The Green Snake and changes to the River

Dear Friends,

I found the picture of my favourite banana tree at the back of the garden. These bananas taste very different from the others as these are not too sweet. Most bananas are too sweet when fully ripe. One should keep about four to five banana trees in one cluster. When a banana tree has been harvested, the gardener will cut it down to allow a new shoot to come up nearby.

Last week my helper/gardener, called Pann, reported to me that the long lost green snake has been back. Now, he has grown to two meters’ long. He startled Pann by falling off a mango tree with a loud thud. Lots of birds are building their nests in the garden. This green snake is back for the feeding season! About two years ago I happened to notice him on the wire-fence while I was doing some pruning at the fence. Luckily I didn’t mistake him for some leaves from hanging branches. He was very cooperative when I asked him to turn around towards my camera. At that time he was about a meter.

There are two kinds of green snakes; one is completely green which is harmless, the other type has brown markings which mean that it is poisonous. However, the venom will not kill a person, but it will cause a lot of pain. This green snake didn’t like my voice. The first time I met him was when he was just a baby-snake, about twelve inches long. He was heading past the lotus pond and paused to survey his surroundings. He could smell my neighbour’s puppies playing in the garden and was about to change his direction. I didn’t know what to do, so I started shouting at him but he didn’t care. As soon as I started singing, he shook his head and slipped away as fast as he could. From then on, whenever I feel the presence of snakes in the bush, I would just sing to frighten all the snakes away!

My house has a nice view of the Mae Khong River; three years ago anyone could just run down to the bank of the river for a swim. Nowadays, a new road which is about five meters higher than the land has become like a barrier blocking the old way of living and affecting unexpected changes. In the past, villagers could plant their crops (chili, tomato, sweet potato, yams) right by the river. They could easily draw water from the river to use for planting. Fishermen could easily take their boats up and down the river.

Today, most villagers have to stop planting their crops because it is difficult to get water up across the road. Some villagers have to invest in connecting pipes to local water supply and pay the water bill. Life has become more cumbersome for fishermen as they have to walk up steep stairs to the road; bringing their fish to the market is more time consuming. Access to the river bank by villagers, children and local dogs for evening dip in the river is more difficult, there are sharp rocks everywhere. They have to go to the location of the steep stairways along the road to get to the river.

During the last four years, the government has been very active in getting roads and infrastructures ready for the Asian Economic Community (AEC). This is very similar to the idea of European Community whereby a single market with a single currency would be emulated by Asian countries, for better or for worse. The local administrators and policy makers have all these building projects such as expanding roads, roads along the river, new offices and buildings. They see these as the means to raise economic prosperity: better roads for transportation of goods and agricultural produce, an increase in tourism, an expansion of land development, etc.

These policies will change people’s ways of lives and their value systems gradually. Some people will be able to make a lot of money as the price of land is more than double. Some people suffer from falling prices in agricultural produce because the AEC and new roads bring in cheaper products from Laos and China. It is very difficult to find Thai garlic and onions; the Chinese grown garlic and onions are much cheaper! In the future, villagers will not have anything suitable to grow to make a living.

There are some benefits from the new road by the river. In the morning, a few people come jogging along the road; in the evening many people come for their walks and cycling. A new four-star resort opens further down the road taking advantage of the new road. Several villagers work at this resort which is owned by investors from the northern city. Most visitors are people from Bangkok and other big cities. Land prices become too high for local villagers to own local land. All the nice pieces have been bought by outside developers. Everyone seems to hope that AEC will bring in a lot of money, tourists and investors. Local villagers hope to sell their remaining land at very high prices. So far, the market seems to be asleep. They are not making more money while expenses have crept higher.

Fortunately, there has been a new trend among well educated people who seek self-sufficiency and ‘back-to-nature’ style of life. Some city people have become rice growers, organic farmers and formed networks for educating those interested in self-sufficiency. My future project is to attend workshops on sufficiency farming organized by various groups.

How can one deny progress and economic prosperity? I wonder if Thai people are losing their direction or being clouded by the hope of becoming rich. What is the price that people have to pay in exchange for accomplishing their dreams of becoming rich? Why have most Thais lost the path of moderation, ‘the middle way’? Village life may disappear in the near future, with all the local culture and values.

Please keep well and send your good vibes around the planet!
Cheers.