Sukothai

11-3-2008
Sukhothai, Thailand

This morning we visited an official "touristic town." I'm not sure what exactly this government designation denotes, especially since the place seemed very much like just another Thai village. First we stopped at a clay pottery factory and saw how local clay from the fields is used to create planters and figurines for trade. The man working the potting wheels was able to throw large, simply decorated pots in less than three minutes (I timed him). The fire for a massive earthen kiln at the back of the facility was being stoked by a skinny, middle-aged woman wearing a ski mask. Many gardeners and others who work outside wear black or blue masks covering their face and head here. I'm told its to "keep the sun off." Strikes me as insanity because of the heat and humidity, but apparently vanity and style here require light skin. I was interested in the large pile of bamboo and sticks being used to fire the kiln. Thai law is very strict regarding deforestation and essentially no wood can be logged at this point, even for the domestic market.

After the factory, we moved down the road to the local school. This was wonderful, if a bit intrusive. We showed up when the smallest children were just laying down on their blankets for nap time. The school principal and teachers essentially stopped everything they were doing to introduce us to the students. It was a large school and seemed well-equipped and professional. Whether this is typical is hard to tell, of course, but schooling is compulsory here and the economy has been mostly improving for many years in Thailand. Many of the students were as interested in us as we were in them and their smiles and giggles and flirtations were infectious.

Sukhothai was the first capital of the Thai kingdom. Ancient Thai cities were walled squares along river courses. Although, Sukhothai was abandoned eventually for Ayuthaya, near Bangkok, and the area fell into decay. Today, grassy expanses and scattered ponds surround decaying stupas and giant Buddha statues. The impression it gives is of a holy golf course. We rented inexpensive bicycles and explored the area at a leisurely pace.

Trying to understand T'hai politics is a real challenge. T'his is despite the recent protests and bombing, which usually would focus my attention and provide press coverage that helps me understand other cultures. First of all, few Thai speak English so I've been unable to have a conversation that last for more than a few moments with anyone. My own guide, even, has limited English. Moreover, its not legal to criticize the monarchy here, either in the press or in private. Since the king wields substantial power still (over the army?) this forces discussions to omit much of the power structure. Also, the English language newspaper, The Bangkok Post, is hard to find and is severely limited in what it can say. Finally, there is no local or national news in English here. Thus, I feel about as confused as possible regarding local politics.

Here's what I think I know. The current prime minister was elected, but it's not at all clear that these elections were free and fair. There are ongoing protests in Bangkok against the current prime minister. These protesters are demanding the return of the former prime minister who left Thailand after being charged with corruption. As far as I can tell these protesters, who are largely professionals and public employees, are essentially anti-democratic and seek to circumvent the voting power of the rural poor who they see as susceptible to manipulation by politicians. They argue that a fixed number of seats should be set aside for each professional association in their House of Commons. I keep trying to imagine an analogy to U.S. politics to help me understand the situation. Thus, at the moment I think this would be similar to a coalition of liberal elites and union workers, say the Sierra Club and the National Federation of Teachers, seeking to sack the U.S. government and permanently limit democratic voting rights after George Bush's election, mostly by rural folks, in 2004. Regardless, it's clear that freedom of the press is lacking here and that there is a constant concern that yet another coup might rearrange the government of T'hailand. It's happened many times before.