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7/21/1964 - Thailand’s Northeast Region: In the Margins of Poverty and Chaos by Gayl D. Ness

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT rORLD AFFAIRS Hse I Galvez Ave Thailand Northeast Region Pasay City In Margins Poverty Chaos The Philippines July Mr Richard H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue New York New York Dear Nolte Two years Royal Government Thailand published development Northeast corsidered Thailand depressed region The stated object raise level living region country Major emphasis would plaeed building communications construction irrigation control power Two major forces behind concentration Northeast iarshal Sarit Thailand forceful Prime Minister until death himself region naturally desired uplift native In second 01ace important military leadership began Northeast isolated region fully under control Bangkok Many inhabitants speak Lao dialect vulnerable growing agitation other Aekong great river forms border Amos An Thailand Northeast region As states surrounding Thailand discovered especially Rortheast faces major problem consolidating political power making country truly nation Events Laos Cambodia Viet Ram realiza urgent Early May I spent wandering about sensitive region become focus modern development program I wanted program avowed urgency reflected ground As guide I fortunate having friend Prasert Yamklinfung sociology professor angkok famed uhulalongkorn University fellow student Berkele directing students village social surveys Northeast Prasert probably research region other single person knowledge sympathy people region extensive I first followed village surveys wider region What I rewarding tiring exhilarating depressing We Bangkok central railway station travelling overnight about miles northeast alighting darkness Oanphai Sweet coffee Chinese fried rolls coffee stall provided breakfast while waited Mahssarakam provincial capital almost middle region We shared battered Prasert GDN Opel station wagon village couple young Thai Chinese mountains asserted luggage Through breeze created speed I watched untryside gained first Northeast development The paved straight sunrise country earth sparse forests fields lying barren before coming rains Small village custers sprang shaded great clumps bamboo Houses built stils Halaysia rough boards corrugated roofs grass matting roofs leaves Large earthen water stood porches As dispelled morning began strength which regimn noted oppressive humidity Bangkok A ahasaraksm small provincial capital whose paved streets spring surrounding dusty provincial roads temples government buildings architectural style narrow structures steep roofs bright green government bright temples The shops carry impressive array artifacts modern industrial which imported Japan Eoorcycles radios electric attest local buying isolation poverty evident dominance inexpensive staples kerosene lamps There apparently going inter section marked wagon fresh tarred surfaces However I actual being while I there We stayed research dormitory local teachers college itself instrument progress problems region The students college largely peasant families village schools After years advanced pedagogical traning villages teachers This first Children teachers secondary school provincial government service their offspring finally great Bangkok university Among Prasert students village peasant parents though towns region Often course upward mobility rapid enough generation Young teachers sometimes become frustrated their advancement conservatism local Buddhist priest village headman teachers share compete influence village In addition Communists region focus their attention these young teachers amplifying problem teacher discontent The problem appear serious there nonetheless another symptom order giving increasing pressures modernization economic development equal distribution wealth In villages research I followed interviews wandered about watching daily scene quiet tempo Athough climate gentle villagers isolated On crude wooden looms under their houses women weave coarse cotton cloth daily clothing famous Thai festive occasions The plant canafe fiber They their implements fashioning wooden plows changed centuries except addition purchased towns In houses implements little money available Contact North il_laKe Scenes Houses carts Pounding winnowing making weaving CON outside world limited One village visited about Mahasarakam Jeep station wagon almost cover miles provincial highway another minutes itself remaining villa Even breakneck speed possible because rains Within month visit rutted would disappear swollen streams flooded fields villagers would shallow boats their infrequent trips One village started arrived introduced ourselves headman The students immediately fanned interviews I wandering I returned later students admiring pieces beautifu Thai woven headman attractive daughter students wanted As I aLmired pieces brought other village women bring their pieces display Then began Thai sense hospitality students interpreting I after visitor would reminder village eople The headmanls daughter finally weakened after discussion indecision allowed handsome plaid It heavy heart parted labor hands having decided raised price I offered Innocence lunches headman house stretched A crowd gathered providing gentle lively banter which I participated while sense sleepy being enveloped An grsnny I flirted earlier everyone delight brought present green mangoes dessert The headman brother brown marked handsome tatoos asked I would house I drowsy sincere affirmative reply adding I fields I I house charge people Then pointing niece skilled weaving suggested I I delighted I first hearty laughter followed friend handsome framing protruding teeth blackened beetle