United Nations rates Thailand in the bottom half of the planet

November 4, 2011

The United Nations’ annual Human Development Index (HDI) report was released at the start of November and Thailand remains at a poor overall ranking of 103rd out of 187 countries. Then again, it rated better than six of its 10 ASEAN partners, and ranks fourth of the 11 nations which make up Southeast Asia.

The index measures the levels and quality of health, education, and income among many other factors. In 2010, Thailand came in at 103 out of 169 countries measured. This year, the report has reached a record 187 countries and territories and Thailand remains fixed at 103. Not that we would encourage any form of gambling, but a lottery ticket with 103 might be worth a flutter.

Norway rated as the best country in the world to live, narrowly ahead of Australia. In third place is the Netherlands, then the United States, New Zealand, and Canada. The worst places in the world, according to the HDI, are all in sub-Saharan Africa. The worst three being Burundi, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report noted that income distribution has worsened in most of the world over the past 12 months. Of the 11 Southeast Asian nations, it is probably no shock that Singapore came in best at 26th. Brunei came in second at 33rd, Malaysia 61st, the Philippines 112th, Indonesia 124th, Vietnam 128th, Laos 138th, Cambodia 139th, East Timor 147th, while Burma is lodged at the bottom at 149th, up just one place from last year.

It will be no surprise if some government figure comes out and pans the UN report or puts some kind of positive spin on it. Something like, “We are happy to see that Thailand is rated just two places behind China, the third-largest economy in the world.” Or, it might be, “Look at how high Thailand rates compared to Burma. Just shows how civilized we are compared to our historical rivals. And they had the benefit of British occupation. We were never conquered (well, just don’t mention the Japanese interlude).”

For many expats, Thailand remains a country they are happy to call home. In general, most expats enjoy a standard of living far higher than many Thais, and certainly a better standard than they might enjoy in their own countries of origin.

Naturally, the HDI report does not take into account the expat communities of nations. Probably most expats in Thailand would take a ranking of 103 any day compared to Germany’s ninth place or the United Kingdom’s 28th spot.