While traveling one can choose to travel to one of two different worlds. Countries that are developed or those that are developing. England, the United States, or Russia are examples of developed countries. Thailand, Nigeria, and Mexico are developing countries. How the economy runs, political agendas, and societal norms are important things to keep in mind when discussing Thailand as a destination for learning about the developing world.
Through my travels I was able to learn how a developing world such as Thailand has a different economy than that of the United States. In this developing world I learned how cheap products can be to the average American. However, after doing our group research on standards of living for Thai people, we learned that their standard of living is well below what it is should be based on their GDP per capita. It was evident with how many poor people we saw walking around Thailand. The economy and the Thai Baht is more than likely pegged to the US dollar. This was apparent because after exchanging money, both when we arrived and before leaving Thailand, the exchange rates did not change much and this showed the stability of the economy. As a major exporter of goods I saw many premanufacturing jobs that would led to many final products that would be important to other countries to make finished goods. I saw many vendors who sold stuff animals as a wholesaler. These would be bought by major claw machine companies or Chuck e Cheese like places for export. The economy in the past few years has taken off since 20 years ago when the IMF had to bail Thailand from bankruptcy. The economy has grown and with it so has imports to the country.
The politics of the country are much different than that of what I was used to in the United States. It was seen how important religion and Buddhism is to this developing world. Millions of people of to this religious sites to worship and pay dues to their religion. The king is also very popular in the community. They place much more importance on their king than the English do with the Queen. The king is more than a celebrity. If someone talks badly about the monarchy they can end up being put in jail. If one is just traveling around they will not know what type of government Thailand has. If I did not have prior knowledge I would have thought it was a monarchy with all the posters and statues of the king. I also believe the government focuses too many resources on improving infrastructures that benefit tourist more than their own poor. Also I knew from our class corruption in the police force is something that still exists in Thailand. Many police accept brides. This is something that Thai officials need to crack down on to improve the country’s political scene and increase trust from civilians.
The societal norms of Thailand helped me to learn how different people express themselves. I was also able to gain an acceptance for different cultures. Thai people are very kind and always have a smile on their face. They do not seem to resent me for being American even though many Thai people are poor. Compared to traveling to other countries, I believe the Thai people know how important tourism is for the country. I learned it was a privilege to not worry about if I a bathroom had toilet paper or not. I noticed that many Thais do not drink either. I think this is due to one of the teaching of Buddhism. I noticed that in 7-11s the biggest size for a case of beer was a four pack. In the United States it is common to see 30 packs of beers. These shows the norm is not to drink. However, I know cigarettes are very relevant in the Thai people. I saw many more people smoking cigarettes than I do in America.
While traveling in a developing world one sees how many different things they take advantage of at home. There is much to learn when traveling throughout a developing world. The people are different, the government is still growing, and politics need more structure over all. These are all things that will improve the country. I have learned that a developing world seems like a developed world to the naked eye, however the inner works of the country are still not to what they need to be to be called developed such as political transparence and improved standards and livings. These inner works are overwhelmingly holding back Thailand.
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