Village Life in Thailand
This article is written as an introduction to life in a Thai village and is based on my experience of living in a remote part of the Northeast. However, much of what is written here is similar to any Thai village in any part of the country.
Thailand has made huge progress towards first World status in recent decades but much of the country remains poor and simple, with much of the country living in relative poverty. This brings us to the typical Thai village, where much of the population live. Development and infrastructure are usually minimal and in poor shape but road infrastructure is good compared to other countries in the region and it is quite easy to get to all parts of the country with relative ease on the extensive bus networks.
Most homes are made of cheaper types of wood and often raised on concrete stilts to avoid flooding and ground dwelling insects. However, wood is in very short supply these days. To a large degree, this can be blamed on American influence in the region during the Vietnam conflict, when the Thai government were encouraged to embark on large scale forest clearance in the Northeast to restrict the hiding places for communist insurgents. Another issue is the use of wood for cooking (gas is rarely used in the village).
With this in mind, it's clear to see why many houses are now built with cheap concrete posts and ugly grey breeze blocks. Whatever the materials used, the roofing is usually made of corrugated metal, that makes the frequent rainstorms a very noisy occurrence.
Many Thai villages now have mainline electricity and connections to the pumped water network. However, most Thai village homes rely on wells dug deep into the ground of each house for their water supply. Some houses may have installed a small electric pump to make raising the water easier.
Life in the Thai village is always in the slow lane, with relaxed 'what will be will be' attitudes and informal lifestyles. People, particularly the youth, dress mostly in T-shirts and jeans and usually wear only cheap plastic sandals or flip flops on their feet. When working in the fields, most will wear hats and often face scarves to protect them from exposure to the relentless Sun. During and after pregnancy, most village women will wear the more traditional styles of silk sarong clothing for comfort and will usually continue to do so for the rest of their lives.
Healthcare is always available in the nearest town and is of a high standard compared to other countries in the region. Access to education is available everywhere and most children attend and much of the tiny family economy is spent just on the children's uniform. However, the standard of education leaves a lot to be desired.
Many families are able to afford cheap forms of transport like small motorbikes. Those that can afford four wheels with usually opt for a pickup. The mid 2000's saw investment by the Thaksin government in road building in many villages and it was a time when many villages went from being dirt tracks to having hard road surfaces.
Silk production is a major cottage industry and many womenfolk can be seen weaving silk for a relatively small payment when compared to the prices the end product is sold for.
Thais in general are extremely social in the attitudes, particularly in rural villages. Being alone is alien to them and they will spend time chatting with eachother at every opportunity, often with some form of cheap alcohol. Alcoholism is a serious problem in rural parts of Thailand and the favourite of villagers is Lao Khao whisky, which tastes worse than gasoline. Boredom, poverty or debt exacerbate the problem, as does a move away from traditional values to a cash based village economy. Many villagers of working age have moved away to Bangkok to earn money for the family, leaving many villages only with young children or the elderly.
Many girls, often all of the daughters of a particular family, find themselves working in the sex industry in Bangkok or other tourist resorts. This can have a massive economic impact on some families and they can become quite wealthy, particularly if the girls keep their perspective and may often have several foreign sponsors. However, many lapse into depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, disease, gambling and find themselves back home in the village with nothing and their lives ruined. Many are unsophisticated, poorly educated and cannot cope with what they are exposed to when they find themselves in the big city and the worst of what humanity can do to people. Some may marry foreign tourists an migrate to another country.
Many of those who have moved to the city for work only visit home once or twice a year, leaving the children to be raised by the grandparents. Often, they will manage to make it home for the annual Songkran Festival in April at the height of the hot season.
Meals are always group affairs with shared dishes that everyone helps themselves to. Meals are pivotal to the village routine.
Marriage is taken very seriously and divorce rates are extremely low in comparison to those in Western cultures. Family cohesion is very strong, as is the sense of responsibility to help other members of the family.
See also: Isaan Happiness | Mike in Northeast Thailand | Isaan
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