Copyright (C) 2007 by F. Scott Sinclair. All Rights Reserved. This typical roadside vendor will eke out a living by selling fruit to passersby. Thais on their way home from work, visitors, tourists and others, help to provide a living for these industrious souls. When the 1997 economic crisis unloaded its wrath upon Thailand, ingenious Thais smiled and shrugged their shoulders, not forgetting that Thailand means: a free land. And in the spirit of freedom, Thais have always found ways to make a living off the land that their ancestors left for them. As you can see in the video, there's no daycare facility in the neigborhood. Vendors bring their babies to the meager grass huts along the main road and let them lie in cribs, swinging peacefully to sleep alongside the ever present Thai means of entertainment: a color television set. A propane gas tank, stove, electric fan and refrigerator makes life more endurable and enjoyable. Water is readily available in a ceramic cistern: all the comforts of home. A shophouse, if you like... A Mini Mart in the middle of nowhere. As you can see, Thais live in style even when their floor is solid dirt. And most important of all, the produce being sold is fresh and scrumptious: mouth-watering to say the least. Now you know why the villagers of Thailand survived the 1997 economic crisis with flying colors. There is no unemployment insurance, or safety net for the villagers of Thailand. City dwellers (including Thais) are helpless when factories and businesses close down--like a boat without a rudder--drifting aimlessly with the currents to who knows where. Such is the plight of city dwellers worldwide. But that's not the case for Thai farmers and villagers. Self-sufficiency has been taught to villagers and the general populace for generations. Their Buddhist beliefs and determination are truly genuine safety nets. Micro-capitalism is well and alive in Thailand in good times and bad. Welcome to the Land of Smiles.
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QUOTE:
A CONVENIENT (I HOPE) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
F. SCOTT SINCLAIR'S NOVELS
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