With Carole now back at home and work, I was in danger of becoming a Norma no mates and clearly in the have not (friends) camp, but luckily, Trevor and Jill from Bideford who were here last year turned up so I at least know someone!
But on a more serious note during my meandering over the past few days the differences here between the haves and have nots is a bit clearer. My walks along the coastal plain just behind the beach take me through little settlements with the usual chickens but most people and houses seemed ok. It's only when you walk up away from the beach and in the hills when that changes slightly. Here it's a mix of quite big relatively flash houses, lovely old original wooden Thai houses. Small two roomed houses on stilts, small rows of tiny, concrete houses and some dwellings that can only be described as "shacks" - corrugated iron and old planks of wood held together with nails and bits of string. As you glance in trying not to be obviously nosy, they are dark, dusty and look supremely uncomfortable. There's also a bit of building work going on here as I assume some people are selling off parcels of land and the odd new house is being built. But the labour force looks very much like the have nots from Myanmar - the tiny women, with their faces covered in the sandalwood paste they all used out there seem to be the best plasterers. They clearly have so little if they have to be exiled from their own country and family to work as labourers here. At the end of each day there are truck loads of these labourers being taken, I assume, to wherever the bosses provide accommodation for them. I shudder to think what it must be like. And I also assume they get less than the Thai minimum wage which is only around $10 a day anyway.
But what all these areas do share is a have - each little village has so many "shops" and "restaurants", It seems every other house is selling something or another with their goods either on smart shelves in their living room or on dusty shelves with a few dusty vegetables out the front. And the smells of cooking are everywhere from the little eating places, although the smells of star anise, green curry spices and bbq's seem a bit out of place in the mornings.... I think very few people here cook at home, the sheer amount of small eating places means they can't.
The other thing all places seem to have is their own well for water, it looks like most houses have their own. This is the case not just in the hilly areas but also down on the coast. But what is new is every so often a house has installed a water purifying vending machine where for about 2p a litre or less you can fill up your big water bottles with reverse osmosis purified water. Looks a great plan, I guess it can save lots of money rather than having the big bottles of water delivered and there are loads of the machines about. They just seem to plumb them into their own well and off they go, making a bit of money.
Another interesting team of have nots appear early morning and evening. I don't profess to fully understand the Thai rubbish collecting service, but along the main road there are areas with wheelie bins where people come and drop their black bags of rubbish. The rubbish pickers appear on their motorbikes and sidecars and work their way through the full black bags removing anything that is recyclable. Often with a small child in tow and nothing protecting their hands.. A tough life. But up in the hills the rubbish is a lot more charming with these cute little "Miss Clean" bins outside a lot of places. They look like an illustration from a child's fairy story.
People all seem to have loads of coconut trees and banana plants. I think it's also jackfruit season if there is such a thing, lots of these huge fruits are still on the trees wrapped protectively in old jumpers or plastic backs for protection.
I try and vary my walks either up in the hills, behind the beach or into Fisherman's Village, Bophut. On this stretch of road I walk past an area I call Beauty Queen corner - The World Hotel and The Peace Resort are next door to one another. Think about it.....
And you're never far from a temple in Thailand, this local one in Mae Nam is guarded by these rather impressive serpents. They're all quite large temples but it's nice that they are real working ones rather than the big set pieces with loads of tourists.
But generally as I wander, people always say a cheery "hello". I always reply but wonder sometimes if I am saying "Bad Minging" or something similar in reply, the ghost of the British policeman from "Allo, Allo" still lingers.... Often I will get offered a lift on the back of a motorbike too, one which I have declined so far! Not sure the Thai's understand just walking when you could go by bike.
But the big have not of the last few weeks is a positive, it's been a while since I've seen a live snake, just dead ones....
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Location:แม่น้ำ,Thailand
