Rising anger in Thailand's boom-to-bust Isaan

[springheeled jack]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

[tomwct]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Thailand is a Third World Country! Flooding (no infrastructure), roads ( rebuilt every year), Corruption (out of control and accepted and overlooked),

Politics (Vote buying & more corruption), and no property zoning! Malls built without parking and a cement factories built next to residential housing!

Third World Country Yes, Now and probably for the next 25-30 years!

[MaeJoMTB]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

Edited October 5, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[american12bthai]

Thaksin will give money to the police for being corrupt, but wont help out "his" people in the north. Thaksin you are a turd.

[connda]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Thailand is a Third World Country! Flooding (no infrastructure), roads ( rebuilt every year), Corruption (out of control and accepted and overlooked),

Politics (Vote buying & more corruption), and no property zoning! Malls built without parking and a cement factories built next to residential housing!

Third World Country Yes, Now and probably for the next 25-30 years!

Compare the gold mining in Loie to the fracking the the US and Canada. Compare and contrast the ecological damage and it's effect on the local populations.

Third world is a relative term. Just playing Devil's Advocate. Something to think about, especially consider the utter BS that the official number of 'unemployed' in the US is 5% and change when there are over 100 million people out of work. And that figure doesn't include people who have illegally crossed the US border, are unemployed, and are essentially unaccounted in census statistic. Third World? The US seems to be devolving in that direction. Especially when you look at the state of the infrastructure and, for example, water mis-management in California and other drought stricken states. Looks like TPTB in the US have slammed the train into reverse and are now stoking the fire.

"Next stop! Banana Republic."

Edited October 5, 2015 by connda

[connda]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

Good for you. Family is important; money is relative.

[Thai at Heart]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

800 GBP per month certainly isn't 1st world...... Have u tried living in Bangkok on 43k? Bear in mind that it the average with quite a few earning a lot more than 43k........

[theguyfromanotherforum]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

800 GBP per month certainly isn't 1st world...... Have u tried living in Bangkok on 43k? Bear in mind that it the average with quite a few earning a lot more than 43k........

I live on less than that and enjoy daily western treats.

[Thai at Heart]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

800 GBP per month certainly isn't 1st world...... Have u tried living in Bangkok on 43k? Bear in mind that it the average with quite a few earning a lot more than 43k........

I live on less than that and enjoy daily western treats.

Well, I hope u feel like in the lap of luxury. 42k is not first world earnings and for every man on 84k that means 2 on 21......all on the average of course.

Put in rent, bills, transport and others, it leaves 30k on the average. That is before the 42k is taxed of course....

[theguyfromanotherforum]

My gf currently earns 40k a month. She paid off her townhouse in 5 years on 25k salary with a 25% down. How many First World families are able to do this.

You're confusing Third World infrastructure with standard of living.

[MiKT]

Stop complaining! With the Democrats, PRDC, Suthep eventually toppling the corrupted Shinawatras via a military coup, NCPO is bringing happiness to the Aristocrats and the rich Thai Chinese like Boonrawd, CP, Central etc....see at least these people can expand their busineses , buy more land etc.

Good points, but if there's no-one to buy their beer, food and other crap, what will they do then. The "elite & "hi -so" cannot support the economy alone. They all live in some kind of warm cocoon, oblivious to the struggle of the rest of the population to make ends meet..

No problem, they will live of the huge rents they charge for all the property they have bought in London, Shanghai, etc.

[MiKT]

It's a basic rule of thumb that you need a 50k+ monthly salary in order to buy a new car on credit and run it. Many financial problems in low income Isaan are self inflicted. One hardly sees any red plates in the area now though.

My maid got a new truck with a very small downpayment. And we pay her WAY less than 50k/month! LOL

You don't need 50k a month, however there are plenty of Issan people who are simply too dumb to even understand they have to pay back loans.

My ex-wife's mother borrowed Baht 240,000 more than 20 years ago, they paid only the interest of 5,750 per month for 20 years before the loan shark finally came knocking on the door and demanded the principal be paid. They lost their house to pay the principal despite having paid over 1.5million in interest payments. They also borrowed a further 60,000 at 10% per month as the the house didn't cover all of the outstanding debt. Plenty of people bought cars etc they simply could not afford to pay for.

