buddhist ethics, consumption choices and well-being in a sub-urban community in northeastern...
TRANSCRIPT
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S di ll B i ll
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S di ll B i ll
Spending Well, Being WellBuddhist ethics, consumption choices and well-being
in a sub-urban community
in Northeastern Thailand
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research could only be set up, conducted and distilled into a thesis through the
interaction with others. From this interaction I could draw different forms of support and
input. Therefore I would like to express my appreciation to different persons who have playeda role for the realization of this research. First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Edwin de Jong,
Dr. Luuk Knippenberg, Judith Westeneng and Dr. Detlev Haude for their assistance during
the preparation, conduction and writing phase of this research project. I also want to thank
Theo van der Weegen for his comments on the statistical analysis of the survey. In Thailand,
it was of great help to be supported by the faculty of Humanities and Social Science,
especially by the lecturers from the Social Development department Dr. Dusadee Ayuwat and
Dr. Buapun Promphakping.
Conducting a research in an unknown environment can only be successful if 'insiders'are of assistance. In my case, this assistance was vital for the success of the research out of
three reasons. First of all, I was barely acquainted with the cultural context of Thailand and
the Isan. Secondly, I was not able to communicate with people directly since I had no
command of the Thai language. Thirdly, the amount of the surveys that were to be taken
within only a couple of days was far more than I could have managed to do. Therefore, the
assistance of Thai students was crucial. I especially would like to thank Toey and Aim for
their facilitating role in the conduction of the surveys. I am also grateful to Oh, Tar, Teaw, Pei
and Jay Chou for executing the survey. Nui, Poh and BB, thank you for your patience and
intuition in making verbal and non-verbal communication with the interviewees possible.
Doing research in a community, hoping to get insight in different aspects of life there,
asks for the openness and cooperation of the leaders and members of this community.
Fortunately, we encountered a very generous and open community leader in Sri Than 4, as
well as helpful and interested inhabitants. My gratitude goes to all of those Sri Thanians who
have played a facilitating role for this research, especially those who were ready to take some
ti e t h e thei e e ie e d i i ith e
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CONTENTS
list of figures, tables and boxes
1. Introduction 1
2. Theory, research questions and analytical framework 3
2.1 Theoretical framework 3
2.1.1 Well-being 3
2.1.2 Consumption choices 4
2.1.3 Decision making and narrative 5
2.1.4 Religious beliefs and ethics 6
2.2 Research questions 72.3 Analytical framework 7
2.3.1 Concepts 7
2.3.2 Conceptual model 8
3. Methodology 9
3.1 Methods of data collection 9
3.1.1 Community profile 9
3.1.2 Survey 9
3.1.3 Case studies 10
3.2 The interviewees 11
4. Background: Thailand and the research location 12
4.1. Thai Buddhism 12
4.1.1 Multiple rebirth and karma 12
4 1 2 Th i B ddhi t ttit d t d t i l lth 13
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Appendix 1: English version of the general household survey
List of figures, table and boxesFigure 1: conceptual model 8
Table 1: Perceived importance of different items for well-being (1-10)
and the percentage of households owning these items 15
Table 2: % of households items actual and desired items of expenditure 17
Table 3: % of households in Sri Than owning certain assets 17
Graph 1: Regression line illustrating the correlation of age (x-axis)
and importance of luxury consumption (y-axis) 18
Box 1: satisfaction and debts 18
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INTRODUCTION
Theorists on wellbeing have been dealing with the economic dimension like children do with
their desired musical instrument. At first, totally being fixated on the economic aspects of
wellbeing they missed to look around and see the other domains of life. After a while,
however, they began realize that income and consumption could be complemented with other
dimensions to reach a fuller sound. The concept of multidimensional poverty arose and
gradually the economic dimension palled. Some even proved that income had barely any
impact on overall wellbeing - where the other dimensions drowning the sound of the
economic?
The starting point for this research on wellbeing in North Eastern Thailand is the idea
that the musical instrument of the now grown up child should not be thrown into the corner.
In that case theory would fall short of the reality of peoples lives where income andconsumption are often perceived as important contributors to wellbeing. This is for example
reflected in a statement of a 59 year old widow from Isan (northeastern Thailand), made
during a research on the quality of life in this area: A happy man is a wealthy man. We know
how happy a man is by counting his material goods such as car, money, gold, and jewelery.
(Jongudomkarn & Camfield, p. 20). Material aspects are what people refer to in the first place
when it comes to the assessment of their wellbeing. The reason for this tendency is quite
obvious: Material wealth is visible, tangible, easy to count and to compare. In opposition,
family relations are a bit more complicated to observe, not to speak of the psychological
dimension. That doesnt have to say that the economic dimension is most important for
somebodys wellbeing.
Thus, rather than discarding the economic, a different playing technique may make the
instrument sound differently and improve its contribution to the full sound of the orchestra of
dimensions of wellbeing. Even if income may have a relatively low significance on its own,
the way in which people come to spend their income may not. The fact that people are very
f th i i it ti k it th t ki l l k b hi d th Th
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individual get lost in the process of the analysis of the answers people give (White, 2009,
p.10). She further elaborates that approaches to wellbeing should be person-centered, in order
to do justice to the individual as a subject (ibid.). Therefore, in this research, quantitative
methods have been complemented by qualitative methods. At this, the former have mainly
provided a general overview while the latter have yielded the crucial information needed to
answer the research questions.
As these questions have arisen from a research in North-Eastern Thailand, this region
seemed to be the right place to be looking for the answers. So as to compare the motives with
the actual choices made, I choose for a research population where alternatives to make
choices about consumption pattern were relatively available and relevant. Therefore I
conducted the research in a community with average wealth level in urban Khon Kaen.
Assuming that most people are part of a household, within which incomes may be pooled and
most purchases made collectively, I payed attention to the individual as part of a householdwith the emphasis remaining on the individual.
The set up of this thesis will be as followed: In chapter 2, the theoretical framework
for this study will be sketched. In this, theories on well-being, consumption choices and
decision making will be discussed, as well as on ethics and ideals. The research questions
resulting from these considerations shall be presented, together with an analytical framework
that would make these questions operational for the research. In Chapter 3, I will go into the
research methodology that was applied in order to get the information needed to answer the
research questions. As a next step, chapter 4 shall present the context in which the research
has taken place. For this purpose, the national context of Thai Buddhism and societal structure
and the regional and local context of the research location will be introduced. In Chapter 5,
the results of the research shall be pinpointed, followed by a conclusion in Chapter 6. This
conclusion will summarize the main findings and discuss them in the light of the theoretical
framework. As a final comment, considerations about the research process and implications of
the research will be presented.
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2. THEORY, RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Theoretical framework
2.1.1 Well-being
'Well-being is a state of being with others, where human needs are met, where one can act
meaningfully to pursue ones goals, and where one enjoys a satisfactory quality of life'
(WeD, 2007, p.1).
Well-being is one of the central issues in theoretical debates on development. The concept
emerged as the antipole of poverty, providing a more positive and concrete goal to debates on
poverty alleviation. Within the last two decades, various theories and definitions on well-
being have been published. For the purpose of giving an insight into thoughts on well-beingthat are of relevance for this research, I will refer to Amartya Sen, who has been a leading
figure in the theoretical discussions on well-being. I shall also illuminate the ideas of
McGregor and White, who write in line with the 'Well-Being in Developing Countries' (WeD)
framework. This framework is created by the ERSC research group of the University of Bath
and advocates a multidisciplinary approach to the understanding of well-being.
