Thailand Village Life
Life and Experience – Thai Village Life
Thailand Village Life
Does Thailand Have Villages?
Thailand village life is simple. Let me enlighten you with my personal experiences. How do Thai people live and does Thailand have villages? Thai people live a pretty hard life in the rural villages. That I can attest to personally way\thing and sometimes assisting them with long days in the fields with the rice. The nights are often consumed by working in the rubber tree plantations selling latex. Alternatively when they have a spare second they growing various foods and fruits. Does Thailand have Villages? This is an overwhelming yes with a large amount of the Thai population being pretty poor. Thai people are generally living in a rural setting with agriculture as their prime source of income.
The variety of homes and accommodation varies immensely from near grand palaces of the rich and famous to town brick somewhat western homes. In the country the homes are very much wood or bamboo construction with some cement construction and the roofs range from bamboo to metal sheets as well as modern tiles on the newer homes.
Expat Housing & Thailand Village Life
If your considering moving to Thailand to retire and you are single or have a partner not from Thailand you can purchase an apartment. You cannot own lad but an apartment is fine. I know a past Air Force acquittance who has moved to Hua Hin south of Bangkok on the coast and purchased an apartment with his Australian born wife. I believe they are very happy there. There has been a recent change in 2021 allowing you to actually purchase land if you have quite a lot of money to invest in Thailand as well. There is always a catch. (This is another blog post to come.)
The homes above are pretty typical of modern Thailand but going back to when I first traveled to Thailand and visited rural Thailand it was quite different. In the past the homes in the country villages were very poor wooden construction.
My own families home had leaking tin roof and the kitchen a flat wooden floor out the back of the home at floor level which was about 6ft from the ground. There was a fire out there for cooking rice and food. The primary food in Northern Thailand is called Glutenous Rice or Sticky Rice. This rice is soaked overnight and because of the high gluten content is then steamed and eaten with soups and stews plus fish.
Thailand – Cultural Warning
Thailand has grown and prospered with some of its past leaders and growth and prosperity was certainly pushing Thailand forward economically. There have been others that have not pushed the country forward. Thailand has a record of military’s coups which has not necessarily helped the country maintain the momentum it previously had.
There is much that could be said here but one LAW you should be aware of in Thailand is the “Lese Majeste Law” which prohibits any anti Royal/Government commentary that can cost you up to 15 years in jail. I recommend you have an understanding of this law if your any kind of Thailand based Blogger/Media representative heading to Thailand. Read more HERE!
Thailand Village Life – First Arrival
Thailand village life is amazing and very challenging to a new young Australian and his fiancé at the time of my first trip. My first visit to northern Thailand and Chiang Rai, very far from where I met my wife of now 36 years in Southern Thailand in the troubled three provinces. The homes I saw were all wood construction and mostly high on stilts. The people like to sit under the homes during the long hot days of summer as well as the sticky monsoon months.
Its a comfortable and family orientated place where families and the children congregate for meals and rest times between the hard days working in the fields. Children and parents alike can be found in hammocks strung between the homes support legs swinging back and forward gently in the breeze if their is one. Those not slumbering are sitting and chatting on the low tables that everyone sits on. If your not use to sitting on the ground then your going to struggle.
We westerners’ become quickly used to chairs from our early days and I can attest the blood stops in a short period in your legs. Its had to walk or even get up so be aware oh traveler.
What is the Lifestyle in Thailand – My Experience
The lifestyle in Thailand is mostly village related and is pretty relaxed. It is very short on creature comforts for a wide eyed westerner when I made my first visit in 1984. The trip itself was a lot more than I thought it would be with a 24 hour ride from Butterworth to Bangkok on the train. Spending the day in Bangkok we got on a bus to Chiang Rai which was overnight. I never considered flying and to this day I don’t know why. Young guys not thing the problem out I guess. On arrival at Chiang Rai we got a Tuk Tuk or taxi out to my wife family home some 25k’s east of Ching Rai.
The trip took us through lush green forests, lots of rice fields and a road lined by houses with only small gaps between the roadside villages. Our village was on a knoll surrounded by rice paddy fields and prominent rock formations rising dramatically out of the surrounding country side. Some are given names like one near our village called Chang (Elephant) It looks like an elephant head and back. The one in the picture looks spookily like it. Notice the head at the right with the trunk and to the left is its neck and body. Maybe you need a dew Mekong’s to see it well but we digress.
What is the Lifestyle in Thailand
The lifestyle in Thailand is all about maximizing the day. Early starts are daily with many up at or before 5am. I can attest to this because we get up at five and go to the village market to buy items like meat and fish as well as vegetables. Of course its a social occasion and I usually prop myself in the shelter with a coffee for 20 Baht. This is a sweet treat and very nice at that time of the morning. My coffee lady lives close to our home and this is something of a tradition.
Everything is laid out on tables and in baskets. The prices are on pieces of carboard inside bamboo sticks. Bartering is often part of the daily trip to the market, Its part of the culture and you can barter everywhere to different levels of success. The very latest department stores are one of the few places its not normal but they have promotions on everything so its nearly the same.
Thailand Village Working Life
Thailand working life is centered rurally around rice. Rice can be grown two or more times a year depending on rainfall or water availability. Glutenous rice as well as normal Jasmine rice is often grown if two crops are possible.
It has changed from the banks of workers digging to planting and then harvesting the rice as it was in the past. Today it is changing fast to a more mechanized task with some rice still needing to be manually cropped but others are machine harvested.
The alternate is now rubber plantations on the hills around villages where rice cannot be grown. Some 10-15 years ago the north started planting rubber trees and after 5 years of patience and love they compliment the income of farmers as well today. It has proven to be a life saver for many but not without frustration but that’s agriculture.
Thailand and Religion – Inseparable
Thai daily life and culture centers highly around religion. Buddhism is the major religion in Thailand with Christian and Islam also present in much smaller numbers. Buddhism guides Thais in every aspect of life. Auspicious days are determined by monks for the day you can pick up a new car. Sometimes it could be a week or two that you have to wait even when its in the car yard waiting. The car yard are fully aware of it so they know they have to wait for their money.
I have got to know the two monks in our village and they are amazing people. They help, guide without question. Attend funerals, house blessings and car blessings and are the soul of the community. I have spent hours being the taxi for our monks and enjoyed their company. Our head monk is a young man left at the temple like so many kids when they had to go and work. He was left in the temples care and has grown and educated himself right through to university.
Tu (Monk) Bom is a young man that askes for nothing and gives his heart and soul to the community. He had the village temple knocked down and rebuilt by using social media to find wealthy people to help complete this massive task. To TUM BOON (Make Merit) is a powerful driver for many. Donating and supporting both the Temples and Poor People is part of ensuring a quality afterlife and rebirth. Buddhists believe in reincarnation so getting a head start on a next life with better opportunities is a powerful driver. 10 Baht or a million baht, its looked upon as the same to same value. Its what you can afford from your heart. The rebuilding of the temple an immense task to take on when no one else would even try. He has an amazing legacy which challenged every part of his being to complete. It took a couple years to complete the demolition and rebuild completed and it took quite a toll on his health.
I have much to share in upcoming posts. Thank you for coming to my blog here at Guitar Dreaming.
Please feel free to comment below.
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2 responses to “Thailand Village Life – PEACEFUL & CHALLENGING to a Foreigner.”
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