Future of ISSAN

[worcwacol]

Future of ISSAN

As a 4 year "vetran farang" in Nakhon Phanom I am at times totally frustrated by the lack of opportunity for local children in the area---Lack of employment opportunities if /when they do graduate from a inadeqate educational system--lack of social/sporting facilities after school---where are the lirbaries, the tennis courts, the football clubs, in fact anything for the children to do besides play in the sois after school or on weekends?---
They get certificates from school that are not worth the paper they are written on---e.g. I have 2 young girls 18, and 22 who live near me--go to tech college-- "learn english"-- grading 4 out of 5--YET!, can not read or speak english at all--and I mean not at all.
IT appears that as soon as schooling finishes-- they have to go get a job in bangkok--and/or as soon as the rice is cropped apply for a job in Bangkok-- get married and leave the babies with grandma--

I am about to move "my " 2 children age 11 and 13 to a internationl school in Pattaya--in a hope that they may have a future because in Nakhon Phanom they just haven't
This government and all the previous ones have left the children of Thailand down very badly

Worcwacol

[Mr. Isaan]

The problem for Issan people is the [b]LAO KHAO, the alcohol.

Have a look around. Is there any study about alcoholism in Issan or all about Thailand? My impression is they are the biggest alcoholics in the world.

When you want to give them a chance, teach them to stop alcohol!!!

Another case of corruption, the influence of the alcohol industry.

[shakeyd]

Mr Isaan,
It seems that EVERYONE is addicted to beer in your world but I can tell you that in my world in Udon most people work hard and try to get the best for there children and family.The problem with Thailand in general is that you come across coruption at every level and it starts at the airport when you jump into a taxi right up to the goverment official because they don't get paid enough so bribes is the only way they can make ends meet.

As Forest Gump said " Stupid is as stupid does" and I think that applies to the Goverment of Thailand in general.

[bultaco44]

The problem for Issan people is the [b]LAO KHAO, the alcohol.

Have a look around. Is there any study about alcoholism in Issan or all about Thailand? My impression is they are the biggest alcoholics in the world.

When you want to give them a chance, teach them to stop alcohol!!!

Another case of corruption, the influence of the alcohol industry.

I just had a look around where I live in Isaan, and I am sorry to dissapoint you.

Your stereotype doesn't apply here.

Give us the next one.

[Lizard]

I got to know a Isaan girl for 10 dayswhen i was in Chiang Mai.
I am still coming to grips that the parents look after her child,as with others i got to know.
This girl is now working in China at a Hotel.
She hopes to make money than she did in Chiang Mai.
I have my doubts.
She did ask if i take her back with me to Australia.
I read this all the time do all Thais wanting to leave Thailand?
I have spoken to a few people when i was in Chiang Mai, about how there is no payments
to look after yourself when you get old.
Maybe we are lucky in Australia.
What are your views, as i am still learning about the Thai way of life and living.
Ed

[Justice_Served]

ref work wacol .. Great seeing your post of concern .
Its also sad seeing the destruction that alcohol has caused all over the world.
I said it a million times.. My Sobriety is a gift from God but lets face it Issan has many more short comings than
drug and alcohol abuse . I wish I had the answer .
Unity is all most have from the area of Issan , this is where my wife comes from, Thais helping Thais. To many money means ~no money no problems
.
Schools are their but kids are needed to farm the rice or watch their baby sister or brother so mom and pop can work and feed the family. I cant say this way of life is better or worse but its a way of culture that dates back long before I was born .

Imagine one day of flying soritys and the price of one tomahawk missile could feed that village for a few years .
People ask me what if, why don't they do this or that over their..
Its troublesome to try to explain many their don't have choice and their lives are the way it is, the cards dealt is their destiny in most cases.

My wife was lucky herself to end up in USA and now holds a degree in Hospitality Management and as we will retire one day we will return for good but for sure in Issan and as far away from BKK as possible.Then I will give to help her fellow Thais..not meaning monetary funds but knowledge..friendship and possible starting of a small business to employ a few locals .Teaching is best gift one can give .A touch on a child for one day can mean the world to him or her.Some never felt affection as we know it.

[pachangamac042]

I guess I-Saan people are like people all over the world. There are good ones and the others. Just one example from our family. Two younger sisters of my mother in law.

The first one, married with two children. The older boy has finished university and works for government. The sister is in Bangkok in a university for an other two years. They run a typical village shop selling everything. They do not make enough money to put the daughter through university, so the daughter works at a pizza hut the week ends. The parents in the village a hard working people. During rice planting or harvesting season, one of them takes care the shop, the other one goes to the fields. Next to it, mostly at night, the uncle goes fishing, hunting or rats catching. While in the shop, he is making fishing nets for sell. Behind their house they got a fish pond, where they grow fishes for sell as well. They really try hard and make a Bath wherever there is a Bath to be made.