The conception of well-being put forward by the WeD research group combines the
objective circumstances of a person and the subjective perception on their condition
(McGregor, 2006, p.3). It is not only the objectively measurable and tangible states of beingbut also the subjective evaluation of these circumstances that make up the well-being of a
person. In this, the WeD framework also points out to the 'cognitive aspect of subjective
wellbeing, interpreted as satisfaction with the achievement of personally important goals in
one's life' (WeD, 2007, p.2). In accordance with this statement, I will differentiate between the
importance people attach to certain conditions for well-being and the satisfaction with the
current state of implementation of these conditions. To make the notion of well-being more
h i th W D f k id tifi th d f b i i hi h ll b i
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The social context not only plays a major role in creating, conveying and transforming these
meanings. The way a person is embedded in social relations also influences his or her
evaluation of objectives since they have to be brought in line with collective goals (Mc
Gregor, 2006, p.23). Besides, social factors do not only have an influence on the perception of
well-being, but are also determinants for the state of being. As White points out, harmonious
and close social relationships, as well as public and social respect contribute to the well-being
of a person (White, 2009, p. 4). It needs to be noted that the social dimension does not stand
on its own. It interacts with the material and human dimension and the three spheres jointly
constitute the well-being of a person (White, 2009). Warr, for example, suggests that the
contribution of economic factors to the happiness of a person get less important when a
basic level of income is reached while the importance of social factors increases from that
stage on (Warr, p.12). In the following paragraph, I will go into the material aspect by
discussing some theories on consumption.
2.1.2 Consumption choices
The second notion that has to be defined is consumption. By consumption I mean all actions
that require the spending of a part of the income and assets of a household. That can be the
purchase of material goods, but also of services and participation in certain activities, as well
as gifts to family members and friends or donations. Generally, a difference has to be made
between consumption that is aimed at fulfilling basic needs and consumption that goes
beyond that purpose. However, identifying criteria that separate basic needs from desires asks
for the specific context. Basic needs have to be covered to be able to sustain what is perceived
to be a decent livelihood which enables one to fulfill context specific requirements for human
dignity. In this research, I want to look at consumption as tool to come to what an individual
perceives to be well-being. Therefore, the definition of what is basic and what is not, is based
on the same concepts that have been illuminated above and depends on objective and
subjective factors.
C ti th t l b i i d tilit i t Th
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2.1.3 Decision making and narrative
Motives to act in certain ways develop within the space between ideals and the act itself.
Many, situationally varying factors come together and channel this decision making process.
A person and his or her household are embedded in structures like the cultural, social,
political, infrastructural and economic situation. Within these external structures, the
individual occupies a certain position that leads to certain attitudes and actions. Additionally,
individual characteristics like educational level, ethnicity, gender, religion, various forms of
capital at hand are influencing the decision making process.
As it is impossible to cover all these aspects within this research, I focused on the
decision making process as it is perceived by the individual. While getting an overview of the
circumstances of the household the individual is part of through the survey, the qualitative
part of the research was devoted to the motives of the individual informants to make certain
choices. A concept that lends itself for the analyses of this decision making process from theposition of the individual is the 'narrative'. It can be seen as the way an individual perceives
and represents his or her identity and the way this identity is reflected in the actions he or she
takes. Aim of the narrative is to integrate these actions and life choices into a coherent
biography (Atkins and Mackenzi, 2008).
We care about what we are. We are ceaselessly alert to the danger that there may be discrepancies
between what we wish to be (or what we wish to seem to be) and how we actually appear to others
and to ourselves (Frankfurt, 1988, p.163).
The various dimensions that contribute to well-being mentioned in the first section of this
chapter can be detected in the narrative theories as well. A narrative has social and moral
dimensions. It is formed within the socio-cultural context of a person and needs to be
understandable for others. At the same time it has to be logical to oneself as it forms ones
identity (Mackenzi, p. 15,16). This logic is not only based on the way the storyline develops
but also on the motives that lead to this development. The justification of ones actions
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2.1.4 Religious beliefs and ethics
In 2000, Ver Beek published an article in Development and Practice, in which he criticizes
the avoidance of the topic of spirituality in development theory and practice. In contrast to the
consensus among development theorists on the integration of factors like gender, indigenous
knowledge and social structure for the design of effective aid, religion and spirituality are
mostly left aside (Ver Beek, p. 31). Due to the centrality of religion and spirituality in peoples
lives, these aspects should be addressed more openly and included in the considerations made
about development strategies and programs. The concept of weltanschauung covers a wide
range of aspects contributing to the perspective from which somebody looks at, interprets and
judges 'reality'. The term covers religious beliefs and ethics, norms and values as well as
morality. Codes of conduct the translation of ideals into the social realm. According to the
Anthropologist Clifford Geertz, values and attitudes suggested within a religious context are
transferred into nonreligious contexts (1966). In this research, I take religious beliefs andethics as the most basic factors of a weltanschauung as religion widely informs norms and
values, morality and codes of conduct. Geertzs theory seems to be suitable for the Thai
context as Thai Buddhism is strongly interwoven with everyday life. According to Kirsch
Thai Buddhism plays a formative role for the individual weltanschauung, aspirations and
activities, as well as for the structure of Thai society as a whole (Kirsch in Skinner & Kirsch,
1975, p. 194).
the importance of religion lies in the capacity to serve, for an individual or for a group, assource of general, yet distinctive conceptions of the world, the self, and the relations between
them.From these cultural functions flow, in turn, its sociological and psychological ones
(Geertz, 1966, p.40).
Geertz suggests that religion is a cultural system which helps to make sense of our perceptions
by providing order and meaning (1958, p. 421, 422). Order can be attained from the world
view that is conveyed by religion while meaning can be derived from the norms and values,
th th th t i i t d th h li i (ibid ) Vi d f th t ti
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2.2 Research questions
Out of the theoretical considerations above, a general research question can be formulated:
How does the sub-urban middle class of north eastern Thailand join idealistic and
materialistic aspects of well-being in their consumption choices?
In order to give answer to that question, the following sub-questions need to be clarified in
reference to the sub-urban middle class of north-eastern Thailand:
1. Which concepts of Thai Buddhism are constitutive for the weltanschauungof...
2. What are the basic values of Thai Buddhist ethics for...
3. How are Thai Buddhist ethics reflected in the consumption choices of...
4. Which are the main factors that are perceived to contribute to well-being for...
5. How does the conception of well-being influence the consumption choices of...
6. How is a possible dissonance between religious ethics and consumption choices
handled by...
7. What is the effect of consumption choices on subjective well-being of...
...the sub-urban middle class of north-eastern Thailand?
2.3 Analytical framework and operationalization
To make the theory operational, important concepts will be shortly defined below. The
t l d l ill ill t t th l ti b t th t
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Codes of conduct and attitudes that are informed by religious concepts.
Household
Entity of social organization: people, mostly connected through kinship ties, that are pooling
resources and sharing them. Mostly a household is settled in the same house or set of houses.
However, it is also possible that household members live some place else, for example
students or migrants.
Context
Social, cultural, economic, political, infrastructural, geographical circumstances.
2.3.2 Conceptual model
well-being
(importance)
B ddhi t thi
Consumption
choices
well-being
(satisfaction)
In line with?
In line with?
Decision making
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3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Methods of data collection
To access the data necessary to give answer to the research question, various research
methods were used. For an overview of Sri Than 4, a community profile was made in the
beginning of the research. Also, a general household survey was conducted. To get more
detailed information in-depth interviews were held in the course of the case studies. In the
initial phase where general information was collected, it was of importance to tackle the three
main topics, namely consumption, ethics and well-being. While the community profile should
provide information at the community level, the survey was meant to get insight in data on the
household level, including a limited number of data at the individual level. In the second
phase, this general information has been used to identify the topics that had to be delved into
more closely and the informants that could provide the information necessary.
