The Claim
Many people ask if Thailand is a Third World Country and the responses have been mixed. Some say yes, and some say no.
The Facts
Is Thailand a Third World Country? First, we will need to define what a Third World Country is. Wikipedia has a fairly detailed explanation of what Third World means.
The term originated as “The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact.”
As you can see on the map here: Third World – Wikipedia although Thailand was not a NATO member, it was aligned with NATO, or at the very least, the US.
Some people confuse Third World Country with Developing Country.
Developing country – Wikipedia
Thailand is usually recognized in this category. Some of the 151 other countries that are considered Developing Counties include
- Brazil
- China
- Georgia
- Mexico
- Philippines
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Ukraine
List of 152 developing countries of the Third World (worlddata.info)
Most confuse Third World Country as Least Developed Country.
Least developed countries – Wikipedia
Thailand does not fall under this category. This is what most people visualize when they think Third World Country.
UN list of least developed countries | UNCTAD
Is this a FACTnoid?
Thailand does not fit the definition of Third World Country. At a minimum, it’s a Developing Country.
