Flipping Pancakes

[George Bowman]

I have lived here in Thailand for almost two decades and never could I have imagined living here that long. And like any other country it has pros and cons. The pros are many, but let’s look at one con, I call the Pancake. It once drove me crazy, but anymore, I have come to expect it.

 

Now that I am in my Golden Years as the Thais would say, I muck about our place, which borders the Nan River and is surrounded by rice farms. In the past, some Thais would build their homes on the river banks which are actually owned by the Thai government. Nobody said anything but everybody knew that the river markers showed the boundary line and that it was not free land.

 

Years ago, government officials had a meeting with all the villagers with homes near the river and said everything must be torn down and the owners had to pay for it. Pancake. If the homeowners could not afford to do so, the government would help out.

 

Months past. Pancake. Villagers can now stay in their riverbank homes, but cannot build on to their house, plus they now have to pay taxes to the officials. No new houses allowed.

 

More months past. Pancake. A few villagers begin to build new houses on the riverbanks, this time using concrete and steel. 

 

And more months go by. Pancake. All new houses have to pay taxes to the local government officials.

 

Currently, there is another meeting planned sometime in the future between the officials and the villagers. I’m thinking that Pancakes will be on the menu.

Here is a government marker on the Nan River.

The is the latest new house built on the riverside and right next to the bridge. They have no backyard.

Edited June 11, 2018 by missoura