3.1.1 Community profile
Aim of the community profiles was to get background knowledge about life in Sri Than 4,
concerning the geographical, socio-cultural, demographic and infra-structural situation. By
getting insight in these dimensions a better understanding, analysis and interpretation of the
data from the surveys and in-depth interviews was to be reached. Due to the lack of existing
data sources on the community, the information was gathered through semi-structured
interviews with key informants and PA methods by a group of three dutch students, assisted
by two interpreters.
The sampling of the key informants was done in a quite informal, snowball like way.
After a first meeting with the community leader we asked her for experts on different topics.
She was able to name only few so we were left to ask people on the streets about neighbors
who were likely to know about certain issues. This approach worked surprisingly well, as the
scope of the community was rather small. Key informants were the community leader, some
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items3 from the series of questions on the perception of well-being. The luxury consumption
scale includes 'having a job/income', ''having a lot of money', 'owning a car', 'having a mobile
phone', 'having a personal computer', and 'fun shopping'. The religion scale comprises
'personal prayer/meditation', 'going to the temple', 'giving food and other donations to the
monks' and 'attending ceremonies'. Furthermore I constructed two new variables to identify
the respondents who had named luxury goods or religious spending as their main or desired
spendings.
3.1.3 Case studies
In the fourth week of the project, the questions that remained unanswered by the survey and
the community profiles were tackled. These questions were of a qualitative nature and
therefore they were approached through in-depth interviews. In these personal interviews, I
hoped to find out more about the different factors that contribute to the way people make andlook at their consumption choices. Aside from that, the level of satisfaction with these choices
was to be explored. Moreover, the subjective well-being of the informant and his or her
perception of the well-being of the household should be illuminated by the interviews as well
as the importance people give to Buddhism and the implication of the ethics that go along
with it.
Sampling the research population
I planned to sample the informants out of the household survey. I wanted to get in contactwith those respondents who showed relatively high scores on religion and consumption. I
choose for this selection criterion because I was interested in the way people match their
consumption choices with their ideals. Among respondents who both valued religion and
consumption I expected the greatest dissonance between values and consumption choices and
therefore hoped to get insight in the underlying motivations and goals.
For the sample, I selected the respondents who scored an eight or higher on the
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as direct communication with the interviewee was impossible. Besides that, the way I put my
questions had to be understood correctly by an interpreter lacking a social science
background. Again, the interpreters had to summarize the answers and make choices about the
English phrases. To smoothen the communication as well as possible, I briefed the
interpreters about my research questions and the goals of the interviews. Furthermore, I asked
them to translate as literally as possible and also draw my attention to non verbal
communication of the informants. Additionally I would ask the interpreter for a general
evaluation of the credibility of the answers given during an interview.
Analysis
The analysis of the information from the in-depth interviews was done in a iterative way. This
started with the daily evaluation and adjustment of the interview guide in order to get closer to
the information needed to answer the research questions. After the conduction of ten in-depthinterviews, interviews were compared and labels were given to the interview summaries. In
that way, gradually a model developed in which the central concepts were identified and
structured.
3.2 The interviewees
In this paragraph, the interviewees that were approached for the in-depth interviews are
shortly introduced. This is done to give an impression of the type of persons who provided a
vital part of the information presented in the results.
Nuk4 is a 45 year old man living in a relatively poorly appointed two-room wooden house
with his family. The interview was taken in front of the house on some mattresses, where the
family usually sleeps at night. His neighbor, Sawat, a 46 year old woman, lives in a brick and
wooden house together with her husband and her teenage daughter. The son has already
moved out She owns a restaurant at the main road where the interview took place. Another
i i d d i h N 24 ld h i d i
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4. THE REASERACH LOCATION AND ITS NATIONAL CONTEXT
Before turning to the results of the research, a context has to be sketched within which the
research has been conducted. The background information that will be presented in this
chapter is essential to be able to make sense of the data gathered during the research. I willelaborate on Thai Buddhism, the concept of sufficiency economy, and various levels of Thai
societal structure. As Kirsch suggests, an investigation of Buddhist values and beliefs can
broaden our understanding of the general patterns in Thai society (in Skinner & Kirsch, 1957,
p. 177). This is why I will set out to delineate Theravada Buddhism first before turning to
Thai social order and interaction. In this I will concretize my descriptions by referring to the
context of the research location.
4.1. Thai BuddhismA differentiation must be made between the official Buddhist institutions and doctrines and
Thai popular religion as it is practiced in every day life. Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism,
Animism and other influences come together in Thai popular religious belief and practice.
Although in the literature it is generally referred to as syncretism, 95 percent of the Thai call
themselves Buddhist. I will recognize this denomination and from now on refer to this
religious and spiritual topics as Thai Buddhism.
4.1.1 Multiple rebirth and karma
Nirvana, the formal goal of Buddhism has often been characterized as otherworldly
Nirvana, [shortly defined as the escape from this world], is very abstract and distant and
difficult for anyone to aspire to, much less achieve (Kirsch in Skinner & Kirsch, 1975,
p.179). Therefore most Thai Buddhists strive for intermediate goals that are more likely to be
reached. The doctrines of karma and multiple rebirth stand in the center of these aspirations
(ibid., p. 180). The path towards deliverance from this world is characterized by cycle of
bi h Th li h Ni h b i h hi h
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is seen as responsible for his or her present life situation and the shape his or her life will take
in the future.
4.1.2 Thai Buddhist attitudes towards material wealth
Luxury consumption does not go along with the teachings of Buddhism. People just want more
and more and can not control themselves. They spend their money on luxury goods because
they want to have the same as people around them but are left with nothing in the end. If people
want better things for themselves it has to go in line with self-sufficiency because they shouldnot cause any harm to anyone (Master Monk of Jom Sri temple in Sri Than).
According to Buddhist notions, wisdom and compassion are the characteristics that should be
aspired (Warr, n.d). Thoughts about suffering as a result of greed, hatred and ignorance are
central to the Buddhist world view (Warr, n.d) The perception that happiness can be derivedfrom material wealth results in greed. However, in Buddhist notions, the aspirations of greater
wealth that stem from this perception lead to frustration, which in turn spark anger. Again, the
Buddhist notion of ignorance is a result of the misconception of the self as an isolated, inde-
pendent and inherent entity (Warr, n.d.) Warr explains, that these three poisons result in the
endless vicious circle of frustrated pursuit of happiness from material things (Warr, n.d.).
Kirsch even states that otherworldly focus of Buddhism generally discourages attempts at
economic achievement (in Skinner & Kirsch, 1975, p. 177).These central conception of the Buddhist doctrine stand in opposition to the actual
practice where Thai Buddhism recognizes the wish and need of people for a good financial
situation. In Sri Than 4, two very obvious believes concerned with this topic could be found.
Naang Kwak (literally: 'Lady Come') is described as a sort of goddess or angel that is believed
to bring economic success and wealth. Her statue can be seen in most of the shops and houses.
People pay respect to her, offer flowers and sweet drinks so that she will attract prosperity.
When asked, the informants would assure the positive effects of this practices. Business men
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at the beginning of an economically disastrous period for Thailand, King Bhumipol tried to
restore a mentality of sufficiency and constraint as a method to cope with the crises on an
individual, communal and national level. However, the king did not denunciate economic
growth in general. He rather argued that an excessive emphasis economic growth or material
wealth at the expense of other, more important matters, can lead to the Buddhist concept of
suffering. In this, the king also chooses the middle way by making Buddhist ideology match
with the everyday life of Thai citizens as well as the workings of the markets in which the
Thai economy is embedded.
