But that's exactly the problem! In case you give money to the (poor) family, you do NOT know if they spend it carefully or not, whatever your wife or g/f tells you! In my 30 years in LOS, I've seen enough... In most places where you come in "poor Isaan", they know only ONE thing : ALCOHOL ! That's where the money is going! So for me, not being a "rich" farang, I will not "help" them with spending the money on beer, whiskey, Lao kao, etc... I help my g/f and her 12-year-old daughter who stays with us. My g/f has a job, and with that money she "takes care" of Mom and Dad. 😉