I've been driving around Thailand for several years and have always been curious about the number of huge houses (mansions) in every small town and village. Of course there are those owned by successful people. But knowing how tough it is for farmers the number seems out of whack. Maybe it's because they stand out amongst more humble abodes.

Government offices in the same small towns also seem to be very opulant. Is this a legacy of the Taksin regimes distribution of funds to provincial offices. And the said offices building huge buildings and houses for themselves.

This is not meant as a criticism, just a curiosity.

Wealthy landowners, industrialists, businessmen, etc.. it's not hard to build a mansion cheaply if you're moderately successful and your family has owned the same plot of land for over a hundred years. So you don't even have to be tremendously wealthy for Thais land up country is cheap.