In his major speech on Sufficiency Economy, king Bhumipol identifies five major
themes of the philosophy, namely moderation, resilience, self-reliance, inner dynamic
and knowledge. The concept of moderation can be defined by a call to sensible material
aspirations(Warr, 2007). In this line, the priority of individuals and policy makers has to be
the fulfillment of basic needs for the majority before higher levels of economic growth can beaspired. Resilience asks for the avoidance of excessive risk during these aspirations. The
concept of self-reliance postulates economic independence and can be translated to the
individual and the national level, as well. Inner dynamic points out to the importance to be
concerned about the protection of others, who are, according to the Buddhist world view,
linked with us. Finally, the knowledge term draws our attention to the importance of non-
material aspects of life, such as education, arts and spirituality.
4.3 Thai societal structureTwo essential elements that shape Thai society have already been mentioned: Buddhism and
Monarchy. 'Nation, Religion and King' are perceived to be the three pillars of Thai society as
suggested by King Vajiravudh in the beginning of the twentieth century (Cohen 1991, p. 11).
In this paragraph I will not further dwell on the Thai monarchy or the Thai nationality but on
the structure of Thai social order. Erik Cohen identifies a horizontal and a vertical dimension
of Thai social order (1991, p. 27-30 & 37-39). There is a strong social hierarchy that assigns
l i h d bli i i i i i i hi h hi h
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of Sri Than has gradually become part of the expanding city of Khon Kaen. In the course of
Thai decentralization politics of the administrative entities, Khon Kaen had been divided into
two, later into four separate communities. Historically relying on subsistence farming, Sri
Than 4 is now a typical suburban community with approximately 700 inhabitants living in
150 households. Most adults are now employed in and around Khon Kaen which is also an
effect of the increasing educational level as various types of schools lie within reach. Next to
these formal income activities, many households have a sideline source of income in the form
of a small grocery store, a street restaurant, or a stall at the communal night market. The
change in economic activities has brought about increasing wealth among the households,
who mostly describe themselves as belonging to the middle class. In the chapter that follows,
some characteristics of the households in Sri Than 4 will be described, regarding well-being,
assets and consumption.
5. RESULTS: Well-being, consumption and Buddhist ethics in Sri Than 4
In the following chapter, the results from the survey and the in-depth interviews will be
presented. First I will go into the factors that have shown to be important for the well-being
among inhabitants in Sri Than 4. Secondly, the material assets and other purchases will be
described. In order to understand how inhabitants of Sri Than 4 come to their specific
consumption choices, important concepts of Thai Buddhist ethics will be illuminated in third
section. In the final section, consumption choices will be taken up, this time in the light ofBuddhist ethics and well-being.
5.1 Well-being and
consumption in Sri Than 4
In this section I will set out to
describe the main aspects of
ll b i h h
1 health of people close to you 9,55
2 having good relations with your family 9,53
3 h i hild d d hi h h l / i i 9 44
Perception well-being: importance on a range from 0-10 Owned
by %
of HH
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is attached to certain issues with respect to well-being. Table 1 shows an order of the
importance certain topics have for the well-being of inhabitants of Sri Than 4. The most
significant contributors to well-being are related to the immediate social environment, such as
good relations with the family, the health of people close to the respondents and the education
of the children.
Family relations
The in-depth interviews affirmed that family relations are highly valued. A happy, complete,
unite and peaceful family is important to the well-being of the informants. The reason for this
was the function of the family as emotional and financial backup. The family was also seen as
providing practical assistance in taking care of the children. Nang, the 24 year old student, is
still living with her parents. She reported that spending time with her family, talking to her
parents as often as possible, makes her happy and is a big contributor to her mental health. Atthe moment, she is supported by her parents but she is planning to get a good job after her
graduation. That way, she wants to support her parents financially and be able to take care of
them when they get old.
Health
When it comes to the topic of health, the high ranking from the survey was also confirmed in
the interviews. Apparently, the health of household and family members was a bigger
concern to individuals than their own health, which got a high score, nonetheless. Anexplanation for this is the financial burden that illness brings to a household, but also the
emotional stress that goes along with it. 39 percent of the households that were surveyed
reported a case of serious illness of one or more household members, whereby the emotional
impact was generally ranked higher than the financial one.
Education
I h ki f l di (T bl 3) d i i f h f l
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decent housing conditions revealed to be an important factor for well-being. For 25, 8 percent
of the population, this requirement is not met, as they report to be unsatisfied with their
housing conditions and for 33,3 percent, the first thing to invest in if they had more money,
would be housing (table 3). In addition to safety and housing, food was a basic need that has
unanimously been given a high importance for well-being by the interviewees. An
examination of table 3 shows that food is one of the most important purchases that is made by
households is Sri Than 4. 63,8 percent of the respondents report to spend most of their
households income on food, for another 22,7 percent, food reaches the second rank of actual
spending. Also in the ranking for desired expenditures, food is often mentioned. Generally,
the respondents rate their satisfaction with their diet with a 7,19 out of 10.
5.1.3 The material basis
In the previous section, it already became visible that financial stability is a concern thatemerges in almost every domain of life. It is not an aim on it's own, but rather connected to
the fulfillment of basic and additional needs. Seen in from this perspective, the high score of
the items of 'having a lot of money' and 'having a job' or a different source of income can be
directly linked to a third item that received a relatively high score, namely 'being able to take
care of the family' (table 1).
In the in-depth interviews, money and a job were thus among the first factors that
where named as basic requirements for well-being. Money was seen as the tool to realize
various aspirations and have a comfortable life. Be it a higher educational level for oneself orone's offspring, the chance to improve one's business, convenience in daily life, and even
respect from others. The informants agreed on the relation between happiness and money. The
ability to buy anything one needs without having to struggle for it was perceived as an
important element of happy life. As Nuk explains: 'Money enables me to lead a happy life and
have a happy family. When I have money, I can do anything without having to work hard.'
The ability to take care of the family, however, also carries a subjective dimension. A
j i f h i f d lf d f i b f h
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respondents attribute to it, there does not seem to be a direct link. More than 90 percent, for
instance, own a mobile phone and a motorcycle. However, these two items are among the
lowest valued for well-being.
In the ranking of actual and desired spending on different goods, luxury goods are
rarely among the four items, most of the income is spent on. Only 13,6 percent of the
inhabitants name luxury goods in this respect. For
27,3 percent of the respondents, luxury goods are
among the four items they would spend money on, if
they had a higher income. Buying luxury goods was
also seen as a leisure activity, especially among the
younger population. In the interviews, buying clothes
was related to well-being by three of the younger
female respondents. They stated that not only the actof shopping would bring relaxation, but also the effect
of new clothes, as they would make them look good
and make them be respected as a consequence. The
survey confirms that age has a significant influence on
the importance that is given to luxury consumption.
As the graphic on the left shows, 28,3 percent of the
variance in the importance given to luxury
consumption can be explained by age.In the survey, respondents where also asked to
indicate their wealth level in comparison to other community members. Half of the
respondents ranked their households wealth to be average. A significant correlation can be
noticed between the perception of relative wealth and the importance given to consumption.
The survey shows that a higher importance of consumption goes along with a higher total
yearly income. People who have more money at hand to spend on luxury have shown to
h hi h l i h i l i l l h i i
Graph 1:Regression line illustrating the
correlation of age (x-axis) and importanceof luxury consumption (y-axis)
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Everyone named future plans that should either help their lives to be more comfortable or
themselves to be more respected. A majority of the informants wanted to set up their own
business, mostly restaurants, grocery stores, or renting out apartments. Others, who already
had a business strived to improve the business. When asked about the reason for these goals,
they named more convenience in daily life and financial independence. Again, the ability to
help other family members was widely valued. Some informants also related a feeling of
proud and gladness with the improvement of their job or business.
