BKK or Patts.

Harare was more civilised than Patts...

Edited March 17, 2016 by whiterussian

[wwest5829]

Shhh, don't broadcast! Here's the thing. Truth, I cannot live in my own country, in retirement, without great economic "discomfort". So, that is one of the reasons I sought my life in Thailand. But I do enjoy telling others from home that I live in the "3rd World....and then posting the photos of the sites, the malls, the Skytrain, etc. as you might expect, I get little sympathy for my "have to live in a 3rd World country". I do not disagree that the terminology is somewhat dated, but let me have my small bit of fun. In the end, my photos and comments are complimentary to Thailand.

[johnny49r]

>>>They say that we are in a third world country here !

>>>1.Two weeks ago I went to hospital to make appointment to see throat specialist. They said,'He is here now if you want". 15 minutes later, I was watching my throat etc., in color, on a screen, >>>attached to the latest state of the art camera ! Cost, just over 20GBP !

>>>2. Last week, we bought an new curved,smart TV. I asked ,"when can you deliver ? " They replied, What time do you get home sir ? "!!

>>>3. On Monday, we bought new Air Con for our home office. I asked about instalation. They said, "its free sir, when do you want it ? Tomorrow ?"

>>>4. Yesterday, I went to buy an unusual spare part for swimming pool light. They said, "sorry, we don't have, but can get for tommorow ! I just collected it !

>>>Third World eh ? Try those things in UK !!!

You obviously haven't been here very long.

1. Don't get sick on a weekend. Wait till Monday to find a doctor. Yes medical is cheap but you really do get what you pay for.

2. Purchase and delivery are quick. Install is free because labor doesn't cost anything. Try getting it serviced in a few months.

3. See #2.

4. This is your lucky week. Buy a lotto ticket ASAP!

For Thailand to make it to 3rd world status would require a swift kick in the arse. Mai Pen Rai...

[SoiBiker]

I've been to hospital to seek medical assistance here on a weekend, and been seen by a specialist whilst I would still have been sitting in a waiting room back home.