Dumber than a box of hammers. Sadly this is not an isolated case. It's hard to have sympathy when people are this stupid.

Thats a pretty shitty attitude. People cannot help being dumb but that is not the real problem here. The problem is there are no laws to prevent loan sharks cheating these poor people out of their land and money and a lousy education system that is kept that way by the rich in order to ensure they can carry on downtreading the masses. I may sound like Karl Marx here, but really I feel sorry for you. Its certainly clear why she is an ex wife. Big white man looking down on poor thicko Thais. Ay yah!

[dru2]

I live in a small village in rural northern Thailand.

The people around me are already beating their ploughshares into swords. Their fury is palpable. Just yesterday one said to me: "A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another".

I tremble for the elites and their foreign running dogs.....

Now I am going back to sleep.

[MiKT]

It is easy to miss, but many farmers do not want to be farmers. To them, the farm is a misery, a place of suffering. You must enjoy working onnthe land and want to improve it in all of the ways easily available to learn before the changes are made. They are farmers because they have no other choices or at least no easy choices and then they are weighed down by immediate obligations. A trap. The land for them is a burden. Some want to get rid of it, but no one will buy! The farm neighboring mine is always asking us to buy it. Why? Their son wants a car or the loan sharks are getting nasty. We politely tell them no.

Well Bob, perhaps you should consider that land never goes down in price and in a few years you may be wishing you had purchased.

[jukai888]

Maybe its time that the government reconsider its policy of foreigners not being able to purchase real property... while not a solution to this "self made" mess they created, it would be a positive step in the right direction and add much need capitol and tax revenue to a struggling economy.

[billd766]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

I give my MIL no money at all.

Having said that she has lived with us fo over 4 years in a small house we built for her and all her needs are taken care of.

We take her where she needs to go, hospital wherever, we feed and clothe her, do all her laundry, pay all her bills and expect to do so as long as she lives. There is always somebody within calling distance and she has a mobile phone to talk to anybody she wants to.

If she goes into hospital either my wife or someone else will stay with her.

She is neither rich or poor but loved and respected.

[dageurreotype]

I live in a small village in rural northern Thailand.

The people around me are already beating their ploughshares into swords. Their fury is palpable. Just yesterday one said to me: "A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another".

I tremble for the elites and their foreign running dogs.....

Now I am going back to sleep.

A rice farmer said that? Impressive ..

[dageurreotype]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

I give my MIL no money at all.

Having said that she has lived with us fo over 4 years in a small house we built for her and all her needs are taken care of.

We take her where she needs to go, hospital wherever, we feed and clothe her, do all her laundry, pay all her bills and expect to do so as long as she lives. There is always somebody within calling distance and she has a mobile phone to talk to anybody she wants to.

If she goes into hospital either my wife or someone else will stay with her.

She is neither rich or poor but loved and respected.

And only 42

[thaibeachlovers]

Maybe its time that the government reconsider its policy of foreigners not being able to purchase real property... while not a solution to this "self made" mess they created, it would be a positive step in the right direction and add much need capitol and tax revenue to a struggling economy.

Foreigners buying up land in western countries has created a huge problem for the locals, and you want Thailand to go down the same route!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope Thailand NEVER allows foreigners to buy land.

BTW, WHAT struggling economy? Judging by the number of shiny new cars on the road wasting fuel there are no economic problems in the Chiang Mai to Uttaradit and Pattaya/ Bkk areas.

Edited October 7, 2015 by thaibeachlovers

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Maybe its time that the government reconsider its policy of foreigners not being able to purchase real property... while not a solution to this "self made" mess they created, it would be a positive step in the right direction and add much need capitol and tax revenue to a struggling economy.

Foreigners buying up land in western countries has created a huge problem for the locals, and you want Thailand to go down the same route!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope Thailand NEVER allows foreigners to buy land.

BTW, WHAT struggling economy? Judging by the number of shiny new cars on the road wasting fuel there are no economic problems in the Chiang Mai to Uttaradit and Pattaya/ Bkk areas.

I dunno. Seems like Chinese have found a workaround buying a property in Thailand. At least that's what people in Chiang Mai are complaining about.

[MaeJoMTB]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

I give my MIL no money at all.