5.1.6 Spiritual well-being and religious spending
Table 1 also contains four items that can be defied as religious activities. 'Giving food and
other donations to the monks', 'going to the temple', 'attending ceremonies' and 'personal
prayer/meditation' are positively correlating. Together, these activities are given 7,5 out of 10
with respect to their importance for well-being. This score is higher than that for the materialscale with an average of 7,1, but still lower than the average score of the items in table 1.
Also, consumptions related to religion were hardly among the four highest ranked
expenditures. 13,6 percent of the inhabitants of Sri Than 4 are spending money on religious
activities and goods. 28,8 percent would like to include religious spending into the four most
important expenditures, if they had more money. However, the relatively low incidence of
religious spending does not have to indicate a low level of religious activity since religious
practices do not necessarily require the use of money, especially not in high amounts.
A tendency that can be interpreted from the survey, concerns the relation betweenincome and religiosity. With a rising level of the household income the score of the religion
scale would decline. The higher the income, the lesser the significance given to the role of
religion for well-being. In the in-depth interviews, the decline in participation in religious
activities among the younger population was lamented several times. In opposition to these
opinions, no significant correlation between age and the perceived significance of religion for
well-being could be found in the data from the survey.
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5.2 Weltanschauung, Buddhist ethics and ideal behavior
Actions, decisions and reasoning can not be understood without referring to the cultural
context of a person. In that line, this section will focus on some important Buddhist notions
that influence the world view, ideals and behavioral norms of the inhabitants of Sri Than 4. In
the in-depth interviews, informants closely linked their behavior to the ideals they mentioned.
Thus, as a second aspect, the attitudes and behavior will simultaneously be described here.
5.2.1 The five Buddhist morals
Buddhism is generally seen as a guide to a happy, peaceful peaceful life and a better after
life. The informants believe that following Buddhist ethics will help them to be a good
person who is respected or even admired by others. They may even function as a good
example within the household and the community as a whole. A crucial element in the ethics
of the informants were the five Buddhist morals which were named by almost all informants.The morals were summed up as the commandments of not killing, not stealing, not drinking,
not lying, not committing adultery. At least once during the interviews, the morals where
directly mentioned while at several instances they were reflected in statements on ideal and
actual behavior. The commandment of not lying, for example, was reflected in terms like
honesty and sincerity and trustworthiness as characteristics of a good person.
The majority of the informants was quite confident about their ability to keep the
commandments with the exception of drinking alcohol. Alcohol was commonly referred to as
a big problem. But, on the other hand, people associated drinking alcohol with relaxation andand social contacts. Here most interviewees admitted that they enjoy drinking alcohol with
friends. This could also be observed while staying in the community. It was very common to
see people, especially men, sit together and drink the local white whiskey or beer. Nuk, a 45
year old man, stated that he tries to be a good example for his family and neighbors, keeping
the Buddhist commandments. However, he enjoys drinking and flirting with other women
occasionally. He explains this by a need to participate in social life and make friends. Nang,
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work as a buffer in times of bad health of one of the family members, investment in the own
business and education of the younger family members. Of course the interpretation of the
terms necessary and unnecessary can be shaped individually.
The informants emphasized the importance to omit harming others or extending ones
problems to others. Not causing trouble for others seems to be one of the most important
characteristics of a 'good' person. Burdening family members, friends or the community
through problems one is responsible for should be avoided. On household level, these
problems could be unemployment, illness, failure to complete one's education or inability to
sustain the family. Friends could be burdened by seeking their help with financial problems
while on community level crimes as theft or vandalism were given as an example.
5.1.3 Karma and merit
The notion of karma recurs in all interviews. Some informants name it directly, while othersexplain the concept without giving a name to it. Generally the informants believe that the
nature of their actions, to wit good or bad, will be reflected in the way their future is shaped.
Thoughts around karma encompass the previous life, this life, as well as the next life. Ones
present circumstances have mainly been predetermined by the sum of good and bad deeds in
the previous life. Through merit making, shortly summarized as doing good, the
interviewees believe to be able to improve their future destiny. While the focus lies on good
behavior, it is also crucial to avoid 'bad' behavior. This can also be seen as a reason why
informants are anxious not to affect others negatively by their own actions. Merit making isprimarily aimed at a good afterlife. However, most informants also emphasized the short term
impacts of it.
Two ways of making merit can be distinguished as merit making can either be
incorporated in everyday life or deliberately be acquired through religious practices. In case
of the latter, Thai Buddhism provides a range of options to increase ones merit. The
informants most frequently named practices as paying respect and bringing offerings to
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Besides, preventing others from doing bad things that could have a negative impact on
others and on their karma was named several times. Payun, the 60 year old nurse, also offered
her advice on health issues to community members. She made them aware of bad habits that
would detriment their health. In addition, she saw herself as a role model because she had a
harmonious family and considered herself to be a good wife and mother. Helping others on
a spiritual way was also common, as I have mentioned above. Praying for others and
transferring merit to others were said to be done on a daily basis.
Through merit making, whatever the type, the informants get the feeling of having an
influence on their destiny and the destiny of people they care about. It increases their hope for
a better future. Some informants even noted that the tangible effects of merit making are
subordinate to the comforting and encouraging feeling it entails. Moreover, the concept of
karma helps to accept inequalities and shocks. The higher socio-economic status of others can
be explained by their good previous life. As an informant stated: If people have good luckand a better position than us, it means that they have done so many good things in their
previous life. In that way, the concept of karma helps to be satisfied with the own life
situation while simultaneously giving a tool to reach for a better situation in the future.
6. CONCLUSIONIn this concluding chapter I will discuss the results that were presented in the previous chapter
in the light of the theoretical considerations from chapter two. In this, I hope to answer the sub
questions of this research, which lead to the answer of the main question, giving insight about
how the sub-urban middle class of north eastern Thailand join idealistic and materialistic
aspects of well-being in their consumption choices. First, I will summarize and interpret the
findings from the information gained in the local context, before discussing them in relation to
the theory.
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in this research, as informants often stated that merit making gave them a feeling of agency, a
tool to shape their future and that of the people they care about.
The question is, however, what is a better future? It was shown that a combination of
social and material aspects were desired but also the human preconditions such as health,
education, and safety. A higher socio-economic status would, in the Buddhist
weltanschauung, reflect a good character. Therefore, striving for a better job, a higher
income, an exemplary family life and more respect in the community may be connected with
the wish for an affirmation of being a good person, and being perceived as such by others.
This is conflicting with the principles of sufficiency that encourages to be satisfied and
discourage the desire to have more than what is needed.
In the Buddhist world view, the concern about ones well-being is thus not limited to
the present and the future in this life, but also in the next life. The older somebody gets, the
close the next life comes, and thus the perceived need to improve ones karma increases witha higher age. The survey revealed that the importance that is given to material luxury is more
present among the younger population. In the interviews, younger informants attributed
leisure, happiness and respect to the purchase of goods that were not seen as a basic need.
Older informants derived more well-being from the social status they had attained in the
community. Both achievements within the social and the material dimension are believed to
reflect ones karma. As age and achievements in family life are playing a big role for social
status, the younger generations may have to rely more on the material dimension to be
respected. Another reason for the role of age in the importance that is given to luxuryconsumption could be the fact that most of what is perceived to be luxury goods, are technical
products, such as mobile phones, motorcycles and cars, televisions and personal computers.
These products are more familiar with the younger generations, as they have grown up with
them.
What was conspicuous that consumption choices where overly named in relation to the
family or the household. This was the case with almost all basic aspects of well-being.
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certain concepts may also be shaped according to the own situation that makes the own
actions logical and contributes to a coherent self-narrative.
