Our ISAN village is called บ้านห้วยหัน-ไทรงาม BAN HUAI HAN – SAI NGAM (Moo 4 & 11, Tambon Wang Chomphu, Amphoe Nong Bua Daeng, Chaiyaphum, 36210, Thailand). Well, there are actually two villages บ้านห้วยหัน HUAI HAN and ไทรงาม SAI NGAM. Since HUAI HAN became too big for the authority, SAI NGAM was then created. We have around two thousand inhabitants.
Most adults in the village work constantly or temporarily as farmers. Mainly sugar cane, rice and manioc are grown. Rubber trees and oil palms are also grown and managed. Some farmers also have fish, chickens, ducks, water buffalos, and cattle. Thailand has tropical monsoon climate, i.e. his climate is shaped by monsoon wind, whu switch every six months between the northeast and southwest. Monsoon climate is usually a climate with temperatures between 26 ° C to 37 ° C and high humidity. Extreme weather with dryness, heavy rain and storms endanger the harvests of the farmers. Climate change has arrived in Thailand and the farmers have to prepare for the consequences.
Thailand has the richest king in the world but the poorest farmers in Asia with average losses of 2,000 THB/rai (12,500 THB/ha). The majority of people in our village live hand to mouth, only a few have savings and their material life only improved by taking on more debt.
State support for farmers, such as breeding better varieties, yield guarantees, investment grants and low interest rates on loans, is far too low. Food prices are at record levels and farmers are not getting enough.
The impoverishment of farmers due to increased production costs (fertilizer, fuel, insecticides) with sometimes falling sales prices (e.g. rice), climate crisis, rising living costs, heavy dependence on non-transparent buyer prices, lack of state control of buyers and usury on loans is increasing and is a Sign of a decaying society where few abound in wealth and the vast majority are poor.
Family, friends and the sense of community are of the greatest importance for the majority of the villagers, values that make our people strong and lovable.
Our inhabitants are Buddhists and are accompanied by Buddhist monks in our temple.
