The BBC’s website has an interesting comparison between the average wage of workers in 72 countries based on purchasing power parity dollars (some of the world’s poorest are deliberately omitted). PPP is a notional concept best expressed by the Economist’s light-hearted annual “Hamburger Index” which compares the prices of McDonalds hamburgers around the world. The Economist uses it to estimate those currencies are overvalued and those undervalued.

 

The International Labour Organisation chart used by the BBC is more sophisticated and has been adjusted to reflect variations in the cost of living from one country to another. Thus Hong Kong, where the average monthly wage is a great deal higher than the US$1,500 suggested in the chart, suffers badly because it is one of the world’s most expensive cities.

 

Thailand comes in at #62 - 11th from bottom, one place below Egypt! The remaining countries are Armenia, the Dominican Republic, Moldova, Mongolia, Syria, Kyrgystan, India, Philippines, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

 

Way above us are Malaysia, Botswana and Kazakhstan. I didn’t realise we are so badly off!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17543356

[quote name=fountainhall' timestamp='1337050

475' post='56975]I didn’t realise we are so badly off!

 

Taking "we" as mainly westerners, visiting or living in Thailand:

 

Generally, it's not "we" that are badly off, but the average Thai person.

I suspect the people that participate here are mostly on "western" salary scales, or similar such pensions/investments and benefiting from low PPP exchange rates when in Thailand (living, or on holiday).

Now if the average Thai person had a PPP living standard comparable with Singapore (for example), the costs of hotels & other goods and services in Thailand would be much higher, so "we" would be worse of whilst holidaying or living in Thailand.

 

(The above arguments do not apply to people on Thai salary scales).