Secondly, the interviewees were quite confident about their ability to act according to
the Buddhist ethics. They saw themselves as good Buddhists, following the five Buddhist
morals and other behavioral norms, such as compassion, munificence, and generosity. The
motivations of for their consumption choices were brought in line with these ethics. Sri
Thanians are looking at their purchases as a necessity that would contribute not only to their
own well-being, but also to their families well-being. Via consumption, with money as the
basis, they could reach different valuable functionings, as it is called by Sen. It was obvious
that the value of these functionings was widely based on Buddhist ethics and the
weltanschauung that Buddhist concepts inform. It could be stated, that, as Atkins and
Mackenzie suggest, actions were justified through their motives and underlying values in
order to come to motivational integrity (Atkins&Mackenzie, p.170). In this, value was alsogiven to the way ones actions and consumption choices are judged in the wider social
context. Thus, the narrative about consumption choices had a social and a moral dimension,
as was also stated by Mackenzie (in Atkins& Mackenzie, 2008, p.15).
It may be useful to widen the concept of subjective wellbeing with the idea that
individual actors can adjust their own subjectivity of perception and thereby increase their
subjective well-being. The concept of narrative makes this idea palpable. This is also in line
with the WeD framework, within which meaningful action is acknowledged to be a part of
well-being. Making sense of ones actions contributes to the subjective well-being of aperson. In this, not only the individual perception but also the social environment plays a role.
The more a person is able to smoothly integrate into the socio-cultural environment, the
higher the satisfaction with her life. Idealistic and material aspects of well-being are joined by
an iterative process of continuously balancing consumption choices and motives in relation to
their social and cultural context.
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REFERENCES
Atkins, K. & Mackenzie, C. (eds.) (2008). Practical Identity and Narrative Agency. New
York:
Routledge
Baker, D.C. (2003). Studies of the innter life: The impact of spirituality on quality of life.
Quality of Life Research, 12 (1). pp. 51-57.
Buitlaar, M. (2006). I Am the Ultimate Challange, Accounts of Intersectionality in the
Life-Story of a Well-Known Daughter of Moroccan Migrant Workers in the Netherlands.
European Journal of Womens Studies, Vol. 13(3), pp. 159-276
Cohen, E. (1991). Thai Society in Comparative Perspective. Bangkok: White Lotus.
Elliott, R. (1997). Existential consumption and irrational desire. European Journal of
Marketing, 31(3/4), 285-296
Frankfurt, H. (1988). The importance of what we care about. New York: Cambridge UP
Fromm, E. (1976). To Have or to Be. Routledge &Kegan Paul: London.
Geertz, C. (1966). Religion as a cultural system In: M. Banton, Editors, Anthropological
approaches to the study of religion, Praeger, New York
Guillen, M. & Velazco, J. 2006, Exploring the relationship between happiness, objective and
subjective wellbeing: evidence from rural Thailand, WeD Working 11, University of Bath,
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Srivastava, A., Locke, E. A., & Bartol, K. M. 2001, "Money and Subjective wellbeing: it is
not
the money, it is the motives", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 80, no. 6,
pp. 959-971.
Ver Beek, K.A. (2000). Spirituality: a development taboo. Development and Practice. 10 (1)
Warr. P. (n.d.). The Economics of Enough: Thailands Sufficiency Economy Debate.
Australian National University
WeD (2007).Research Statement: Wellbeing and International Development. Wellbeing in
Development Countries, ERSC Research Group, University of Bath. Available at:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/econ-dev/wellbeing/research/wellbeing-statement.pdf,retrieved 28 June 2009.
White, S. (2009). But what is well-being? A framework for analysis in social and
development policy and practice. In:Paper for Regeneration and Wellbeing: Research into
Practice. University of Bradford
Young, E. (1898). The Kingdom of the Yellow Robe. A Description of Old Siam.
Westminster: Constable, 1898; New York: New Amsterdam, 1900; reprint Singapore:Oxford University Press, 1986
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Appendix 1: English version of the household survey
Form A: Basic Household Data
A.1: Please tell us about all household members
PID Nickname Relation Sex Age Place Marital Educational Education Reason Main ReligionLives in
HH
head HH (years)of
birth status level completed drop out Occupation
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
Instruction/remarks:
A) PID = personal ID-code. Give each member a code. This should correspond with the codes you use in Form B1 and B2.
B) Fullname = please write down in English, not in Thai
F) Exclude hospital. (many born in hospital in the city) Thus note the place where they lived after they returned from the hospital.H) Education level = highest level
reachedI) Education completed? = Has this person completed the schooling? Or did this person drop out early?
M) Lives in HH = Does this person currently live in this house? Or does he or she stay somewhere else?
Form A Codes
(C) Relationship to head of the HH: (F) Place of birth: (J) If drop out, please state the main reason
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01 Head of the HH 01 Non-Non Wat 01 For economic reasons
02 Husband/ wife 02 Sri Than 02 Other reason, specify
03 Child (biological) 03 Other quarter Khon Kaen
04 Child (step / adopted) 04 Ban Fang (K) Main occupation:
05 Son/ daughter in law 05 Ban Lao 01 Student/ child
06 Parent 06 Other village/city in Khon Kaen province 02 Working in industrial sector
07 Father/ mother in law 07 Other village/city in Isan 03 Working in civil services
08 Direct brother /sister 08 Other village/city outside Isan (in Thailand) 04 Working in services
09 Brother/ sister in law 09 Other (specify) 05 Working in agriculture
10 Grandchild 06 Bussiness/ trading
11 Grandparent (female side) (G) Marital status: 07 Transportation
12 Grandparent (male side) 01 Not yet married 08 Craftsmanship
13 Uncle/ aunt 02 Living together unmarried 09 Retired
14 Cousin 03 Married 10 Housework
15 Servant 04 Living separated 11 Unemployed
16 Other relative (specify) 05 Divorced 12 Unable to work/ disabled
17 Other non-relative (specify) 06 Widowed 13 Other (specify)
(B) Sex: (H) Educational level: (L) Religion:
01 Male 01 Not yet in school (continue column K) 01 Buddist
02 Female 02 Never been to school (continue column K) 02 Muslim03 Primary school 03 Christian
04 Secondary school 04 None
05 High school 05 Other (specify)
06 College/ university
07 Other (specify) (M) Lives currently in the HH:
01 Yes, permanently (=more than 9 months last year)
(I) Education completed: 02 Yes, but returned/seasonal migrant
01 Yes (away for more than 3 months last year)
02 No, specify how many years completed.. (Continue with Form B1)
03 No (continue with form B1)
Form B1: Migrated Household members Data
Continued from Form A: include those persons who are currently not living in the house
Instruction: Copy the PID of the persons for whom the answer in column M (in Form A) is 02 and 03. For each of these persons, fill in this Form B1.
If none of the household members live outside the house or has been doing that before, continue with Form B2.
PID Length Year start Current/last Reason for Send/ bring Spending Send/ bring Kind of goods
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of leave migration place of migration money home money goods home
(in months) stay/work
A B C D E F G H I
Form B1 Codes
(D) Current/last place of stay/work (E) Reason for migration (G) Main spending of the money (H) Send/ bring goods home
01 This Village/community 01 Marriage (multiple answers possible) 01 Yes
02 Other Village in Isan 02 Occupation (job) 01 Daily expenses 02 No
03 Other quarter in Khon Kaen 03 Education 02 For ceremony 03 Don't know
04 Other city in Isan 04 Other (specify) 03 Housing
05 Greater Bangkok (in and around) 04 Investments (I) Kind of goods
06 Eastern and mid Thailand (F) Send/ bring money home 05 Luxury goods/durables (multiple answers possible)
07 Southern Thailand 01 Yes 06 Medical expenses 01 Stereoset08 North and West Thailand 02 No 07 Education 02 Television
09 Abroad 03 Don't know 08 Communication (e.g. phone) 03 Other electronics
10 Other (specify) 09 Other (specify) 04 Clothing
05 Cigarettes/liquor
06 Food
07 Other (specify)
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Instruction
B) Length of leave = How long did/does this person stay outside the house (in months / last period of migration)?