The second sister, well she and her family are exactly the contrary. Lazy, useless people. They take care their rice field, have some chicken running and shitting around their house and little more. The uncle, heavy on lao kao, some days is knocked out at midday already. The aunt, spends her days laying around and eating. Two daughters, same as the parents, useless. One 19 with a two year old daughter. Her job, do nothing. Her husband works and likes to get drunk the week ends. The second daughter, still goes to “school”. No idea what kind of “school”, as I never ever have seen her carrying any books, doing homework or studying. Married as well to a guy who brought 4 cows into the marriage. There house, well, I would not really call it a house myself, more like a old wood hut hold together by dirt and rubbish. But they got 4 bikes and an old pick up truck. The girls always in nice clothes and the latest Nokias.

You see, just like everywhere, good and bad, ying and yang. I-Saan is not different, its people are not different. Of course, you go down South, meet some I-Saan girls in beer bars and hear the same sad, old stories over and over again. The good stories, well you do not hear them because the people who could tell them they stay in their homes doing a normal family live. Like everywhere.

The future, well family one will have a prosper future, family two, I guess, the beer bars will still have a demand for some I-Saan daughters in the future.

[Southerner]

Dear all,

I dont think its fair to just blame the government or the systems etc...
I am a Thai Person and I am from the south of Thailand. My parents are very very poor with 8 kids!! They worked as labors for all kinds of things to earn little money for their kids to go to "Temple school", which is known as the lowest quality of all kinds of school in Thailand. There are no job opportunities in my village but can you believe that most of the youngsters are educated. It is like the competition among all neighbors to send their kids to school (even the worse ones) and the higher education one's kids have, the better image of the family gets. So whats always in my and other kids's heads is that
" I have to try to study as best as I can and education will take us away from the same old poverty and no opportunities that we were born with"
After 6 years in the temple school, I went for the test to get in to the best high school of the province (as my parents always wished and supported me to do so). And I passed, with the second highest point from more than 1000 kids that went for this test. I remember my mom said it was like she just won the first prize lottery to know that I could get into that school.
I graduated from one of the best universities in Thailand and I have been working with big international companies.
My mom can not even read or write. My dad learned to read and write with the monk while he was in the temple served the monks as temple boy, and had been alcoholic for yearssssssssss.

I am telling you all these becoz i just wanted to let you know that bad situations are everywhere in Thailand, not just in Isaan. But we are still 3rd world country which is very poor. You can not expect all the comfy and conveniences at every corner you step in. In fact, youd better expect something out of date and far from technology and development.
However I have been wishing for the better education systems for the new generations. And as I have noticed, its getting better even it goes slowly...but better than nothing eh?

Thais say " do not blame the drummer if you can not dance very well " (someone who understands what I mean please tell what you say in English)

Last but not least, I still love my ****** little country

WCV

[pachangamac042]

Dear Southerner, congratulations to you, because you did it. You were a very lucky boy to have such intelligent parents. Parents who understood that education is one of the most important things in live and a ticket out of poverty.

Unfortunately I think that you are an exception in Thailand. I met too many children in this country who think that partying is more important than school. Children who are just too lazy to work hard on their education and parents who do not mind much.

I see it every day in our family. I have to laugh, when our neighbor cosine shows us her top school marks in English, 5th year English, but can not speak or understand any English at all. For her the only thing witch counts is the marks not the knowledge. One day she will have a university degree but no knowledge and no future.

It is a pity that the education system does not care more about their children and many teachers are just not interested at all in giving children proper education. You are a great example how it should be. Maybe you should go around the country, visit schools and lecture students your live history. Maybe you could open some students eyes.

[somchai23]

The answer is not simple. To fix the problems/negative stereotypes requires several things to come together.
- Parents can play a more positive role by encouraging school, hard work, goal setting, etc...
- Students/children/teenagers must learn themselves and have their own motivation to achieve.
- Thais (most Asians, and not just Thais) need to learn to compete on global level. In subjects of Language, Match, Science, which student is better prepared to compete? The Asian students or the Europeans?
- If you follow the example of successful Asian nations, English language competency, hard work ethic, global awareness and ability to compete are some of the common factors.
- Despite the absence or lack of Western conveniences, it IS possible for disadvantaged school children in Thailand to rise, succeed, compete, and contribute...
- Thai students should be thought to dream, work hard, and not easily be content with their current station in life.
- If there is no self motivation, nothing will change... If no one helps to show the possibilities, no one will dream of a better life. If they are taught to accept the way things are, nothing will change...