chewing cackling delightedly Thailand I wouldn first And indeed I wouldn In recent Asiapol survey Thailand country polled Asia which large majority women thought perfectly right Then roads clouds rising behind A Japanese trucks converted passanger carrying opening remote parts region influence towns As foreigner therefore guest I given favored place beside driver buses cushions these places compared favorably comfort wooden benches This preferential GDN A tempting offer The headman daughter second father matchmaking uncle treatment disturbed offered Malaysia often disturbing In Malaysia I received preference because I white I thought bearing color status conqueror political military economic superior The preference there uncomfortable because associated invidious distinction inferiority based accident color In Thailand there invidious distinction partly explained Thailand colonized western power Here preference extended ouoof genuine hospitality reserved guest It based partly Thai beauty Thais consider white beautiful itself evaluation antedates sustained contact West From Mahasarakam continued farther fiortheast passing bridges first mileso Then passed another hundred miles rickety wooden bridges indicating development program penetrated heart region We finally reached farthest northeast corner Nakornpranom quiet district broad beautiful Mekong River The obviously wealthy A hasarakam there paved streets larger number shops carried larger array luxury tilitarian man1factured GDN goods A street along river government offices river along flame trees whose brilliant blossoms formed striking frame great river through center river marked temple market where green beetles handfl promised pungent succulence fried roasted Now almost paralleling river south route Udornhani Bangkok This hundred fifty miles carried evidence development program I raised above monotonous fields sparse forests levelled prepared asphalting after coming rains Practising Thai numbers I counted bridges between spanning small streams swamps All showe U S shield hands clasped friendship marking U S played program Here again I curious impression development I gained Aahasarakam Although I signs completed machinery lying about entire region I actualrk progress roads I stopped Udornthani Thai government officers impressions strong unmixed These officers capable intelligent administrators sense responsibi development region The Northeast beeen noted something exile officers without powerful patrons Bangkok Now changed region getting young officers governors They generally critical U S community development program their greatest heavy machinery building With I general agreement I found familiar alaysian development programs where there impatience building interest programs designed change human values From Udornthani Just miles north Nongkai There I Jumped acress river Vientiane Vientiane seemed mixture American frontier French provincial sidewalk cafes A spent cartridges remained latest Pathet started peace reigned supreme Our AID officials happy their depressing extreme anyone looking signs development there sheer handout necessary In program together rench British Australians Laos imports program euphemistically dubbed monetary tribes stabilization In another drop0 refugees North Viet There building seems hopeless attempt bureaucratic reform At bottom comes infinitesimal pogram village development Thesense frustration people I talked though dedicated souls plugging trying totie pieces human csting occasional backward glance utter chaos larger scene The rather cuisine excellent providi addition sense stability great civilization could almost crashing crunching attending failing order colonial order prodder propped feudal anachronisms violent struggle establish order Amid ruins battle I could envisage figure French waiter French Aarcel French hotel owner international money broker correspondent friend confidant procurer things money lender And His hotel built correspondents money times country greatest sigle source foreigh exchange apart agency cable dispatches Here finds strength civilization With bullets whining overhead holocaust spining around there would still glass ernod artichokes would still arrive Viet Nam could still steak bottle still sufficient withstand rigomrs Journey climate emerge better gallant bouquet still intact The sense civilization especially hopelessly biased western invigorating I found little interest Vientiane especially since I coward being correspondent As I leaving brave newsmen hoping their informa airfield correct watch Pathets begin their vigorous offensive I preferred beside great ekong waiting launch Nongkai train Bangkok The fourteen train Nongkai Bargkok ample reflection The monotony riceand forests provided little distraction station stops where could succulent broiled chicken cooked prawn crackers marched before Here WaS great Aekong River those mighty pical waterways I winding through poverty chaos On chaos dominator It produced poverty intensified verty already present frustrated efforts increase productivity Across river Thai there poverty there sense broader organ ization government which something could being eradicate poverty The development feverish perhaps steady But there development especially communicetions brings ranging changes inexorsblyo The human material development impressed considerably Perhaps because great producing central plains people Northeast energetic enterprising The swarms sellers stops indication people opportunity their energy With every improved energies talents these people released This certainly bring different things peaceful perhaps healthy certainly foreseeable Pobably thing which certain along stretch Meois poverty chaos explosive ingredients change definitely region Sincerely Received New York July Gayl D Ness