Thailand's road to modernity includes a marvellous infrastructure. But human resource development seems to lag behind the imported technology and lifestyle.
Thailand presents a neat appearance even from the air. The tall buildings have flat tops but the smaller structures look with sloping roofs of red or blue.
The country set on the road to modernity 50 years ago, with the present monarch, Rama IX, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. His working philosophy is that he "...must change with the country, but at the same time keep the spirit of the country".
The planned cities
Progress has included a marvellous infrastructure. Factories, manufacturing and production units fall outside the city limits, but connectivity is excellent.
Networking roadways criss-cross the country as multi-lane motorways, highways, expressways, skyways, the works, and gives the impression of a very meticulously planned westernised set-up.
People’s progress
Skyscrapers at the centre of the cities form hubs of business and retail shopping complexes. Women perhaps labour more than the men do, but in globalisation, jobs of key responsibilities may be difficult to come by for many, since higher education seems not to be widespread.
Work attitudes then tend to be rule-bound and bureaucratic, following familiar set patterns. Besides, the language barrier is still a severe constraint, although oddly enough, Western fashions are avidly adopted.
The skills hierarchy would restrict the locals to junior or subordinate levels in corporate houses headed by multinationals. The problem could be that human resource development lags behind the imported technology and lifestyle.
The sources of revenue
Tourism fuels the revenue stream. The spectacular scenic beauty of the country, its wildlife parks, grand palaces and temples attract those inclined to communion with Nature, spirituality and cultural history.
But many more tourists prefer the abundant hospitality of spas, massage parlours, and bars. Catered to mainly by young women and men, ‘pleasure’ has become a huge draw to the region over the years.
In the equation, the big-money spenders buy the opportunities of rest & recreation denied them back home; their hosts/hostesses sustain families on their earnings.
The passive acceptance
When we believe that women in other parts of the continent are on the march to self-reliance, this gendercentric approach appears a setback for the Asian feminine perspective.
By their socio-cultural heritage, the people have a passive acceptance of life. They generally are law-abiding, quiet and unquestioning. Even political unrest is taken in stride as “things that happen”.
The slow realization
Looking in from the outside, one feels a mismatch in aspects of development. Until we perceive that a change in the collective outlook is coming, though slowly.
Many ageing hospitality workers now hope for a different reality, and for their children to escape the legacy of exploitation. Perhaps television and Internet is forcing the realization here, as in sister nations of Asia, that education especially for girls, is key to a people keeping up with the rest of the world.
We see women gyrate in shop windows or parade the streets holding little placards written in English to attract moneyed tourists. But we also sense a growing self-esteem in some others as they work hard to utilize the available technology to educate themselves, and build a more stable and harmonious future in a new direction. 
2 comments:
This is a thoughtful travelogue. The photos are spectacular!Please include interviews and other interactions with the local population.
Thank you for the excellent input! Yes indeed, there is need to know what the people think about themselves, their work, and about visitors to their land.
We have had wonderful experiences and some not so nice – unfortunately much of it has not been recorded (this time!) But we will be scouring our video footage to come up with something as you so rightly suggest.
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