What is the function of the head of the village, pohr luang?

Thanks

Potter

I thought in thai......The village headman = pu yai baan

I thought in thai......The village headman = pu yai baan

Perhaps a different in local dialect. But leave that talk for an other forum. What is his functions?

"Luang Phor" is a title used to address a monk.

He takes care of any local problems that might come up in "his patch" which could vary from a very small area of responsibility from a single Moo (street) to a whole village.

Sort of local democraticy at work but handy blok to know if you are trying to integrate into a (his ) community.

If he cant sort it out whatever the prob.he then goes and has a word with the next guy on the ladder...the "Kam-Nun"who can then follow up and deals with either the mayor,the "Guvnor" or the areas parliamentary MP....

He takes care of any local problems that might come up in "his patch" which could vary from a very small area of responsibility from a single Moo (street) to a whole village.

Thanks!

I have had a hard time finding thai people who answer straight up to my cultural qustions.

Is he somebody who can teach thai culture?

Is he somebody who will answer straight on my quistions?

Is he somebody who does not gossip?

Can he be trusted emotional secrets?

Edited November 15, 200619 yr by Potter

Thailand's larger cities are headed by mayors. But at the “Village level” they are run by a village headman, in Thai called phu-yai-ban or phuyai baan. These Thai village headmen control but not limit to such things as birth registration, identity cards, assign your house address, the setting of local policy and local disputes etc.

He takes care of any local problems that might come up in "his patch" which could vary from a very small area of responsibility from a single Moo (street) to a whole village.

Thanks!

I have had a hard time finding thai people who answer straight up to my cultural qustions.

Is he somebody who can teach thai culture?

Is he somebody who will answer straight on my quistions?

Is he somebody who does not gossip?

Can he be trusted emotional secrets?

No, to each of your questions.

Take your time, listen and learn. After some considerable time all questions will find an answer, eventually.

He takes care of any local problems that might come up in "his patch" which could vary from a very small area of responsibility from a single Moo (street) to a whole village.

Thanks!

I have had a hard time finding thai people who answer straight up to my cultural qustions.

Is he somebody who can teach thai culture?

Is he somebody who will answer straight on my quistions?

Is he somebody who does not gossip?

Can he be trusted emotional secrets?

No, to each of your questions.

Take your time, listen and learn. After some considerable time all questions will find an answer, eventually.

He is a respectable thai?

He is a respectable thai?

Depends.

In some villages the Pu Yai Ban is indeed an honest and respected person, in others he is the meanest, most corrupt and brutal mafia lord of the area feared by all.

Often it takes some time to find out which he might be.

He is a respectable thai?

Depends.

In some villages the Pu Yai Ban is indeed an honest and respected person, in others he is the meanest, most corrupt and brutal mafia lord of the area feared by all.

Often it takes some time to find out which he might be.

Interesting...

I have learned a lot already from the answers in this thread

And he may not be interested in revealing his true self to falang.

A bottle of Jack can't hurt though.

He takes care of any local problems that might come up in "his patch" which could vary from a very small area of responsibility from a single Moo (street) to a whole village.

Thanks!

I have had a hard time finding thai people who answer straight up to my cultural qustions.

Is he somebody who can teach thai culture?

Is he somebody who will answer straight on my quistions?

Is he somebody who does not gossip?

Can he be trusted emotional secrets?

No, to each of your questions.

Take your time, listen and learn. After some considerable time all questions will find an answer, eventually.

He is a respectable thai?

Spot on.....and a wee bottle of the "water of life dont do any harm".....sanuk

Reading your intial enquiry and some of the answers:

I wonder if I could suggest that may be you seek you answers on here with the guys that have lived here a long time and are well versed with village life and the cultures, not sure if this thought helps you or not

Edited November 16, 200619 yr by macb

Spot on.....and a wee bottle of the "water of life dont do any harm".....sanuk

Please translate....

He takes care of any local problems that might come up in "his patch" which could vary from a very small area of responsibility from a single Moo (street) to a whole village.

Thanks!

I have had a hard time finding thai people who answer straight up to my cultural qustions.

Is he somebody who can teach thai culture?

Is he somebody who will answer straight on my quistions?

Is he somebody who does not gossip?

Can he be trusted emotional secrets?

He is the guy who receive a lot money from partys like Thai Rak Thai and hand out a small part of the money to the village and tell the people who they should vote.

Pho Luang and phuu yai baan are one and the same. Phuu yai baan is the title and pho luang is the common form of address and also can be used as the title.

The headman is democratically elected by the villagers, often from one of the wealthier families or more connected families. Traditionally he was one of the more respected elders of a village and often one who spent more than the minimum three months as a monk in the Sangha, often several years. But more recently, with more modern administrative work, one often sees younger and slightly more modernly educated men being elected with the older men serving in the background settling disputes. The headmen would often serve as the phuu yais in disputes between people from neighboring villages. He also serves as the conduit for the government and as the connection to the local kamnaan, the sub-district head who is also elected locally, and who reports to the head of the district, the naay amphoe, who is appointed by the government from above. The headman is also responsible for delivering the votes for his political party during elections.

Although you can find some real scoundrels serving as headman, most I've met are pretty interesting men with good social skills in handling conflicts and deserving of respect.

Often people claim to be village headmen to outsiders like trekkers and visiting anthropologists, two groups who inevitably claim to end up in a headman's house.

He is a respectable thai?

Depends.

In some villages the Pu Yai Ban is indeed an honest and respected person, in others he is the meanest, most corrupt and brutal mafia lord of the area feared by all.

Often it takes some time to find out which he might be.

How does he obtain this status. Is he elected, appointed or what? Does the provincial office have a list of the names of the respective village chiefs?

He is a respectable thai?

Depends.

In some villages the Pu Yai Ban is indeed an honest and respected person, in others he is the meanest, most corrupt and brutal mafia lord of the area feared by all.

Often it takes some time to find out which he might be.

How does he obtain this status. Is he elected, appointed or what? Does the provincial office have a list of the names of the respective village chiefs?

Pu Yai Ban are elected for a period of ten years now.

Of course there are lists of who is Pu Yai Ban as this is the lowest administrative position in Thailand.

Edited November 16, 200619 yr by ColPyat

Spot on.....and a wee bottle of the "water of life dont do any harm".....sanuk

Please translate....

What bit did you not understand....the Whisky or the Fun......

As well as the other comments, he is someone who can sign off an agreement, as a respected witness, not sure if this is legally binding but he is generally the guy you would search for in the first instance.

Moss

Sanuk, having a laugh or just plain fun and as stated Water of life is Whiskey but spelt with an e and has to be a single malt.

Just sampled a Connemara single malt, great little peaty taste, definately moreish.