Having said that she has lived with us fo over 4 years in a small house we built for her and all her needs are taken care of.

You've already handed over everything you own, so your post is irrelevant.

Not to mention, I haven't built a house for anyone.

MiL signed over the family farm to my son in exchange for 3k/month and the right to live there.

(Shhhh ...... the rest of the family don't know, and will be a bit upset when they find out)

[springheeled jack]

I don't think theres a quick fix for these people they've had some good times now they have the bad now they are looking to the government to help them out , the same with the farmers gross stupidity on their part has put them in the hole they are now in they should have been diversifying crops instead of the same crop year in year out putting themselves deeper and deeper in debt .

[bannork]

There are an awful lot of pick-ups in Issan nowadays, a lot of families have their kids sending money home every month to pay for installments etc. I don't think the price of rice affects the poor so much, they only have enough for their own consumption anyway. Many have moved into the more lucrative sugar cane.

[springheeled jack]

in reply to other posts the figures I quoted were taken from another post they are not my figures just thought id tell you .

[billd766]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

I give my MIL no money at all.

Having said that she has lived with us fo over 4 years in a small house we built for her and all her needs are taken care of.

We take her where she needs to go, hospital wherever, we feed and clothe her, do all her laundry, pay all her bills and expect to do so as long as she lives. There is always somebody within calling distance and she has a mobile phone to talk to anybody she wants to.

If she goes into hospital either my wife or someone else will stay with her.

She is neither rich or poor but loved and respected.

And only 42

Poor try and no cigar.

Just another stupid comment.

My wife is 50 this month and my MIL will be 70. I am 71.

[billd766]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

I give my MIL no money at all.

Having said that she has lived with us fo over 4 years in a small house we built for her and all her needs are taken care of.

You've already handed over everything you own, so your post is irrelevant.

Not to mention, I haven't built a house for anyone.

MiL signed over the family farm to my son in exchange for 3k/month and the right to live there.

(Shhhh ...... the rest of the family don't know, and will be a bit upset when they find out)

If my post is irrelevant then what does that make you?

[springheeled jack]

I am getting a lot of crass replies to my post about Thailand allow me to enlighten you the figures I quoted were taken from a larger post not my figures but I will say this much I receive a lot less and I manage quite well and I know other farangs do the same ,so I will say again these people are not poor..

[billd766]

one talks about thailand being a third world country in my opinion this is not so in the Bangkok area average family income is estimated to be 43.000 baht a month and in the north isaan in general are estimated to have an income of 19,000 per month a large disparity because of the economic climate ? in my opinion not poor people , and certainly not a third world country.

Small error in your figures,

The last stats on rural Issan farm workers estimated their average incomes at 27,000bht per adult per year.

(Just over 2,000bht/month)

And I can back those figures up from personal experience,

I give my (Central Thai farmer) MiL 3,000bht/month, which with her 500bht pension makes her one of the richest in her village.

I give my MIL no money at all.

Having said that she has lived with us fo over 4 years in a small house we built for her and all her needs are taken care of.

You've already handed over everything you own, so your post is irrelevant.

Not to mention, I haven't built a house for anyone.

MiL signed over the family farm to my son in exchange for 3k/month and the right to live there.

(Shhhh ...... the rest of the family don't know, and will be a bit upset when they find out)

Do you have a problem with what I do/have done with/for my Thai family?

If you do then that is your problem and not mine.

I have always refrained from making personal comments about you and I will continue to do so. I wish you would learn to do the same.

I do what I want to do not necessarily what other people think I should do, especially those people like you who have never met me, but always assume that they know more and are therefore more superior than others.

quote "You've already handed over everything you own, so your post is irrelevant."

How is that make my post irrelevant? You seem to post this very often about me. Now why would you do that?

[dru2]

Today my village neighbour was clearly experiencing even more rising anger.

Asked about the coming troubles, he warned: "Those who question are enemies; Those who oppose will be corpses".

[Fat Haggis]

Today my village neighbour was clearly experiencing even more rising anger.

Asked about the coming troubles, he warned: "Those who question are enemies; Those who oppose will be corpses".

I didn't know to lived next door to General Udomjet, what's he like to go out on the piss with? I'm betting he's alright till he mixes his drinks , and then starts talking shit, and getting all confrontational