Example 1: Does this person work elsewhere for 6 months and then return home? Then the answer is 6.
Example 2: Does this person works oversees and has been doing that for 7 months up to now, the answer is 7.
Example 3: If a person has been working oversees for 2 years but returned 3 months ago, the answer is 24.
C) When did this person leave the house for the first time? In what year?
D) Place of migration. They are there now, or - in case of returned migrant - where they were last time.
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Form B2: Migrated Household members Data
Instruction: Are any household members born outside the current place of residence (see form A, column F)?
If no, continue with Form C
If yes, fill in Form B2 for each person that was born outside the current community. Copy the exact PID-code from Form A
B2 For people who were born outside the current place of residence (see Form A) when did they come to this community and why?
PID Date person Reason for migrationarrived in current place
of residence (month/year)
A B C
Form B2 Codes
(C) Reason for migration
01 Marriage
02 Migration with family
03 Occupation (job)
04 Education
05 Other (specify)
Instruction:This Form seeks to identify those persons who migrated to the current place of residence. For those born outside the place ofresidence,
please ask when they came to the current village/city and why they moved there. (maybe the person arrived at the age of 2 when the parents migrated,
or the person came a few years ago in search for a job).Form C: Housing
C.1 What type of house does this household live in?
Instruction: answer by own observation.
01 Shack 04 Brick/ concrete house (two floors)
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02 Wooden house 05 Brick/ wooden house
03 Brick/ concrete house (one floor) 06 Appartment
07 Other (specify)
C.2 Does the household own this property? Or do they rent it? Or is there a different construction?
01 Own property
02 The household pays rent
03 Don't know
04 Other (specify)
C.3 Does the household own the land on which the dwelling is built?
01 Yes
02 No
03 Don't know
C.4 Does the dwelling have electricity?
01 Yes
02 No
03 Don't know
C.5 What is the main source of drinking water?01 Private piped water
02 Communal piped water
03 Well/ tube well
04 Rain water (often from water storage jar)
05 Bottled water
06 Other, specify..
C.6 What kind of toilet facility do the members of the household use?
01 Flush toilet
02 Pit latrine
03 Bucket toilet04 None (outdoors)
05 Other, specify.
C.7 What is the main source of fuel for cooking?
01 Electricitry
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02 Petroleum products
03 Bottled gas / gas tank
04 Firewood (wood, leaves & twigs, etc.)
05 Charcoal
06 Agricultural residue (e.g., stalk, chaff)
07 Other, specify
C.8 How many bedrooms + living rooms does the house have? Number:
C.9 Concerning your family's housing which of the following is true?
The family's housing is:
01 Not adequate
02 Just adequate
03 More than adequate
04 Don't know/ no answer
Form D: Land and assets
D.1 Do you own/use land?
01 Yes
02 No (continue to question D.4)03 Don't want to tell (continue to question D.4)
D.2 How many pieces of land do you use/own? Number:
D.3 Land owned and operated by the household:
No Land ownership/ usage Area (rai) Use of fields Type of water
A B C D
1
2
3
4
5
Form D.3 Codes
(A) Land ownership/ usage: (C) Use of the fields (multiple answers possible):
01 Land is owned by the HH (trough land certificate) 01 Houseplot02 Land of parents used free of charge 02 Rice (D) Main type of water
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used:
03 Rented by the HH for money 03 Cabbage 01 Rain water
04 Rented by the HH for a share of the harvested crop 04 Sugarcane 02 Underground water pump
05 Renting-out 05 Cassave 03 Pumped pond water
06 Public land 06 Corn 04 Public canals
07 Other (specify) 07 Mushroom 05 None
08 Tomato 06 Other, specify
09 Melon
10 Other, specify
D.4 Does your household own any livestock and how many? (excluding pets) (Note 0 (zero) if they do not own one of the items)
Kind of livestock No. Owned
01 Cow
02 Buffalo
03 Chicken
04 Duck
05 Pig
06 Other (specify)
D.5 How many of these items are in your house? (Note 0 (zero) if they do not own one of the items)
Kind of asset No. owned01 Radio/ cassette/ CD
02 Television
03 Video/ DVD player
04 Telephone (not mobile)
05 Mobile Phone
06 Refrigerator
07 Gas stove
08 Air conditioner
09 Bicycle
10 Motorcycle
11 Tractor
12 Car/ truck13 Washing machine
14 Personal Computer
Form E: Income sources
E.1 What are the income sources of your household?
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Type of income source Yes/ no Amount (Baht) Period
A B C D
01 Agricultural activities - own business
02 Agricultural activities - labour
03 Non-agricultural activities - own business
04 Non-agricultural activities - labour
05 Pension
06 Remittances
07 Other, specify
Form E1 Codes
(B) Income source? (D) Period:
01 Yes, continue to C and D 01 Daily
02 No 02 Weekly
03 Don't know/ don't want to tell 03 Monthly
05 Yearly
06 Other (specify)
E.2 How satisfied are you with the household income?
(0=completely dissatisfied, 5=neutral, 10= completely satisfied)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Form F: Debts/savings
F.1 Does your household currently have any debts?
01 Yes
02 No (continue to question F.2)
03 Don't want to tell/ don't know (continue to question F.2)
NoTo whom/
where Amount (Baht) Purpose How pay back Able to pay back
A B C D E
1
2
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3
4
5
Form F1 Codes
(A) To whom/where has the HH debts: (C) Purpose of debt: (D) How to pay back:
01 Bank (BAAC/BCCA) 01 Daily expenses 01 Money
02 Other bank 02 For ceremony 02 Labour
03 Relatives in village/ city 03 Housing 03 Money and labour
04 Relatives outside village/ city 04 Investments 04 Goods
05 Money lenders 05 Luxury goods/durables 05 Other (specify)
06 Friends 06 Medical expenses
07 Neighbours 07 Education (E) Able to pay back
08 Village headman 08 Gambling & drinking 01 Yes09 Village fund(specify) 09 Other (specify) 02 No
10 Other (specify) 03 Don't know
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F.2 Do the household members have any gold?
01 Yes, specify in Bath (weight) Bath (weight):
02 No
03 Don't want to tell/ don't know
F.3 Does your household have any money savings?
01 Yes, specify in Baht Baht:
02 No
03 Don't want to tell/ don't know
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Form G: Consumption
G.1 How often are following kind of foods consumed in your household on average?
Instruction: please tick the right box in each line
Daily (1) Weekly (2) Monthly (3) Less often (4) Never (5)
01 Fruit
02 Vegetables
03 Fish/ water animals
04 Pork05 Beef
06 Chicken
07 Eggs
08 little land animals Remark:
09 snacks Snack = candy, ice cream, etc.
G.2 Please indentify your level of satisfaction with your household's food consumption during the different seasons.
(0=completely dissatisfied, 5=neutral, 10= completely satisfied) Please encircle the right number
01 Dry Season 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
02 Wet Season 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
03 Winter 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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G.3 In the past 12 months, did anyone in the household send money or goods to relatives or friends outside the household?
If yes, how much? If goods, what is the value of those goods?
Instruction: note the total value sent in the last year
Sent to Yes/ no Amount Form G3 Codes
(Baht)
A B C (B) Money/goods sent to these categories?
