Maethom...Past and Present (Part 2)

Before 1970, Maethom communicated with the rest of the world via the river, either up stream to Hatyai or down stream to the lake and ocean. For one way, it would take 3 hours to Hatyai, and 4 hours to Songkhla by motor boat. During the 1970s, dramatic political changes took place in Bangkok. The change resulted in more funds appropriated for rural area developments. Politicians national and local tried to find creative ways to spend such funds. Roads, bridges, and modern infrastructures such as power and telephone lines came to the village. All of the sudden, a tiny sleeping agrarian society opened itself to the world. It was a quantum leap adjustment for majority of the people, especially from the socioeconomic point of view. In the mid 1970s, less than 30% of households in Maethom had toilets. Actually, they didn’t even have a privy. They would go to the bush and didn’t even bother to bury their feces.  This may sound very primitive, but it was the way of life back then.

Demand for consumer goods came with the roads and power lines. Villagers had no disposable incomes for luxurious items such as car, truck, refrigerator, TV, and so on. Only a small number of people had steady incomes, mostly were government’s employee. It was rare that any families would own more than 15 acres of land. A large scale agriculture operation was not possible. They either sold part of their lands or go to work in the factories in towns to earn enough money for new expenses. After a few years, agriculture lands were left almost totally empty as it was more effective to earn wage and buy food rather than self-producing. The only remaining profitable agriculture was rubber plantation. This was the most reliable source of earning for those without regular employment. Unemployment was not a problem when the consumption was low, but it became highly visible when Maethom transformed to join high consumption societies. Drug-uses among juveniles in the village became prevalent. Unemployment and drug are a good combination for crimes. A lot of community’s efforts went into battling the problems. As in all developed countries, drug is still there and not easy to be completely eradicated.

Education perceived as a ticket for better life by newer generations of parents in Maethom, shared by a contemporary thought in Thai society. As steady government jobs dried out, new college graduates without jobs becomes a brand new problem. By a conventional wisdom, this won’t be all bad. Well educated young people become a driving force of local politic and developments. It is not a surprise these days to see college graduates run for head of the village or Sub-District Administration Organization(Thai:อบต). It is quite certain that these young people bring a lot of valuable modern ideas from their studies to a real use in the village.

In recent years, Hatyai and Songkhla grew rapidly in all aspects, from industries, government, to higher education. Hatyai is a center for business, finance, and tourism. Songkhla has maintained its important role as a seaport city from the past and will be well into the future. There are many education institutions offering programs up to doctorate level. As economy becomes global, the areas also become inseparable from the rest of the country and the world. There is no exception for Maethom, a forgotten village only a few years ago. Roads crisscrossing areas around Songkhla Lake the way unimaginable 50 years earlier. It would take only 15 minutes or less from Hatyai business districts to Maethom, and only a few more minutes to go all the ways to Laem-po, a lakeside recreation area. Maethom's original identity is almost gone. It is now just a suburb of Hatyai and Songkhla.

Our cultures worship heroes and leaders. Quite often, the leaders just rob all of the fames and successes from the ordinary people. They are left with nothing to be proud of while laboring the works. There are a lot of stories of individuals and leaders in the village who made the history, but I prefer not praising the community leaders here. At the same time, I cannot cover all ordinary people.

Recent major infrastructure developments in Maetom

Electricity:                       1984
Paved road:                    1995
Land line phone:             1996
Highs peed internet:       2011

Maethom points of interest

Wat Narungnok

Wat Kutao (Original school building, after restoration in 2010)

The second Wat Kutao school building

Old sling bridge (Wat Kutao)

Hua-non-Wat Kutao

Tah-Oh (Old shipyard site)

Toong-Koh-Lai (1)

Toong-Koh-Lai (2)

Toong-Koh-Lai (3)

Thom (1)

Thom (2)

Thom (3)

Tuad Thom