For centuries, the Thai monk was the keeper of wisdom in a land of illiterate peasants. But in recent boom years, a monk's education often lagged far behind that of his flock, making him seem increasingly irrelevant to a people obsessed with gaining wealth. Since Thailand's economic crisis began, the number of people coming to Wat Nongbua has jumped by half. And the message they hear there no longer seems so dated and unrealistic. Thailand shouldn't try to compete on all fronts, but should instead focus on its natural strengths.
Every family has to do a different job.
We have to produce different things. Thailand is basically an agricultural country. But the government wanted to turn it into an industrial country. We didn't know how to keep what we had. This is the reward.