Social Fabric

[macksview]

Issan and it's social fabric have often been discussed by those with interests in it and the people who originate or live in that part of thailand.

My wife's uncle must yet again bemoan his bad luck, when others of his age, 54, have reached a time when they can sit back and be supported by their dutifull daughters, he yet must endure more years of 6 days a week labour.

As most TV members are students of thailand and many students of the north east, that production line of wh*res, wh*res who are at, both, the top of their earning potential and those at the end of their careers.

The issan as we know, is now becoming populated, with ex bargirls and their partners, they have added much too these small provincial centres, services have improved, a tesco in most major towns, new pick ups on the rice farm.

Money and development have ridden on the backs (amongst other things) of the horizontal work of the daughters of the rice farmers, i must of all question when will the hard work of these women, truly be recognised by the government and thai society as a whole.

The issan, has gone from a rural land of semi literate farmers, to a people, waiting for the monthly endowment from their children, or the bigger result of her returning home, with her farang in tow.

My wife's uncle and probably others, has a lack of hope due to his daughters selfish need for a further education, why can not he relax, sit on the doorstep and wait for the monthly bank deposit.

As his daughters, enter their second and third years of nursing training in june, where is their sense of duty, they are part of the destruction of the predominant social fabric of issan.

[citizen33]

Yes, Isaan is being affected by big social changes. There is still the phenomenon of younger people moving away to find work in Bangkok or the eastern seaboard, and more people who would have worked in the rural economy commuting to work in the provincial cities of the NE. Many villages have populations skewed towards the young and old, and there are growing numbers of older people living alone with no carers. However, your uncle does have a ray of hope in the shape of the low-cost loans available to civil servants. With two nurses in the family, there must be a fair chance that one will marry a police officer or teacher, and that with their combined loans they will build a large modern house that includes a nice room for uncle. I’ve noticed that a lot of the new builds in Isaan are not linked to farangs at all but to this flow of money to lower-level civil servants.

[thaibeachlovers]

Would have happened anyway. The movement of young people away from hard and boring country life to the cities has been going on for generations in Europe. Why should Thailand be different?

[GuestHouse]

The biggest problem the North East is facing is the land is being taken off the cash poor, land rich rice farmers while the alliance between Government and Monopoly holders is stripping the profit out of the land's production.

The arrival of foreigners and foreign money is only a blip in the transformation of Isaan (and the rest of Thailand's agricultural regions) from a family land owning farms to landless peasants.

30 years from now Isaan will be littered with decaying 'Baan Farang' houses built to out do the neighbours but that only have running costs that out do the owners.

[diggledunc]

think the problem really is there is no work in the rural parts or not enough even to provide subsistence living. Yes a lot go to the bars and bring their farang back but there are many more who go working on building sites and the factories in BKK. Where I am many have rubber and this has improved their lives but the rice farmers still struggle.

Like GuestHouse says landless people are stuffed.

There will be more farang going to Isan and my observation where i live is that now Tescos have moved in to the nearest town many more farang seem to feel able to live there. Anything that brings money in I think will help to keep people local rather than having to go elsewhere as it will create more work and this will include the baan farang being built.

My experience though is that many locals don't help themselves as it is not an Isan trait to think 'outside the box' and for the future.

[noise]

Since the OP said, "As his daughters, enter their second and third years of nursing training in june, where is their sense of duty, they are part of the destruction of the predominant social fabric of issan" ..... am I completely wrong in seeing some subtle, well written satire as the reason for his posting?

[samran]

Since the OP said, "As his daughters, enter their second and third years of nursing training in june, where is their sense of duty, they are part of the destruction of the predominant social fabric of issan" ..... am I completely wrong in seeing some subtle, well written satire as the reason for his posting?

I was a bit perplexed when read it, but I think you might have a point.

[macksview]

Since the OP said, "As his daughters, enter their second and third years of nursing training in june, where is their sense of duty, they are part of the destruction of the predominant social fabric of issan" ..... am I completely wrong in seeing some subtle, well written satire as the reason for his posting?

well done sirs, caught out, but i did enjoy the sensible answers

[arthurwait]

Try again on 01/04/55.

[macksview]

Try again on 01/04/55.

was just warming up for the 1/4/55