01 Family/relatives 01 Yes02 Friends 02 No
03 Don't know/ want to tell
G.4 On which items does your household spend most money? Number the 4 most important items.
(Let the respondent rank. Note 1 for the first, most important item; 2 for the second; 3 for the third and 4 for the fourth)
Goods Ranking
A
01 Food
02 Clothes
03 Education
04 Insurance
05 Luxury goods
06 Transport
07 Toiletries
08 Electricity
09 Housing
10 Taxes
11 Health
12 Religious spending
(monks, ceremonies)
13 Repaying debts
14 Other, specify
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G.5 If your household had more money on which four goods would you like to spend more money?
(Let the respondent rank. Note 1 for the first, most important item; 2 for the second; 3 for the third and 4 for the fourth)
Ranking
01 Food
02 Clothes
03 Education
04 Insurance
05 Luxury goods
06 Transport
07 Toiletries
08 Electricity
09 Housing
10 Taxes
11 Health
12 Religious spending
(monks, ceremonies)
13 Repaying debts
14 Other, specify
Form H: Shocks
H1.1 We would like to learn more about shocks: unexpected events that have a negative influence on your household
e.g., a failed crop. Did one of the following shock occur to your household in the past 5 years?
(0=no impact; 5=neutral; 10=very large impact)
Kind of shock Yes/No Impact on daily life - economically Impact on daily life - emotionally
(scale 0-10) (scale 0-10)
A B C D
01 Serious Illness of a HH member
02 Death of HH member
03 Failed crop
04 Loss of employment/bankrupty
05 Sudden fall of crop price
Form H Codes
(b) Yes/no
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01 Yes (Continue with column C and D)
02 No
Instruction:
B) Did the shock occur to this household in the past 5 years?
C/D) Note the number of the scale in the column
Form I: Health
I.1 Does a household member suffer from chronic ill health?
01 Yes
02 No
03 Don't know/ want to tell
I.2 Does a household member suffer from a major disability?
01 Yes
02 No
03 Don't know/ want to tell
I.3 How satisfied are you with the following health facilities? (scale 0-10)
(0=very dissatisfied; 5=neutral; 10=very satisfied)How satisfied are you with the care you receive from the following facilities?
(scale 0-10)
01 Traditional midwife 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Don't know / N.A.
02 Sub-district government health centre0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 Don't know / N.A.
03 Distr ict government hospital 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Don't know / N.A.
04 Provincial governmental hospital 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Don't know / N.A.
I.4 Do you go to a private clinic or hospital if a household member is ill?
01 Yes
02 No (Continue with Form J)
03 No answer (Continue with Form J)
I.5 If yes, why do you go to a private hospital or clinic?
01 Because it is closer to the house
02 Because the quality is better in these facilities
03 Because these facilities and doctors are more reliable
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04 Other reason, specify
Form J: Social relationsJ.1 How often do members of your household have contact with:
(Please tick the right box for each row)
Daily (1) Weekly (2) Monthly (3)
Once ortwice a year
(4) Less (5)
01 Relatives nearby (in community)
02 Relatives far away
03 Neighbours
04 Colleagues at work
05 Religious dignitaries
06 Community leaders
J.2 Please indicate the purpose of those contacts
(Multiple answers possible; please tick the right box for each row)
Economic Emotional Ceremonies Work, Officialchatting,eating,
support support or festivities business meetings entertainment
A B C D E F
01 Relatives nearby
02 Relatives far away
03 Neighbours
04 Colleagues at work
05 Religious dignitaries
06 Community leaders
J.3 Do you or does one of your household members occupy an important position in the village/community?
01 No
02 Yes, specify who and what position
PID. Name.PositionPID. Name.Position
PID. Name.Position
03 Don't no / No answer
J.4 Are you or someone of your household a member of any organisation?
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01 Yes
02 No (continue to J.6)
03 Don't know (Continue to J.6)
J.5 In what kind of organization(s) do the members of your household participate at the present?
(please tick the right box)
Yes No
01 Official village based organisation
02 Spontanous, informal village based organisation
03 Governmental organisation beyond the community
04 NGO
05 Labour union
06 Religious group
07 Political party
08 Others (specify)
J.6 Did you or any member of your household dropped out of any organisation lately?
01 Yes
02 No (Continue to Form K)
03 Don't know (Continue to Form K)
J.7 Why did you or other members of your family dropped out? (multiple answers possible) (tick the right boxes)
Person 1 Person 2 Person 3 Person 4
PID: PID: PID: PID:
01 Fees were to high
02 No more interested in activities
03 Organisation stopped as a whole
04 Did not agree with the policies or goals of the organisation
05 We moved to another place
06 Personal conflicts with the organisation
07 Health Problems
08 Other (specifiy)
09 Don't know/don't want to tell
Form K: Politics
K.1 Did you vote at the last elections?
01 Yes (continue to K.3)
02 No (continue to K.2)
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03 Don't want to tell (continue with K.4)
K.2 Why not? (multiple answers possible)
01 Because of practical problems
02 Because I do not think my vote makes a difference
03 Because none of the political parties has a leader I like
04 Because none of the political parties has a program I support
05 Because I disagree with the way politics is functioning
06 Because I do not trust politicians
07 Other (specify)Continue with question K.4
(If answered 'yes' to question K.1)
K.3 Why did you vote for the party you voted for? (multiple answers possible)
01 Because this political party has a programme I support
02 Because my family votes for the same party
03 Because the village headman advised me to vote for this party
04 Because a community leader asked me to do so
05 Because I received a small payment
06 Because this party has done something for our community in the past
07 Because this party has done something for me in the past
08 Becasue this party has a leader I support
09 Other, specify
K.4 Will you vote during the next elections?
01 Yes (continue with K.5)
02 No (Go to question K.7)
03 Don't know (Go to question K.7)
04 Don't want to tell (Go to question K.7)
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K.5 Will you vote for the same party?
01 Yes (Continue with question K.7)
02 No (Continue with question K.6)
03 Don' t know (Continue with question K.7)
04 Don't want to tell (Continue with question K.7)
K.6 If not the same party, why do you want to vote for a different political party? (multiple answers possible)
01 Because this political party has a programme I support
02 Because my family votes for the same party03 Because the village headman advised me to vote for this party
04 Because a community leader asked me to do so
05 Because I received a small payment
06 Because this party has done something for our community in the past
07 Because this party has done something for me in the past
08 Becasue this party has a leader I support09 Because I am unsatisfied with the party I voted for during the lastelection
10 Other; specify
K.7 What or who are your sources of information on politics? Indicate on a scale from 0 to 10 how important the following sources are to
you.(0=not at all important; 5=neutral; 10=very important)
01 Radio 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
02 TV 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
03 Newspaper 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
04 Relatives 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
05 Neighbours 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
06 Friends 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
07 Village head 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
08 Other community leader 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
09 Rally of political party 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10 Other, specify 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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K.8 How often do you receive information on politics?
01 Never
02 Less than once a month
03 About once a month
04 Almost once every two weeks
05 About once a week
06 Almost every day
07 Don't know/don't want to tell
K.9 What sources of information you consider to be the most reliable?
(Note a 1 for the most reliable; a 2 for the second reliable and a 3 for the third answered item)
Rank
01 Radio
02 TV
03 Newspaper
04 Relatives
05 Neighbours
06 Friends
07 Village head
08 Other community leader09 Rally of political party
10 Other, specify
K.10 Have you ever participated in political demonstrations?
01 Yes (continue to K.11)
02 No (continue to K.12)
03 Dont want to tell (continue to K.12)
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K.11 If yes, Why?
01 Because I received a small payment
02 Because I was against the policy
03 Because I was asked to join
04 Other (specify)
K.12 According to you, how important are th