Villagers Decline Blankets, Fearing Dirty Tricks

[Bluespunk]

It's a sad reflection on society where levels of distrust and suspicion reaches such a level that people will refuse to accept aid that will allow them to survive the cold. Says a lot and none of it any good.

[LuckyLew]

Excellent move. Residents of Phrae are a great example the Govt is being thumbed by lowly people who realise their corrupt practices. And a self sacrifice they see as being more important than receiving a handout. There is a fine example for other Thai's to follow but of course not all Thai's are as principled as Phrea residents.

You are right, it is a great example

Too bad the Gov't does not give two shites about them

[metisdead]

I think we were getting a bit off topic with some of the hyperbole flying around, posts and replies have been removed.

[pmem]

Top Shit, slowly but surely they are catching on, their is hope yet.

[Beng]

Sad fact that villagers have to be concerned of their own government.

[pmem]

It's amazing isn't it, how a small village in the middle of nowhere has a head man who just happens to be an expert in hydrology, geology and seismology, ecology and who knows what else, all the result of a Thai education to age 12 (guesstimate!) Either that or he's been fed a lot of greeny pseudo-science.

Not an expert in any of the fields myself, but I do know that fault lines are very common and not usually "active" (likely to cause an earthquake) unless close to the edge of a tectonic plate. In fact, the last movement on this fault line may have been 10, 20 or 100 million years ago, and the next equally distant. Ask the village headman, or a geologist?

BTW is there really an excess of carbon dioxide or a shortage of oxygen in the area?

Some of you people never cease to amaze me. Day in and day out I read the objections to a corrupt government and a privileged society who can get away with plain murder, and when an uneducated person without clout and the money but as large balls wants to do something to help his neighbours , country- folks and and all the others who have placed trust in him you ridicule him. The Greens in many Farang countries have been pulling these stunts for years to stop projects.

Keep putting the small man down and shit turns to clay.

Edited November 4, 2012 by ozall

[Cardiff1963]

Well done the people of Prae. All political parties should worry,if the people are waking up.

[finnomick1]

Why can't villagers ever keep hold of blankets for more than one season?

My thoughts too, surely the blankets are not that inferior. Having said that, our household received ONE wafer thin blanket to keep ALL the family warm throughout the last cold winter. Shame the blanket was received in April.....but there you go

Edited November 4, 2012 by finnomick1

[HaleySabai]

Finally they are getting smart and brave...actually standing up against vested interest.

[baboon]

.........."Perhaps they are aware of the way certain people and groups here interpret democracy therefore they are looking at the system as it was in Cambodia under the delightful Pol Pot and of course as it has been and still well may be here"..........

Err....When was Thailand comparable to Cambodia under Pol Pot ???

Those are the wishes of the UDD

What are you saying; genocide is their game?

[pmem]

Its not about the bloody blankets, its about being sick and tired of being treated like imbeciles by the high and mighty corrupt government who think that these people have no pride or morals and will keep on taking handouts to shut-up. A small pebble ca build a huge snowball. It's time ladies and gentlemen - speak up.

[OzMick]

It's amazing isn't it, how a small village in the middle of nowhere has a head man who just happens to be an expert in hydrology, geology and seismology, ecology and who knows what else, all the result of a Thai education to age 12 (guesstimate!) Either that or he's been fed a lot of greeny pseudo-science.

Not an expert in any of the fields myself, but I do know that fault lines are very common and not usually "active" (likely to cause an earthquake) unless close to the edge of a tectonic plate. In fact, the last movement on this fault line may have been 10, 20 or 100 million years ago, and the next equally distant. Ask the village headman, or a geologist?

BTW is there really an excess of carbon dioxide or a shortage of oxygen in the area?

Some of you people never cease to amaze me. Day in and day out I read the objections to a corrupt government and a privileged society who can get away with plain murder, and when an uneducated person without clout and the money but as large balls wants to do something to help his neighbours , country- folks and and all the others who have placed trust in him you ridicule him. The Greens in many Farang countries have been pulling these stunts for years to stop projects.

Keep putting the small man down and shit turns to clay.

Well keep getting amazed, because when uneducated people want to talk with large balls without the science to back them up, I will continue to point out that they might just be WRONG even if they are trying to do the right thing. Much of the problem is Greens who spend just enough time doing an Arts degree to know everything, and then want to tell those who spent many more years studying Science and Engineering what they are doing wrong. Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

I provided a link to Thailand's Active Faults site which tells us that the fault he raises as a major problem, hasn't moved in millions of years.

[Artisi]

If the need to hand out blankets is so great - just hand then out after sighting an ID, not need to generate heaps of paperwork with names ID's, addresss etc which is a meaningless collection of information -- which is typical of Thailand. Also, pleased to see that at least some of the country folk are aware of the scheming and conniving taking place at their expense and doing something about it.

[geriatrickid]

Some of you people never cease to amaze me. Day in and day out I read the objections to a corrupt government and a privileged society who can get away with plain murder, and when an uneducated person without clout and the money but as large balls wants to do something to help his neighbours , country- folks and and all the others who have placed trust in him you ridicule him. The Greens in many Farang countries have been pulling these stunts for years to stop projects.

Keep putting the small man down and shit turns to clay.

Fecal material does not turn to clay. It becomes organic particulate matter as it decomposes. Clay is phyllosilicate minerals mixed with water. A very significant difference, just like your attempted illustration. The question that needs to be asked, is who got to him? Typically, the local leadership receives inducements to support a project. In this case, was the payment inadequate, did another group offer a greater incentive or is the man's position truly based upon a legitimate concern? Resistance to projects in Thailand is often based upon a sentiment of not getting something from the project or the fear of being removed from the trough.

There may be a legitimate basis to resist the project. However, in the absence of a discussion of the environmental and social impact of the project there isn't much reliable information is there? One doesn't see extensive research into the impact of large development projects in SE Asia. The powers that be, just go ahead and build them. It seems to me that the administration did not do an effective job in explaining the project or in doing the research and gathering the information to allay the fears of local residents. The end result is that the project gets built, damage is done and people often suffer.

[tominbkk]

BTW it took me a while to understand why asking for something borrowed to be returned is not polite here. The borrower might no longer have the borrowed item and would be embarassed to be asked about it

True that, I rarely lend anything out here unless I am prepared to just give it away.