The average per capita income in rural Isaan is US $2,000 per year.
Probably the majority of tourists that come to Thailand spend more than that on their 2 week holiday.
Thailand is not all cities, beaches and tourists areas.
That is the minority of the country.
The majority is rural areas, void of anything western or any luxuries.
Visiting rural Isaan is an education in itself.
To see how people spend their entire lives getting by with little to nothing; and they never complain.
Most people here work manual labor and live day to day.
Making 300 baht (US $10) a day cutting sugar cane or rice.
That is all there is for them.
Yet, most of the people are the friendliest people you will ever meet in Thailand.
There are no gov’t initiatives or social welfare programs to help anyone here.
It is the way it is and always will be.
There are no real expectations of anything more.
Yet, I can’t help thinking, in the end, this may be better than having more and drowning in debt.
Visit the real Thailand!