Is Gleaning Legal In Thailand?

[fxm88]

Does anyone know if gleaning is legal in Thailand? In certain parts of Europe (and possibly the United States) it is my understanding that after a harvest anyone may go into the field and collect whatever the farmer passed over. How about Thailand?

[trt]

Does anyone know if gleaning is legal in Thailand? In certain parts of Europe (and possibly the United States) it is my understanding that after a harvest anyone may go into the field and collect whatever the farmer passed over. How about Thailand?

Sounds like stealing to me..

[chownah]

I don't think it is legal anywhere in the US. It would be trespassing unless you have permission to enter and it would probably be theft unless you asked before removing something from the property.

[Khonwan]

Does anyone know if gleaning is legal in Thailand? In certain parts of Europe (and possibly the United States) it is my understanding that after a harvest anyone may go into the field and collect whatever the farmer passed over. How about Thailand?

I don't know what the law says about this but I do know it is normal practice in my village - no one (myself included) seems to mind.

[Francis Maube]

I think the answer is a little more complicated. In a small community where everybody know each other, a neighbor going after the left over corn or sugar cane is probably OK, and chances are that he'she was helping harvesting and if he/she wasn't was probaly because he/she was helping somebody else a stonethrow away. The neighbors come to pick up the grass after we cut it to feed their cows, that annoys me because cut grass will slow weeds from growing up and will eventually become nice, natural fertilizer. As a foreigner I cannot even think of trying to explain that to Noi the farmer because inevitably it will be understood and the word spread that the Farang is a Ki Nyao and full of crap.

So in short, as a foreigner, going into a field after harvest would probably makes an wonderful moving target shooting range.

[chownah]

If the farmer is taking your grass which you want to leave as fertilizer then you should tell him/her that you want it left as fertilizer or they should bring you a bag of manure (or 2 or 3 or 4 depending on how much grass is involved) every time they take your grass. Farmers understand fertilizer.

[lingling]

If the farmer is taking your grass which you want to leave as fertilizer then you should tell him/her that you want it left as fertilizer or they should bring you a bag of manure (or 2 or 3 or 4 depending on how much grass is involved) every time they take your grass. Farmers understand fertilizer.

Good point. They will probably cut the grass for you if you tell them that they can take all grass they want as long as they give you the dung in exchange.

We have people coming to our place to get grass for their cows. Some of them are even hand cutting it.

Edited February 19, 2007 by lingling

[altman]

in the states there is an organization called 'the gleaners', which does exactly this. but they have the farmers permission. they distribute the food to the needy, primarily the elderly. some, who are able, contribute their labor as a means to pay- back or pay-forward their benefits. a very worthwhile, low overhead, no political or religious agenda.

[Richard W]

Sounds like stealing to me..

For moral guidance on the issue, see Gleaning of the Fields.

[Maizefarmer]

No - it is not customry in Thailand - as it is for example in the USA

Thai farmers expect the courtesy of been asked (and will usually say yes)

Maizefarmer

[trt]

Sounds like stealing to me..

For moral guidance on the issue, see Gleaning of the Fields.

Interesting read...

[billd766]

As far as I am concerned anyone who comes onto our land (and asks permission) is more than welcome.

We have about 20 odd rai in the central region that was in Man this year and if anyone needs to glean they must need it more than we do. There won't be that much but, if your need is greater than mine please do so.

[RamdomChances]

As has been said it's pretty common practice here. It's polite to ask. If you actually want the stuff they are taking you should say something.

Mechanical harvesting leaves loads more than harvesting by hand, My Brother-in-law usually gets some people in to pick up the residue...than whatever is left is up for grabs.

[fxm88]

Sounds like stealing to me..

For moral guidance on the issue, see Gleaning of the Fields.

Interesting read...

I guess this is still popular in France; there was a recent movie about it The Gleaners And I. It was mentioned in the Bible, Leviticus 23:22 "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger". I can't find too much other information. A farang would probably need a work permit before he could go picking! Oh, and course this painting:

[jayjayjayjay]

In my experience the is no presedent to allow you to wander onto farmers land to glean in Thailand. Therefore do not assume you can. If you want to go onto a farmers land, by all means you should ask for permission, I believe most would let you, that does not mean he is going to understand you.

It does also depend on what you plan to remove. You will get some funny looks using a paint brush to clean up rice off a paddy, maybe there is fair bit more available now with the advent of mechanical harvesters, but in Australia, we let sheep clean up what they could! Plantations of pineapple, well, I think you could get done for steeling on that one, rubber trees, who's to know how much sap was missed!!! Maybe a visit to Chiang Rai's manadrin growing areas could be dangerous, purely because of the residual chemicals on everything including fence posts.

Good luck cleaning up what is not efficient to remove or marketable.